Originally published July 8, 2011 at 4:22 AM | Page modified July 9, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Comments (0)
E-mail article
Print- Share:
Space shuttle astronauts will check for damage
Atlantis astronauts will spend most of their first full day in orbit checking the space shuttle's delicate heat shield for any damage from Friday's launch.
AP Science Writer
PREV
JOHN RAOUX / AP
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, July 8. The STS135 mission, the final shuttle flight, will bring supplies to the international space station.
GODSPEED ATLANTIS!
Another great day for American ingenuity and pride. Congratulatio... (July 8, 2011, by CH3NO2)
Read more
Atlantis astronauts will spend most of their first full day in orbit checking the space shuttle's delicate heat shield for any damage from Friday's launch.
Astronauts will use the shuttle's robot arm and an extension to slowly examine the most vulnerable parts of the shuttle's outer edges. In 2003, the space shuttle Columbia was destroyed when it returned to Earth because of damage during liftoff.
On Sunday, Atlantis will dock with the International Space Station to deliver more than four tons of supplies. The flight of Atlantis is the final space shuttle mission as NASA ends the 30-year program to pursue a new path in space exploration.
- Comments (0)
- E-mail article
- Print
- Share:
News where, when and how you want it
-
Most viewed photo galleries
-
Most watched
videos
