Sun, Sep 10, 2006
Acknowledges Some Foam Was Lost During Launch
During a post-launch
briefing Saturday, NASA shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale said
Atlantis appears to have come through launch in good shape and
unscathed. Hale's announcement follows analysis of imagery of the
shuttle's climb into space provided by cameras on the ground around
Kennedy Space Center and mounted onboard the vehicle.
Hale even went so far as to apologize for bringing no images to
the news conference. "There's just nothing to look at," said an
obviously pleased Hale.
Hale did acknowledge that five objects believed to be foam and
ice harmlessly released from the space shuttle beginning at
approximately four minutes into Atlantis' flight -- well past the 2
1/2 "critical" phase of the launch cycle, during which time the
atmosphere is thick enough to send debris careening towards the
orbiter. Hale added that due to the thinness of the atmosphere and
other factors, the debris didn't have anywhere near the velocity
needed to cause damage to the orbiter.
More detailed analysis of the condition of the orbiter will come
in the next three days, as engineers continue to pore over images
taken from cameras mounted on the shuttle's external fuel tank.
Atlantis will also perform a "backflip" as it approaches the
International Space Station Monday, so cameras on the station can
also capture images of the shuttle's fragile tile heat shield. The
shuttle Discovery performed a similar maneuver in July.
As Aero-News reported in Real
Time, Atlantis lifted off from Kennedy Space Center
and charged into the midday Florida sky Saturday, on a mission to
boost power on the International Space Station. The launch was on
time, with liftoff at 11:15 am EDT.
Over the 11-day mission, the six-member crew will perform three
spacewalks to install the P3/P4 integrated truss and solar arrays
on the station, doubling the current power-generating capability of
the orbiting outpost.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]