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STS-117 Landing

Technicians attach the tail cone to the Space Shuttle Atlantis in preparation for its return to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

 
Photo Number: ED07-0137-28
Photo Date: June 28, 2007
 
Formats: 640x519 JPEG Image (272 KBytes)
1280x1038 JPEG Image (771 KBytes)
3000x2433 JPEG Image (3205 KBytes)
 
Photo
Description:
Technicians attach the tail cone, which helps reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during its ferry flight, to the Space Shuttle Atlantis in preparation for its return to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After the tail-cone is installed, Discovery will be mounted on NASA’s modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, for the return flight.
 
Project
Description:
Space Shuttle Atlantis descended to a smooth landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., concluding a successful assembly mission to the International Space Station. With Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault at the controls, Atlantis landed at 12:49 p.m. PDT on June 22, 2007.

Atlantis launched June 8, 2007, and arrived at the International Space Station on June 10. While at the orbital outpost, the crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment and conducted four spacewalks to activate it. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod.

Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December of 2006 with STS-116.

STS-117 is the 118th shuttle mission and 21st mission to visit the space station.

 
NASA Photo by: Carla Thomas
 
Keywords: Atlantis, STS-117, International Space Station construction and supply mission, landing, Edwards Air Force Base, tail cone, ferry flight, 747, Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, SCA
 


Last Modified: June 29, 2007
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