The space shuttle Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station Sunday to deliver a new Russian module and spare parts needed to keep the outpost operational after two final shuttle visits this year. Atlantis commander Ken Ham inched his 100-ton spaceship into a docking port at 10:28 a.m. EDT as the shuttle and the station soared around the planet at 17,500 mph. Read more
NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis Lifts Off to Put Finishing Touches on the International Space Station
One of the final space shuttle visits to the International Space Station began at 2:20 p.m. Friday with the launch of Atlantis and six astronauts from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The mission will deliver cargo, critical spare parts and a Russian laboratory to the station. The third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010, this was the last planned launch for Atlantis. The Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 is inside the shuttle's cargo bay. Also known as Rassvet (dawn in Russian), it will provide additional storage space and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. The laboratory will be attached to the bottom port of the station's Zarya module. Read more