Spaceflight Now




Spaceflight Now +



Premium video content for our Spaceflight Now Plus subscribers.

Hail delays Atlantis
Launch of space shuttle Atlantis is postponed after golf ball-sized hail from a severe storm damaged the foam insulation on the external fuel tank. NASA announces the delay and plans to return the shuttle to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs.

 Play

STS-117: Astronauts meet the press
The STS-117 astronauts meet the press during the traditional pre-flight news conference held at the Johnson Space Center a month prior to launch. The six-person crew will deliver and activate a solar-power module for the International Space Station.

 Play

Atlantis rolls to pad
After a six-hour trip along the three-and-a-half-mile crawlerway from the Vehicle Assembly Building, space shuttle Atlantis arrives at launch pad 39A for the STS-117 mission.

 Roll starts | Pad arrival

Atlantis rollover
Space shuttle Atlantis emerges from its processing hangar at dawn February 7 for the short trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center's Complex 39.

 Leaving hangar | To VAB

Time-lapse movies:
 Pulling in | Sling

Become a subscriber
More video



NewsAlert



Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop.

Enter your e-mail address:

Privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose.



STS-117 Mission Coverage

Atlantis arrives back home after cross-country trip
Space shuttle Atlantis returned home to the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday morning, completing a two-day coast-to-coast piggyback ride atop a modified Boeing 747 ferrying jet that included rare stops in America's heartland.
   FULL STORY
   IMAGES: ARRIVAL IN FLORIDA
   IMAGES: FERRY FLIGHT BEGINS
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: FERRY FLIGHT LANDS IN FLORIDA PLAY | LONGER VERSION
VIDEO: THE BOEING 747 AIRCRAFT IS TOWED OFF THE RUNWAY PLAY
VIDEO: POST-FLIGHT COMMENTS FROM SHUTTLE MANAGER PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS' FERRY FLIGHT TAKES OFF SUNDAY MORNING PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE CARRIER AIRCRAFT ROLLS TO THE RUNWAY PLAY

VIDEO: LANDING AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE PLAY
VIDEO: LANDING REPLAY: SHUTTLE ONBOARD CAMERA PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 13 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 12 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 11 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 10 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 9 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 8 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 7 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 6 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY

VIDEO: LAUNCH OF ATLANTIS! PLAY
VIDEO: FULL LENGTH MOVIE OF ASCENT TO ORBIT PLAY
VIDEO: EXTERNAL TANK ONBOARD VIDEO CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER ONBOARD LAUNCH CAMERAS PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Space shuttle Atlantis glides to California landing
Running a day late because of blustery Florida weather, the space shuttle Atlantis dropped out of a sunny Mojave Desert sky and swooped to a smooth touchdown on Runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, to close out an action-packed space station assembly mission.
   FULL STORY
   IMAGES: ATLANTIS TOUCHES DOWN
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
   UPDATED ENTRY TIMELINE
   LANDING GROUND TRACK
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: ATLANTIS LANDS AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE PLAY
VIDEO: LANDING REPLAY: SHUTTLE ONBOARD CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: LANDING REPLAY: CAMERA 1 PLAY
VIDEO: LANDING REPLAY: CAMERA 2 PLAY
VIDEO: LANDING REPLAY: CAMERA 3 PLAY
VIDEO: LANDING REPLAY: CAMERA 4 PLAY
VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL WITH ENTRY TEAM PLAY
VIDEO: NEWS CONFERENCE AFTER LANDING PLAY
VIDEO: POST-LANDING COMMENTS FROM THE CREW PLAY
VIDEO: WAVEOFF FOR FRIDAY'S FIRST LANDING CHANCE PLAY

