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NASA has cleared the space shuttle Atlantis for its last planned launch on May 14, the first of three final spaceflights planned for the U.S. space agency's storied space plane fleet. Atlantis is officially set to blast off on May 14 at 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle's six-astronaut crew will deliver and install a new Russian science module called Rassvet, which means "Dawn" in Russian. "We're ready to go next Friday," NASA's shuttle program chief John Shannon told reporters Wednesday. "It's been...

1. Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) high above Earth's rugged terrain, 25 November 2009 (4288 x 2846 pixels) 2. International Space Station over cloudy Earth, 25 November 2009 (4288 x 2846 pixels) 3. NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) high above the Mediterranean Sea, near the coast of Algeria, 25 November 2009 (4288 x 2846 pixels) Photos and Captions Taken From http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200911.htm (#8, #9, #12) 

Good Mission.... I'm going to miss the Space Shuttles..

Meetings have been taking place on Wednesday into evaluating damage to the pressure pane on Atlantis’ number 5 window, after a work light knob was observed to be embedded between the pane and the dashboard panel. The damage can only be fully assessed once the knob is removed, with the threat of a six month schedule impact to STS-129 noted, should the damage prove to be unacceptable for flight. STS-129/Atlantis Processing Latest: Recently returned to the home comforts of her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF 1) after the successful STS-125 mission, Atlantis is being processed for the November 12 NET (No...

EDWARDS AFB - The space shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth Sunday morning in a spectacular and rare landing at Edwards Air Force Base ... Atlantis announced its return to the Valley with its signature double sonic booms ... Atlantis' landing was the 53rd landing at Edwards. The orbiter's twin shocks did not generate as many calls to the Lancaster and Palmdale sheriff's stations as what happened when Endeavour landed. The Lancaster Sheriff's Station reported one call on Sunday,... Deputies at the Palmdale Sheriff's Station also reported a few calls. "We just had a couple, there was one woman that called,...

Third time a charm???

Lets try it again.. I still stand that Humans can do a superior job than robots when it comes to space exploration.

Five hundred and sixty kilometers above the Earth, the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis has been busy giving the Hubble Telescope a tune-up. For this mission, in addition to his tool kit, Mike Massimino has packed a small cache of objects that holds deep meaning for him. He has a family photo and school mementos, and this Catholic man is also carrying a mezuzah, a symbol of the Jewish faith. Mezuzah means "doorpost" in Hebrew. Jews attach them to the doorposts of their homes. Tiny prayer scrolls inside serve as reminders to live faithful lives with compassion, honesty and...

This is the official live thread for the Space Shuttle Atlantis.. This mission among others prove one thing..... Humans can do a job 99 times better than robots..

Space shuttle Atlantis has reached the Hubble telescope, orbiting at a height of 560km (350 miles) over the Earth. The shuttle crew completed a delicate dance of manoeuvres intended to align Atlantis' robotic arm with the telescope during their approach. The arm was used to get hold of Hubble and draw it into the shuttle's bay. At 1912 BST, Nasa controllers confirmed that the telescope had been safely berthed and secured atop a platform in Atlantis' payload bay. Five spacewalks beginning on Thursday will upgrade and repair the telescope, which has suffered from recent equipment failures. On the final approach,...

Space Shuttle Damaged After Lift-Off Updated 2:47 PM EDT, Tue, 12, 20 May09 The space shuttle Atlantis suffered damage to the exterior two minutes after take-off. Astronauts discovered a 21-inch stretch of nicks over four or give of thermal times on the right side of Atlantis.

The Atlantis astronauts have uncovered a long stretch of nicks on their space shuttle, the result of launch debris. They were inspecting their ship Tuesday for signs of launch damage when they came across the nicks. Mission Control informed the crew that it's a 21-inch stretch of nicks over four to five thermal tiles on the right side of Atlantis. The damage is where the right wing joins the fuselage. Mission Control says it could be related to debris that came off the fuel tank almost two minutes after liftoff. NASA says the damage does not appear to be serious,...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After months of delay, NASA cleared space shuttle Atlantis for a Monday launch to the Hubble Space Telescope. Mission managers concluded Saturday that Atlantis is ready to take off on the long-awaited Hubble repair mission, the fifth and final one. Shuttle Endeavour is also in good shape at the other launch pad; it's on standby in case Atlantis is damaged during the flight and its seven astronauts need to be rescued. Weather forecasters gave good odds for launching Atlantis: 80 percent. What's more, things were looking more encouraging at the emergency landing site in Spain, where...

Well it was a good mission which means nothing went wrong knowing how the media tends to make a mountain out of a molehill when it comes to NASA.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2008 – The anticipated landing tomorrow of the space shuttle Atlantis will open the window of opportunity for the U.S. military to shoot down a dying intelligence satellite headed toward Earth, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. President Bush has authorized Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to give the shoot-down order, and the secretary received a briefing on the plan today, Morrell said. The secretary is prepared to make that call from the road, if necessary, during his nine-day, around-the-world trip that begins tomorrow, he said. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint...

First Landing Opportunity: Wed., Feb. 20, 9:07 a.m EST Kennedy Space Center The crew members of space shuttle Atlantis spent Tuesday getting ready for their return home and the end of the STS-122 mission. The STS-122 astronauts set up the recumbent seat for Mission Specialist Daniel Tani, who joined the crew of Atlantis on the International Space Station. The recumbent seat is a special seat designed to reduce the stress of gravity on those who have spent long periods of time in the weightless environment of space. Tani served as Expedition 16 flight engineer for almost four months. He was...

I saw not only Atlantis and the International Space Station flyover my neighborhood tonight, but I also saw the spy satellite scheduled for missile destruction on Thursday/ Michelle Obama, eat your heart out. This is one proud American.

Space Weather News for Feb. 17, 2008 http://spaceweather.com DOUBLE FLYBY: If all goes according to plan, space shuttle Atlantis will undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday morning, Feb. 18th, at approximately 4:30 am EST. This is good news for sky watchers across North America who will be able to witness a rare double flyby on Monday evening. Atlantis and the ISS will appear as a tight pair of lights, as bright as Jupiter or Venus, gliding in tandem across the twilight sky--an unforgettable sight. Favored cities include Los Angeles, New Orleans, Dallas, Jackson (MS), Pensacola, Philadelphia, Reno,...