SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS BLASTS OFF!

On 9th September 2006, the Space Shuttle Atlantis took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, for an 11 day mission to the International Space Station. The launch of Atlantis was originally planned for 27th August, but was delayed four times because of lightning, a tropical storm and technical issues. Atlantis is the third shuttle launch since the Colombia disaster in 2003 which broke up during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere because foam insulation fell off the shuttle after launch, damaging the space craft's heat shield. Construction on the International Space Station has been on hold for the last few years since the 2003 disaster. After docking with the International Space Station on 11th September, Atlantis astronauts successfully attached solar panels to it on 12th September which will double the amount of power supplied to the Space Station by the Sun. During the mission, the astronauts have completed three space walks. The Space Shuttle was undocked from the International Space Station on 17th September and should return to Earth on 21st September, landing at the Kennedy Space Center. NASA aim to get the International Space Station completed by 2010 with 14 more Space Shuttle missions planned. In the same year, the Space Shuttles will be retired from service to make way for new reusable space crafts. The six astronauts on Atlantis left behind the three astronauts that have been living on the International Space Station since March this year. On 19th September, they will be replaced by three more astronauts who are due to arrive on a Russian Soyez rocket.