VIDEO: BAD WEATHER SCRUBS THURSDAY'S LANDING PLAY
VIDEO: FIRST LANDING OPPORTUNITY WAVED OFF PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LANDING MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: CREW INTERVIEWS WITH NBC, ABC AND CNN PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 12 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Atlantis due home Thursday
The Atlantis astronauts have packed up for a hoped-for return to Earth Thursday to close out their successful space station assembly mission. The only question mark is the weather, with forecasters calling for low clouds and afternoon showers at the Kennedy Space Center for the early afternoon landing.
   FULL STORY [updated at 9:20 p.m.]
   MORNING UPDATE
   ENTRY AND LANDING TIMELINE
Atlantis departs the space station after successful visit
With pilot Lee Archambault at the controls, Atlantis undocked from the space station Tuesday morning. A couple of hours later, dramatic video looking back past the tail of the shuttle showed the station small in the distance, its face-on solar arrays looking like the wings of a "Star Wars" TIE fighter.
   FULL STORY
   UNDOCKING PREVIEW
   DAILY FLIGHT PLAN
   LATEST NASA TV SCHEDULE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: UNIQUE VIEW OF STATION OVER TAIL OF ATLANTIS PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS AS SEEN FROM STATION DURING FLYAROUND PLAY
VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF THE STATION DURING SHUTTLE FLYAROUND PLAY
VIDEO: SPACECRAFT FLY INTO SUNRISE DURING SEPARATION PLAY
VIDEO: STATION'S VIEW OF SHUTTLE ATLANTIS UNDOCKING PLAY
VIDEO: HATCHES CLOSED BETWEEN SHUTTLE AND STATION PLAY
VIDEO: SUNI WILLIAMS' TEARFUL FAREWELL MESSAGE PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Shuttle set to undock; Russian computers tested
The Atlantis astronauts said goodbye to the international space station's crew late Monday, floating out of the Destiny laboratory module one by one before sealing hatches and gearing up for undocking Tuesday morning.
   FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 11 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: TWO CREWS' FAREWELL CEREMONY PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Suni Williams bids tearful farewell to space station
In her final daily planning conference with space station controllers in the United States and Russia, astronaut Sunita Williams, now the world's most experienced female space flier, bid a tearful farewell to her Russian crewmates, her American replacement - Clay Anderson - and the laboratory she's called home since last December.
   FULL STORY
Atlantis crew wraps up fourth and final spacewalk
Astronauts Pat Forrester and Steve Swanson put the finishing touches on a dramatic space station assembly mission Sunday, completing a fourth and final spacewalk to activate a new solar array rotation mechanism and ready the lab complex for a critical sequence of upcoming construction flights.
   FULL STORY
   SPACEWALK PREVIEW
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 10 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: POST-SPACEWALK STATUS UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH LEAD EVA OFFICER PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 9 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: IN-FLIGHT CREW NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Two more space station computers revived
Hoping for the best, station commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov hot wired two computers aboard the international space station today that engineers had feared were victims of fatal power supply failures. To everyone's delight, the machines promptly booted up and appeared to be running normally, two more successes in an improbable recovery from crippling computer crashes last week.
   FULL STORY
Williams sets new space endurance record
Early today, outgoing space station astronaut Sunita Williams, launched to the lab complex aboard shuttle Discovery last December, passed the 188-day four-hour mark, setting a new space endurance record for female astronauts. The old record was set by Shannon Lucid during a stay aboard the old Russian Mir space station.
   FULL STORY
Astronauts wrap up successful spacewalk
Enjoying an unexpected reversal of fortune, Russian cosmonauts carried out electronic bypass surgery Friday to resuscitate the station's befuddled electronic brains. The spacewalkers then fluffed and pampered a huge set of solar blankets, coaxing them back into compact storage boxes and avoiding a host of feared problems.
   FULL STORY
Shuttle blanket repair work goes smoothly
Astronaut Danny Olivas, anchored to the end of the shuttle Atlantis' robot arm, carried out orbital surgery on the ship's heat shield Friday, using a medical stapler and stainless steel pins in a bid to secure a peeled-back insulation blanket on one of the orbiter's aft rocket pods.
