US Space Shuttle Atlantis is on it’s way to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral for the second time. The first time Atlantis was at the pad preparing for STS-117, a hail storm caused damage to insulating foam around the nose section of the external LOX/Hydrogen tank.
The external tank foam has been a source of concern since the loss of shuttle Columbia on February 1st 2003 during re-entry. Foam seperating from the tank during launch had damaged part of Columbias thermal protection system leaving a hole big enough to cause the destruction of the orbiter on re-entry through the atmosphere.
Obviously, no chances were to be taken with Atlantis’ tank foam so the shuttle was taken back to the Vehicle Assembly Building and carefully examined. The holes in the foam were painstakingly re-filled by hand over the last two months. The new foam is apparently white in contrast to the original orange foam covering the rest of the tank.
If you’re really bored, like watching paint dry or snails race, you can watch Atlantis’ roll out now, live online with NASA TV.
Note: It’s actually quite interesting when the whole platform tilts to get the shuttle up the pad-ramp.
Atlatis is now scheduled to launch to the ISS on June 8th 2007.
[photo credit:NASA]
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