Atlantis missions
Thursday, 14 Feb 2008 17:36
Atlantis has made 28 shuttle flights in its lifetime
All the main facts and figures about Nasa's spaceshuttle Atlantis.
What is Atlantis?
Atlantis is the US-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (Nasa) fourth space-rated spaceshuttle. It is named after the boat that served as the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966.
The shuttle was completed in 1985 and made its maiden voyage, STS-51-J, in October that year.
Background
As well as carrying out its own missions, Atlantis has served as the on-orbit launch site for a number of spacecraft, including the planetary probes Magellan and Galileo.
Atlantis also pioneered the Shuttle-Mir missions, flying the first seven missions to dock with the Russian space station.
In recent years the shuttle has undertaken several vital missions to the International Space Station, delivering key components such as the US laboratory module Destiny.
Recent missions
Atlantis has made 28 shuttle flights in its lifetime. Last year the STS-117 mission delivered the second and third starboard truss segments and another pair of solar arrays to the space station.
In September 2006 the STS-115 mission resumed assembly of the International Space Station after a hiatus of four years. The work included installing new solar arrays.
Current status
Atlantis returned from an 11-day mission to the International Space Station on February 20th. The STS-122 mission installed Columbus, the latest research module on the orbiting complex.
The module expands the facilities of the ISS and provides scientists around the world with the ability to conduct a variety of experiments.
The European Space Agency (Esa) has described Columbus as "the cornerstone of Europe's contribution to the ISS".
"The launch of Columbus marks the onset of a new era. We have long waited for this moment in European human spaceflight and space-related sciences," said Daniel Sacotte, Esa's director for human spaceflight, microgravity and exploration programmes.
Atlantis' mission lasted for 11 days, during which the crew undertook three spacewalks to attach the Columbus lab and connect its power and fluid lines.