CAPE CANAVERAL, United States, Jun 9 (AFP): The US space shuttle Atlantis headed for the International Space Station early Saturday on this year's first mission, aimed at boosting the station's power-generating capacity.
The shuttle rocketed into a clear blue sky late Friday and reached orbit less than nine minutes after liftoff.
"It's a very good day for NASA and this nation's space programme," said Rex Geveden, NASA associate administrator for space operations, speaking at a press conference after the blastoff.
"What a great way to start the year and this mission," gushed shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach. "It's a great launch, it's the first step in a very challenging mission."
A team of NASA specialists studied the launch video, "and the preliminary word is that we lost no foam off, at least in the preliminary report," said shuttle programme manager Wayne Hale.
The space shuttle Columbia's heat shield was pierced by foam insulation that peeled off its fuel tank during liftoff, causing the shuttle to disintegrate as it returned to Earth with seven astronauts aboard in February 2003.
NASA engineers since modified the external fuel tank to prevent large pieces of foam from falling off during liftoff, and set procedures to check the shuttle's heat shield while in orbit.
Atlantis heads for Int’l Space Station
FE Team | Published: June 10, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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