Shuttle Atlantis was launched to the ISS.. / November 17, 2009 /

Shuttle Atlantis has started from Cape Canaveral (Florida) at 22:28 Moscow time. The NASA web-site reported.

Captain Charles Hobah, pilot Barry Wilmore, as well as specialists Mike Fourman, Robert Satcher, Randy Bresnik and Leland Melvin on board. Shuttle will deliver ISS cargo and take on the Earth astronaut Nicole Stott. The mission will last 11 days, during which three astronauts come out in open space.

It is assumed that the current mission of «Atlantis» — the last rotation of the ISS crew, produced by the shuttle. Since 2010 Making the international space program would take Russia’s Soyuz. Within a few years be replaced by a new spacecraft Orion.

Earlier it was planned that «Atlantis» starts with the ISS on 12 November. However, due to release time for the test launch vehicle Ares launch of space shuttle was moved to November 16.

Previous mission of «Atlantis» was held in the spring of 2009. Then the shuttle had repair of the orbital telescope Hubble.

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