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Atlantis Blasts
Off to Begin STS-98
Space Shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
at 5:13 p.m. CST (23:13 GMT) Wednesday to begin STS-98. Atlantis
and its five-member crew are now en route to the International
Space Station. While at the station, the astronauts will conduct
three space walks and use the shuttle's robotic arm to install the
U.S. Laboratory Module onto the station. Atlantis is slated to dock
with the station Friday at 10:58 a.m. CST (16:58 GMT).
The STS-98
Press Kit is available.
The
solid rocket boosters separate from Space Shuttle Atlantis' external
tank following a successful launch from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The two boosters are in the middle of the picture, and the orbiter
and the external tank are in the bottom left corner.
Space
Station Waits for Destiny
The primary objective of STS-98 is to deliver and install the U.S.
Destiny Laboratory onto the International Space Station. Destiny
is the centerpiece of the station and the site where unprecedented
science experiments will be performed. Also, the STS-98 astronauts
will relocate Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 from the Unity Node to
the forward Common Berthing Mechanism on Destiny. While at the station,
the astronauts will conduct three space walks and use Space Shuttle
Atlantis’ robotic arm to complete these tasks.
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