NASA is targeting June 8 as the next possible launch opportunity for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 mission to the International Space Station.

Tuesday’s decision by agency management followed a meeting that reviewed the progress in repairing insulating foam on the shuttle’s external fuel tank, which was damaged during a sudden hail storm Feb. 26 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla. That damage required engineers to repair approximately 2,660 sites on the tank.

"If we continue at the pace of repair that we're doing, we should be looking at vehicle rollout to the launch pad, perhaps as early as May 6," said Wayne Hale, manager of the Space Shuttle Program.

The launch window extends from June 8 to July 18 and Hale pointed out that, "What we're doing is letting the work drive the schedule, not the other way around."

The entire team agreed that adequate progress is being made to ET-124 and ET-117 which arrived last week would still be available, if necessary.

John Honeycutt, deputy manager of the External Tank Project said, "We've done a significant amount of aero-thermal and icing testing to support the repairs [done] at Marshall Space Flight Center. Our goal is to provide a tank that is safe to fly."


Izvor : NASA