   FULL STORY
   SPACEWALK PREVIEW
Computers brought to life after impromptu repair
In a possible breakthrough, space station commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov used a jumper cable to bypass a suspect secondary power supply switch Friday and successfully activated four of six navigation and command computers that appeared to malfunction earlier this week, NASA officials said.
   FULL STORY
Atlantis solid rocket booster cameras dazzle
Hitch a ride up and down on the twin solid rocket boosters that launched shuttle Atlantis last week. Each booster was outfitted with three cameras to give NASA upclose footage of the vehicle's ascent. The video provides beautiful views of the launch, booster separation from the shuttle and the fall into the Atlantic for retrieval.
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: LEFT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING UP PLAY
VIDEO: LEFT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING IN PLAY
VIDEO: LEFT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING DOWN PLAY
VIDEO: RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING UP PLAY
VIDEO: RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING IN PLAY
VIDEO: RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING DOWN PLAY
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Computers shut down again for more troubleshooting
Russian computers aboard the international space station failed to boot up properly early today even though they were cut off from U.S. solar array power. Engineers had speculated that some subtle change in the station's shared power grid, caused by the installation this week of a new solar array, might have triggered the Russian computer crashes that have crippled the space station.
   FULL STORY
   OVERNIGHT STORY
   THURSDAY EVENING STORY
Station teams scramble to resolve computer glitch
A major computer failure in the Russian segment of the international space station, possibly triggered by the addition of new U.S. solar arrays earlier this week, has shut down critical systems and left the outpost dependent on the shuttle Atlantis for any major changes in orientation.
   LATEST UPDATE
   TELEMETRY RESTORED
   EARLIER STORY
Shuttle astronauts complete lengthy spacewalk
Astronauts Pat Forrester and Steve Swanson wrapped up a grueling seven-hour and 16-minute spacewalk Wednesday after partially retracting a solar array blanket and setting up a powerful rotary joint needed to turn another set of arrays to follow the sun.
   SPACEWALK ENDS
   RUSSIAN COMPUTERS STILL DOWN
   ARRAY RETRACTED 45 FEET
   MORE COMPUTER PROBLEMS
   RETRACTION BEGINS
   PREVIEW STORY
Today's events: Spacewalk and solar panel retraction
Astronauts Patrick Forrester and Steve Swanson are gearing up this morning for a planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk to finish rigging a massive rotary joint that will slowly turn a newly installed set of solar arrays to keep them face on to the sun. They also will assist, if necessary, the retraction of the P6-2B solar array extending at right angles to the long axis of the station and the newly installed S4 arrays.
   FULL STORY
Computer glitches impact station attitude control
A Russian navigation computer aboard the international space station hung up Tuesday, triggering a chain reaction of computer miscues in the midst of work to unfurl two huge new solar blankets.
   FULL STORY
Space station deploys its new set of solar wings
Two new solar array wings attached to the international space station Monday were slowly unfurled Tuesday, pulled from their storage boxes by self-assembling masts. Carried out in stages, the 15-foot-wide wings extended like giant window blinds, stretching some 240 feet from tip to tip.
   FULL STORY
   FALSE FIRE ALARM
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SECOND SOLAR WING FULLY DEPLOYED PLAY
VIDEO: SECOND SOLAR WING DEPLOYED HALF-WAY PLAY
VIDEO: FIRST SOLAR WING FULLY DEPLOYED PLAY
VIDEO: FIRST SOLAR WING DEPLOYED HALF-WAY PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Station's new solar wings to be unfurled today
The Atlantis astronauts were awakened at 9:08 a.m. by a recording of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" beamed up from mission control. The crew plans to monitor the deployment of a new set of solar arrays they attached to the space station Monday before enjoying a few hours of off-duty time later today.
   FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: POST-SPACEWALK STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: BRIEFING ON MISSION EXTENSION PLANS PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF THE SPACEWALKS PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Mission extended two days; blanket repair ordered
