spacetoday.net: NASA plans ambitious shuttle launch schedule

NASA plans ambitious shuttle launch schedule

Posted: Thu, Apr 19, 2007, 7:59 AM ET (1159 GMT)
STS-116: launch (NASA/KSC)

NASA announced this week a revised schedule for shuttle launches that calls for six shuttle missions in less than 12 months. The shuttle schedule was revised in the wake of continued delays in the next shuttle mission, STS-117, which is now scheduled for no earlier than June 8. Three more shuttle missions are planned in 2007, in August, October and December, followed by two more missions in February and April of 2008. NASA also swapped orbiters for three of the upcoming missions to minimize the overall impact on the schedule. NASA said it has not evaluated the shuttle schedule beyond April 2008.