NASA to launch shuttle Atlantis on May 14

10:32, 7 May 2010

WASHINGTON. May 7. KAZINFORM U.S. space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to begin a 12-day flight to the International Space Station on May 14, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which is Atlantis' final scheduled flight, NASA said in a statement, Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

Atlantis' launch date was announced Wednesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

Atlantis' STS-132 mission is the third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010. Two flights remain until the retirement of the shuttle fleet. The STS-133 and STS-134 launches are targeted for September and November, respectively.

The six astronauts for Atlantis' mission will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1, also known as Rassvet (dawn in Russian) to the station. The flight also will transport critical spare parts and cargo, including six new solar array batteries and Ku-band antenna systems. During the mission, three spacewalks are planned to put those spare parts on the station, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.xinhuanet.com

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