04 July 2007
Credit: NASA/KSC
On 3 July 2007, Space Shuttle Atlantis officially concluded its latest mission, STS-117, by landing in Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. Atlantis was attached atop a modified 747 jetliner, called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
Meanwhile, preparation for the next shuttle flight, STS-118, continues at KSC. Space Shuttle Endeavour arrived inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on the morning of 3 July, after a short roll from the nearby Orbiter Processing Facility. In the assembly building, the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters will be attached to Endeavour.
The STS-118 mission will deliver the S5 truss to the International Space Station and will mark the first flight of an educator astronaut, Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan. STS-118 is due for launch on 7 August.
Further Reading
STS-117
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_overview.html
Aymen Mohamed Ibrahem
Senior Astronomy Specialist