Atlantis rolled out to pad
Posted: Thu, Sep 4, 2008, 9:26 PM ET (0126 GMT)
After delays caused by technical problems and threatening weather, NASA rolled the space shuttle Atlantis to the pad on Thursday. Atlantis left the Vehicle Assembly Building at 9:19 am EDt (1319 GMT), about 40 minutes ahead of schedule, and was locked down to launch complex 39A by about 4 pm EDT (2000 GMT). The rollout was scheduled for last Saturday but was first delayed because of additional work needed to be performed on the orbiter, and then because of concerns about Hannah, borderline tropical storm/hurricane in the Atlantic off the Florida coast. Shuttle managers decided to roll the shuttle out to the pad after forecasts showed Hannah would remain well off the Florida coast as it moved to the north over the next few days. Meteorologists, though, are keeping an eye on two other storms, Ike and Josephine, that could pose a threat to the Florida coast next week. Despite the delayed rollout, managers said they are still on track for an October 8 launch of the shuttle on STS-125, a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
After delays caused by technical problems and threatening weather, NASA rolled the space shuttle Atlantis to the pad on Thursday. Atlantis left the Vehicle Assembly Building at 9:19 am EDt (1319 GMT), about 40 minutes ahead of schedule, and was locked down to launch complex 39A by about 4 pm EDT (2000 GMT). The rollout was scheduled for last Saturday but was first delayed because of additional work needed to be performed on the orbiter, and then because of concerns about Hannah, borderline tropical storm/hurricane in the Atlantic off the Florida coast. Shuttle managers decided to roll the shuttle out to the pad after forecasts showed Hannah would remain well off the Florida coast as it moved to the north over the next few days. Meteorologists, though, are keeping an eye on two other storms, Ike and Josephine, that could pose a threat to the Florida coast next week. Despite the delayed rollout, managers said they are still on track for an October 8 launch of the shuttle on STS-125, a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, March 31
Europe's engines powering Artemis II
ESA — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT) Eight more satellites added to IRIDE space programme
ESA — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT) Seven missions launched to test optimised data transfer from space
ESA — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT) ESA marks 60 years of Star Trek at London's Science Museum
ESA — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT) Vandenberg SFB supports National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Transporter-16 mission
US Space Force — 6:39 am ET (1039 GMT) |
