Translated material
Flight with white spots
The ISS awaits the visit of the space shuttle Atlantis
Last night, the American shuttle Atlantis was expected to take off from the Cape Canaveral launch site. The shuttle's launch was scheduled for 19.38 minutes local time (3 hours 38 minutes Saturday Moscow time). 80% is the meteorological forecast that NASA had yesterday. According to weather forecasters, there was a four to one chance that at the moment of launch the sun would shine over the cosmodrome, and the shuttle with seven astronauts on board would be able to go to the ISS. At Cape Canaveral yesterday everyone was full of optimism: Atlantis and the launch vehicle were fine, the weather was favorable. And besides, before the closing of the favorable “window” from a ballistics point of view, there are three more reserve dates - June 9, 11 and 12.Atlantis generally does not have a very good history with the weather . This expedition was supposed to start back in March, but on February 26, the shuttle, already taken to the launch site, was hit by large hail. The golf ball-sized ice balls severely damaged the insulating foam on the fuel tanks and broke 26 thermal protection tiles on the ship's port wing. The takeoff was postponed indefinitely, and the shuttle was returned to the repair shop at the Space Center. Kennedy. Now, as Reuters reports, traces of repairs are clearly visible on the ship's hull: new foam patches are bright white, in contrast to the old insulation, yellowed in the sun.
In June, instead of weather risks, social risks almost emerged: last week, employees of the United Space Alliance company, which, under a contract with NASA, provides space shuttle flights, went on strike. The strike could easily have left Atlantis on Earth, but the union decided not to take too harsh measures and not interfere with the work of other NASA divisions.
The Atlantis crew consists of seven people and is led by the experienced Rick Starkow, who has already been in space twice. The shuttle will also deliver into orbit a new member for the permanent ISS expedition - Clay Anderson. He must replace Sunita Williams, who has been at the station since December 2006 (besides her, two of our cosmonauts Fedor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov are currently working at the station). Atlantis will also bring new parts for the completion of the ISS, including two solar panels that will be mounted on the station body. The shuttle should return to Earth in 11 days.