[sarex] NASA Starts Space Shuttle Atlantis Countdown June 5

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

> June 1, 2007
>
> John Yembrick
> Headquarters, Washington 
> 202-358-0602
>
> George Diller
> Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
> 321-867-2468 
>
>
>
> NASA STARTS SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS COUNTDOWN JUNE 5
>
> CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will start the launch countdown for space 
> shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 mission at 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 5, at 
> the T-43 hour point. The countdown includes 27 hours, 32 minutes of 
> built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time at 
> approximately 7:38 p.m. EDT Friday, June 8. The launch window extends 
> an additional five minutes.
>
> During the 11-day mission, Atlantis' crew will resume construction of 
> the International Space Station, working with the station crew to 
> install the girder-like S3/S4 truss segment, unfold a new set of 
> solar arrays and retract one array on the starboard side of the 
> station.
>
> A detailed list of launch countdown milestones and times is available 
> at:
>
> http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/index.html 
>
> This mission is the 118th space shuttle flight, the 28th flight for 
> Atlantis and the 21st U.S. flight to the International Space Station. 
> STS-117 is scheduled to land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on 
> Tuesday, June 19.
>
> Atlantis' last mission was STS-115 in September 2006. For the upcoming 
> STS-117 mission, Atlantis rolled out to Launch Pad 39-A from 
> Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building on May 15. Atlantis originally 
> was targeted for launch in March, but a hail storm damaged foam 
> insulation on the shuttle's external fuel tank and forced managers to 
> roll the spacecraft back into the Vehicle Assembly Building to make 
> repairs. With the refurbishment of Pad 39-A, this launch will be the 
> first from the pad in four years.
>
> STS-117 Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and mission 
> specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John 
> "Danny" Olivas and Clayton Anderson are scheduled to arrive at the 
> Kennedy Space Center on June 4.
>
> Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams will return to Earth 
> from the space station aboard Atlantis. The flight will carry 
> Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson to the station. He 
> will return home aboard space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-120.
>
> For more information about the STS-117 crew and mission to the space 
> station, visit:
>
> http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
>
> 	
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