‘Atlantis’ All Set To Launch: NASA

The countdown for the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis has begun with the date of the launch announced as August 27, 2006. On Wednesday, after a two day long flight readiness review conference, the US space agency NASA gave a green signal to the launch of ‘Atlantis’.

The shuttle is slated to be launched on August 27 at 20:30 GMT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to restart construction of the half built International Space Station costing $131 billion which came to a halt after shuttle ‘Columbia’ fell apart over Texas in 2003 killing all seven astronauts aboard. It is said to be one of the most challenging missions in the history of the 25-year-old shuttle program.

A cautionary note came from the representatives of the Johnson Space Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center about the current design of ice-frost ramps on the external fuel tank. They voiced concern over the wedge-shaped brackets which run up and down the tank and have been known to shed foam in the past. The falling foam proved to be space shuttle Columbia's nemesis in 2003.

The crew of the 11 day long STS-115 mission consists of Commander Brent W. Jett Jr., Pilot Christopher J. Ferguson and Mission Specialists Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, Joseph R. Tanner, Daniel C. Burbank and Steven G. MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency.

On their space mission the crew members of Atlantis will install the integrated P3/P4 truss segment along with its two solar arrays thus doubling the station’s current ability to generate power from sunlight.

NASA hopes to launch 17 missions during next four years to complete the construction of International Space Station by 2010.