NASA's Mission Management Team decided Monday to extend the shuttle Atlantis' mission by two days and to add a fourth spacewalk Sunday. That will give the astronauts enough time to complete their space station assembly tasks and fix a pulled-up insulation blanket on one of the ship's aft rocket pods. Flight controllers plan to make a decision Tuesday on whether to add the blanket repair to the third or fourth spacewalk.
   FULL STORY
Truss connected to station, spacewalk completed
The astronauts attached a 36,000-pound solar array truss segment to the international space station Monday, then Atlantis crewmates Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas went outside for a six-hour spacewalk to make critical electrical connections and remove a variety of launch locks.
   EVA COMPLETED
   TRUSS INSTALLED
   PREVIEW STORY
Truss attachment, spacewalk on tap today
The Atlantis astronauts are gearing up to attach a 36,000-pound solar array truss segment to the international space station today. Once the stowed arrays are in place, astronauts Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas plan to stage a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk to make critical electrical connections and remove a variety of launch locks.
   FULL STORY
Shannon leaning toward spacewalk repair of blanket
Concern about possible re-entry heat damage to the underlying structure of the shuttle Atlantis' left-side maneuvering rocket pod under a pulled-up insulation blanket may prompt a simple spacewalk repair job, the chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team said Sunday.
   FULL STORY
   MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
   LATEST NASA TV SCHEDULE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Atlantis arrives at station after smooth rendezvous
Commander Rick Sturckow guided the shuttle Atlantis to a picture-perfect docking with the international space station Sunday after a dramatic end-over-end flip across the heart of South America to let the station crew photograph the shuttle's fragile heat shield.
   FULL STORY - [updated]
   PREVIEW STORY
   DOCKING TIMELINE
   MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
   LATEST NASA TV SCHEDULE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SHUTTLE CREW WELCOMED ABOARD STATION PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS DOCKS WITH THE SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: WATCH THE RENDEZVOUS BACKFLIP MANUEVER PLAY
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Atlantis set to arrive at the space station today
The shuttle Atlantis is closing in on the international space station today for a long-awaited linkup to deliver a new crew member and a $367 million set of solar arrays. The new arrays are needed to boost the lab's power and help pave the way for arrival of European and Japanese research modules late this year and early next.
   FULL STORY
   SUNDAY'S DOCKING TIMELINE
NASA pleased with tank; shuttle blanket examined
The Atlantis astronauts late Saturday used the shuttle's robot arm and a powerful camera on the end of a heat-shield inspection boom to take a close-up look at a pulled up insulation blanket on one of the ship's aft rocket pods.
   FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Crew's first full day in space will be a busy one
The astronauts on Saturday were awakened for their first full day in space by a recording of "Big Boy Toys" beamed up from mission control. The astronauts plan to spend the day testing spacewalking suits, checking out the tools needed during rendezvous with the station Sunday and carrying out a detailed inspection of the shuttle's nose cap and wing leading edge panels.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
   TODAY'S FLIGHT PLAN
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: VIEW FROM COMPLEX 41 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: THE VAB ROOF PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: THE PRESS SITE PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD FRONT CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA AT THE BEACH PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Atlantis sails to space with station power module
Running three months late, the space shuttle Atlantis, carrying seven astronauts and a $367 million set of solar panels, roared to life and raced into orbit Friday, hot on the trail of the international space station.
   FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: LAUNCH OF ATLANTIS! PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR THE PAD PLAY
VIDEO: PAD'S ROTATING SERVICE STRUCTURE RETRACTED PLAY
VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS FROM ATLANTIS' LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAYLOAD'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Mission preview: Launching more power for the station
The shuttle Atlantis is poised for blastoff today to restart space station assembly after a five-month hiatus. The long-delayed flight is part of a critical sequence of missions to prepare the outpost for delivery of European and Japanese research modules. This is our 17,000 word preview of Atlantis' mission.
   FULL REPORT
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: THURSDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: WED. MORNING COUNTDOWN UPDATE PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Clocks ticking for Friday's shuttle launch
Inside the Kennedy Space Center firing room Tuesday evening, the three-day launch countdown began as planned for Friday evening's liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis bound for the international space station.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
   COUNTDOWN TIMELINE
Space shuttle launch countdown begins tonight
Shuttle engineers are gearing up today for the start of Atlantis' countdown to blastoff on a mission to deliver a new set of solar arrays to the international space station. With forecasters predicting a 70 percent chance of good weather, the countdown is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. this evening, targeting a launch attempt at 7:38 p.m. Friday.
   FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: COUNTDOWN STATUS AND WEATHER FORECAST PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Atlantis astronauts arrive at the Cape for launch
The seven-man crew of space shuttle Atlantis arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Monday, having flown to the launch site from Houston aboard T-38 training jets. The astronauts are set for launch Friday evening on a mission to the space station.
   FULL STORY
   STS-117 QUICK-LOOK
   MISSION FLIGHT PLAN
   LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART
   SHUTTLE LAUNCH SCHEDULE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: THE ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT CAPE FOR LAUNCH PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Shuttle Atlantis passes flight readiness review
NASA managers Thursday wrapped up a two-day flight readiness review and cleared the shuttle Atlantis and its seven-member crew for blastoff June 8, at 7:38 p.m., on a hail-delayed mission to deliver a new set of solar arrays to the international space station.
   FULL STORY
   NASA TELEVISION SCHEDULE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: NEWS BRIEFING FOLLOWING THE READINESS REVIEW PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Atlantis returns to the pad
The space shuttle Atlantis returned to launch pad 39A Tuesday for its delayed flight to the space station. The 3.5-mile trip took about seven hours to complete. Atlantis had been in the Vehicle Assembly Building for the past two months undergoing hail-damage repairs on the external tank foam.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates
   IMAGES: ROLLOUT PHOTO GALLERY
   STS-117 MISSION COVERAGE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ARRIVES BACK ON LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS LEAVES ASSEMBLY BUILDING AFTER REPAIRS PLAY
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF ATLANTIS' MISSION TO THE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: BIOGRAPHIES OF THE STS-117 SHUTTLE ASTRONAUTS PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Atlantis cleared for return to pad with repaired tank
The shuttle Atlantis' hail-damaged external fuel tank has been repaired, NASA officials said Friday, clearing the shuttle for rollout to launch pad 39A. Blastoff on a long-delayed space station assembly mission is targeted for June 8.
   FULL STORY
   STS-117 QUICK-LOOK
   MISSION FLIGHT PLAN
   LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART
   SHUTTLE LAUNCH SCHEDULE
Spaceflight Now Plus
VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF TANK REPAIRS BEING COMPLETED PLAY
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Station crew plans changed as shuttle repairs continue
Repairs to the shuttle Atlantis' hail-damaged external fuel tank are going relatively smoothly, with the first of two large-area foam sprays scheduled to begin as early as Sunday. While rollout to launch pad 39A has slipped several days to around May 15, NASA managers say a launch June 8 is still possible, although the schedule is very tight. Managers also approved a plan to bring space station astronaut Sunita Williams back to Earth aboard Atlantis.
   FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus
VIDEO: HOUSTON TELLS SUNI WILLIAMS THE NEW PLAN PLAY
SUBSCRIBE NOW

