Atlantis Off on Delivery Mission

November 17, 2009 —The space shuttle Atlantis began its journey to the International Space Station Monday afternoon, blasting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 2:28 p.m. EST. The spacecraft and its crew of six astronauts are on a trajectory to meet with the orbiting laboratory on Wednesday. Once docked, the Atlantis crew will grow by one as station resident Nicole Stott becomes a member of the STS-129 team.   Atlantis is carrying about 30,000 pounds of replacement parts for systems that provide power to the station, keep it from overheating, and maintain a proper orientation in space. But it is also carrying some smaller, personal items, including a scarf belonging to aviatrix Amelia Earhart. Albert Bresnik was a personal photographer to Earhart, and astronaut Randy Bresnik is rekindling the family connection. The Marine aviator and first-time space flier received the white, green, and red scarf from the 99s Museum of Women Pilots, an organization of female pilots that formed with the help of Earhart. The remaining crew members of STS-129 have chosen a wide assortment of medals, shirts, patches, and even a thumb drive to commemorate their 11-day excursion to the ISS, including a stuffed toy Eagle from Tennessee Technical University and a stuffed blue spider from the University of Richmond. During the mission, astronauts will install two platforms to the station’s truss, or backbone, which will store the spare parts needed to sustain shuttle operations after the shuttle fleet is retired. The Christian Science Monitor reported that the spare parts would be stuffed in “every nook and cranny” of the station, allowing the orbiting lab to operate through at least 2015 and possibly 2020. The one remaining construction task comes in February, when one last module, "Tranquility" and its multi-windowed cupola, ride up on the shuttle Endeavour for installation. NASA TV is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of STS-129. Mission specialists Leland Melvin, Bobby Satcher and Stott are also providing updates on Twitter. Atlantis is scheduled to return to earth on November 27.

Space shuttle Atlantis with its crew of six astronauts lifts off Monday from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: Jim Grossman The STS-129 crew includes, front row, Commander Charlie Hobaugh, left, and Pilot Barry Wilmore. In the back row, from left, are astronauts Leland Melvin, Mike Foreman, Robert Satcher and Randy Bresnik, all mission specialists. Image credit: NASA The shuttle after launch on Monday. Photo credit: NASA

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