Al Ittihad claims top spot in Saudi Pro League after victory over Al Fateh    Saudi delegation participates in the 7th U20 Deans Summit in Brazil    Al-Jubeir discusses with EU officials enhancing bilateral cooperation    GASTAT: Non-oil exports up 22.8% in September 2024    Saudi Arabia to host 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh    Saudi Arabia allows licensed flour milling companies to export flour    Saudi Arabia joins international partnership initiative to boost hydrogen economy    Israeli drones kill two paramedics, injure four in southern Lebanon    Trump's new attorney general nominee sparks concerns over DOJ independence    Australia drops proposed laws to regulate social media misinformation    Six Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on central Gaza    Riyadh Emir inaugurates International Conference on Conjoined Twins in Riyadh    Al Khaleej stuns Al Hilal with 3-2 victory, ending 57-match unbeaten run    SFDA move to impose travel ban on workers of food outlets in the event of food poisoning    Al Okhdood halts Al Shabab's winning streak with a 1-1 draw in Saudi Pro League    Saudi musical marvels takes center stage in Tokyo's iconic opera hall    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



week mission, space shuttle Atlantis astronauts
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 20 - 02 - 2008


Atlantis' astronauts aimed for a morning
touchdown Wednesday to conclude a two-week mission that
expanded the international space station with the addition
of a new European lab, reported ap.
Forecasters expected nearly perfect weather for Atlantis'
planned landing at Kennedy Space Center, but crews were
standing by for a California landing just in case.
Atlantis' first landing path would take the crew over the
Pacific Ocean, Central America and the Gulf of Mexico
before touching down at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
NASA normally does not activate the West Coast landing
strip so early but it wants to get Atlantis down on
Wednesday if at all possible to give the Navy more time to
shoot down a dying spy satellite.
The government has indicated it plans take aim at the
satellite as early as Wednesday night, before it enters
Earth's atmosphere with a toxic load of fuel. But the shot
can't be fired until Atlantis has landed because it would
be dangerous for the shuttle to descend through the debris.
Although the Defense Department has a short window of
opportunity to shoot down the satellite, NASA officials
said they were under no pressure to hurry up the touchdown.
Atlantis will spend another day in space if the weather
turns bad at both landing sites, flight director Bryan
Lunney said.
NASA cleared Atlantis for landing after engineers finished
evaluating the latest laser images of the shuttle's wings
and nose and concluded there were no holes or cracks from
micrometeorites or space junk.
The astronauts inspected the especially vulnerable areas
Monday, after undocking from the international space
station.
After leaving the station, Atlantis experienced a heating
system failure that knocked out four small aft thrusters.
The thrusters are not needed for re-entry, but to prevent
any fuel line damage that could hold up Atlantis' next
flight, NASA had the pilots point the thrusters toward the
sun.
Atlantis' next mission is at the end of August when it
flies to the Hubble Space Telescope with a team of
repairmen. It will be NASA's last visit to Hubble.
The only other shuttle issue involved a radiator hose in
the payload bay that ended up bent before the flight. The
hose was straightened just before liftoff, and Atlantis
commander Steve Frick said the crew saw no abnormal bends
in it when the payload bay doors were closed early
Wednesday in preparation for landing.


Clic here to read the story from its source.