NASA rethinking Williams' departure from station
NASA managers are reassessing whether to leave astronaut Sunita Williams aboard the international space station until August, a longer-than-planned stay because of a shuttle launch delay, or to bring her home aboard the Atlantis when flights resume in June, sources say.
   FULL STORY
NASA picks shuttle launch dates for next 12 months
Space shuttle program officials have affirmed a new launch schedule to accomplish six flights over the next 12 months that will expand the space station to include the international science laboratory modules.
   FULL STORY
Atlantis to fly with repaired fuel tank around June 8
Launch of the shuttle Atlantis on a hail-delayed flight to the international space station is slipping to no earlier than June 8, officials said Tuesday, to give engineers more time to repair damaged foam insulation on the ship's external fuel tank.
   FULL STORY
   MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
   MISSION QUICK-LOOK
Shuttle propulsion system inspections ordered
With external tank repairs in high gear, NASA managers Thursday ordered removal of the shuttle Atlantis's three main engines for inspections to make sure no contamination is present in the ship's hydrogen fuel lines. While engineers are hopeful the work can be completed under the umbrella of external tank repairs, getting Atlantis off before its May launch window closes remains a major challenge.
   FULL STORY
NASA holds off on making shuttle tank decision
NASA is pressing ahead with work to repair the shuttle Atlantis's hail-damaged external fuel tank in hopes of getting the orbiter off on a space station assembly mission before the current launch window closes in late May, officials said Wednesday.
   FULL STORY
Hail-damaged shuttle fuel tank assessment continues
Senior NASA managers, including agency Administrator Mike Griffin, plan to meet late next week to assess the shuttle Atlantis's hail-damaged external tank, what will be needed to repair it and when the shuttle, originally scheduled for launch March 15, might be able to take off on a space station assembly mission.
   FULL STORY
Safety analysis needed to clear shuttle's tank repairs
Amid ongoing inspections of the shuttle Atlantis' hail-damaged external fuel tank, engineers are optimistic they can make unprecedented repairs at the Kennedy Space Center, avoiding a lengthy launch delay to late June.
   FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: WORKERS GAIN ACCESS FOR TANK INSPECTIONS PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Shuttle Atlantis rolls off launch pad for repairs
Battered by an intense hail storm six days earlier, space shuttle Atlantis retreated off launch pad 39A and returned to the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building on Sunday to undergo thorough inspections and repairs.
   FULL STORY
   IMAGES: PHOTOS OF ROLLBACK
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: ATLANTIS ROLLS BACK TO THE VAB PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE MOVIE FROM SUNDAY'S ROLLBACK PLAY
MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Hail storm damage grounds space shuttle Atlantis
A sudden, explosive thunderstorm Monday battered the shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank with wind-driven, golf ball-sized hail, causing extensive damage to the tank's protective foam insulation. NASA managers said Tuesday engineers will have to move the shuttle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs, delaying launch on a space station assembly mission from March 15 to late April.
   FULL STORY
   EARLIER STORY
   PAST SHUTTLE ROLLBACKS
   IMAGES: PHOTOS OF HAIL DAMAGE
   VIDEO: STS-117 COVERAGE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: NASA BRIEFING ON LAUNCH DELAY AND ROLLBACK PLANS PLAY
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Space shuttle Atlantis
rolls to the launch pad

Lumbering along with a top speed of one-mile-per-hour, space shuttle Atlantis emerged from Kennedy Space Center's mammoth Vehicle Assembly Building Thursday morning for the trek to the newly refurbished launch pad 39A.
   FULL STORY
   IMAGES: PHOTO GALLERY
   IMAGES: MORE PHOTOS
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: ATLANTIS DEPARTS VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Shuttle Atlantis leaves hangar for upcoming launch
Space shuttle Atlantis emerged from its hangar at 6:19 a.m. EST Wednesday morning for the quarter-mile trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center's Complex 39. Atlantis will be joined to its external fuel tank and twin solid rockets inside the VAB before rolling out to launch pad 39A next week. Liftoff carrying a power module to the space station is targeted for March 15.
   IMAGES: PHOTO GALLERY
   IMAGES: MORE PHOTOS
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: ATLANTIS LEAVES HANGAR AT DAWN PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ROLLS TO VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF VAB ARRIVAL PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF LIFTING SLING PLAY
VIDEO: ORBITER GOES VERTICAL IN VAB PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS JOINS TANK AND BOOSTERS PLAY
SUBSCRIBE NOW