US Poised To Launch Space Lab

SPACE TRAVEL

The sun sets behind launch pad 39-A and the space shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Spcae Center, FL, 06 February 2001. Atlantis and a crew of five are scheduled to blast off late 07 February on a International Space Station mission to deliver the United States Laboratory, Destiny. Copyright AFP 2001. Photo by Tony Ranze

by Francis Temman
KSC (AFP) Feb. 7, 2001
Barring last minute hitches, the space shuttle Atlantis will blast off at 6:11 pm (2311 GMT) Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center here carrying an extraordinary payload -- a full-blown science laboratory destined for the International Space Center (ISS).

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officials are expecting good weather and have reported no technical problems ahead of the launch of the shuttle, carrying Destiny, the laboratory they describe as "the centerpiece of the ISS."

In addition to offering astronauts the opportunity to conduct research in biology and physics, the US-built Destiny module will serve as the command and control center for the space station, NASA said.

When Destiny, a 9.2 meters (30.2 feet) long cylinder with a 4.3 meter (14 feet) diameter, is attached to the ISS, the 112-tonne space station will be roughly the size of a three-bedroom house.

"The foundation has been laid, the electrical lines and plumbing have been extended," said Michael Hawes, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Development. "We're ready to get the lab in place and go to work."

During the 11-day mission, Atlantis' five-member crew of Commander Ken Cockrell, Pilot Mark Polansky, and Mission Specialists Tom Jones, Marsha Ivins and Bob Curbeam, will use the shuttle's robotic arm to attach Destiny to the space station.

Jones and Curbeam will make three space walks to complete the new laboratory's installation, connecting power cables and other hardware, according to space officials.

The 1.4 billion dollar laboratory, manufactured by Boeing Corporation, will allow station crew members to conduct science experiments in near-zero gravity.

Designed to accommodate pressurized payloads, it has 24 rack locations where various experiments will take place.

Jon Cowart, the laboratory payload manager, said Destiny would prove to be an important scientific center.

"You cannot even begin to fathom the discoveries that are going to be made in a hundred years from now," he stressed. "And Destiny is the key in ushering us in that future."

Destiny is the first of six space science laboratories that will be attached to the International Space Station before 2006, when it will be complete.

The station, meanwhile, is no longer uninhabited.

US astronaut Bill Shepherd and Russian crewmates Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko have been in orbit for 11 weeks, doing assembly work, performing maintenance and preparing for the arrival of Destiny.

SPACE TRAVEL

Clearing The Air On ISS

Sunnyvale - Feb 5, 2001
An advanced air processing and filtering system, built at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, is scheduled for launch to the International Space Station aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on February 7, 2001.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.