News From Space!

"Space Shuttle Atlantis now comes home to the Kennedy Space Center for the final time. Twenty-five years, thirty-two flights and more than 120 million miles traveled -  the legacy of Atlantis now in the history books".

"We'll... turn this incredible machine over to the ground teams to put her back in the barn for a little bit".

Atlantis and her six-man crew have come home to KSC's Runway 33, after traveling 4,879,978 miles on what is scheduled to be her last mission. NASA reports:

Atlantis Lands at Kennedy Space Center

Image above: Space shuttle Atlantis lands at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA TV

With Commander Ken Ham and Pilot Tony Antonelli at the controls, space shuttle Atlantis descended to its final planned landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The STS-132 crew concluded its successful mission to the International Space Station when the shuttle touched down at 8:48 a.m. EDT.

The crew began its mission May 14 and arrived at the station May 16.

Using the station’s robotic arm, Mission Specialists Piers Sellers and Garrett Reisman added Rassvet, the Russian Mini-Research Module 1, to the station. The new module will host a variety of biotechnology and biological science experiments and fluid physics and educational research.

During three spacewalks Reisman, along with Mission Specialists Mike Good and Steve Bowen, added a backup high-data-rate antenna to the station and a tool platform to Dextre, the robot-like special purpose dexterous manipulator. They removed and replaced six 375-pound batteries on the station’s P6 truss segment.

STS-132 is the 132nd shuttle mission and the 34th mission to visit the space station. The next mission, STS-133, is slated to launch in September.

› View Atlantis Landing Ground Tracks

Additional Resources
› Read more about the Russian-built Mini-Research Module-1
› STS-132 Mission Summary (710 Kb PDF)
› STS-132 Press Kit (9.8 Mb PDF)

Live coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Atlantis is fueled up and ready for her final mission to the International Space Station. Tanking operations began this morning, just before 5AM EDT, and were complete by about 8AM.  The six-man crew will board Atlantis at 11AM EDT, for a 2:20PM liftoff. Only two more Shuttle flights are scheduled after this one - Discovery in September, and Endeavour in November. NASA reports:

Launch Day Arrives for Atlantis, STS-132 Astronauts

Image above: Space shuttle Atlantis is clearly visible on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center after rollback of the rotating service structure. Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
› View larger image

At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis stands ready to launch on its 32nd and last scheduled mission, STS-132. Major milestones and event times for launch day are provided below.

Friday's Countdown Highlights (all times are listed in EDT)

4:15 a.m.	Mission Management Team meets to give a "go" for the fueling of Atlantis
4:45 a.m.	Fueling coverage begins on NASA TV
4:55 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-6 hour mark with the fueling of Atlantis
7:55 a.m.	Countdown enters a 2-hour, 30-minute built-in hold at the T-3 hour mark; fueling enters stable replenish
9 a.m.	Launch coverage begins on NASA TV and Launch Blog
10:25 a.m.	Countdown resumes at T-3 hours
10:30 a.m.	STS-132 astronauts depart crew quarters for Launch Pad 39A
11 a.m.	Astronauts arrive at the launch pad and begin to board Atlantis
12:15 p.m.	Atlantis' hatch is closed and latched for launch
1:05 p.m.	Countdown enters a 10-minute planned hold at the T-20 minute mark
1:15 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark
1:26 p.m.	Countdown enters a 45-minute planned hold at the T-9 minute mark, during which the Mission Management Team and Launch Control team conduct polls to give a final "go" decision for launch
2:11 p.m.	Countdown resumes at the T-9 minute mark
2:15 p.m.	Auxiliary Power Units start at the T-5 minute mark
2:20 p.m.	Atlantis launches on the STS-132 mission
2:28 p.m.	Main Engine Cut Off (MECO)

Friday Launch Still a 'Go'

Image above: At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis stands ready for liftoff following loading of its external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Image credit: NASA TV

Live HD coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Preflight pics are up at JSC and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

...And then there were three. Tomorrow (14 May 2010) will see the first of the lasts - the final three Shuttle missions (unless Congress intervenes to extend the program). STS-132 is the last scheduled flight of Atlantis, on a mission to add a new lab module to the ISS. The go/no-go decision for tanking is slated for 4:15AM EDT, with liftoff planned for 2:20PM. NASA reports:

STS-132 Overview

Image above: At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, space shuttle Atlantis is revealed Thursday evening after retraction of the pad's rotating service structure. Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
› View larger image

Space shuttle Atlantis is embarking on its final planned mission. During the 12-day flight, Atlantis and six astronauts will fly to the International Space Station, leaving behind a Russian Mini Research Module, a set of batteries for the station's truss and dish antenna, along with other replacement parts.

NASA astronaut Ken Ham will command an all-veteran flight crew: Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Michael Good, Garrett Reisman, Piers Sellers and Steve Bowen.

After the final STS-132 Flight Readiness Review, John Shannon, Space Shuttle Program manager, pointed out that Atlantis' last planned mission will be an exciting one.

"Twelve days, three [spacewalks], tons of robotics... We're putting on spares that make us feel good about the long-term sustainability of the ISS, replacing batteries that have been up there for a while, and docking a Russian-built ISS module," Shannon said. "This flight has a little bit of everything, and it's been a great preparation for the team."

Additional Resources
› STS-132 Mission Summary (710 Kb PDF)
› STS-132 Press Kit (9.8 Mb PDF)

Orbiter Status
› About the Orbiters

Live HD coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Preflight pics are up at JSC and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.