Tuesday, September 05, 2006

STS-115 Launches Wednesday at 11:29 CDT

"Atlantis (OV-104) was delivered to Kennedy Space Center in April 1985.
It lifted off on its maiden voyage on Oct. 3, 1985, on mission 51-J, the second dedicated Department of Defense flight. Later missions included the launch of the Galileo interplanetary probe to Jupiter on STS-34 in October 1989, and STS-37, with the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) as its primary payload, in April 1991."

Atlantis STS-115 mission
"Atlantis STS-115 mission resumes assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) with delivery of the Boeing [NYSE: BA] Port 3/Port 4 (P3/P4) truss segment and two power-producing solar arrays.
The 34,885-pound truss is the next major addition to the 11-segment integrated truss structure that eventually will span more than 300 feet and carry power, data and temperature control for the orbital outpost's electronics.
One of the unique elements of P3/P4 is the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, located between P3 and P4, which rotates 360 degrees every 90 minutes to keep the solar array wings oriented toward the Sun as the station orbits the Earth."


First Space Shuttle test flight 25 years ago was an American Engineering Triumph
overview, with 11 minute documentary video

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