Atlantis Space Shuttle Will Be First to Retire
Posted on: Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 15:00 CST
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Atlantis will be the first of NASA's three space shuttles to be retired, most likely in 2008, as the shuttle program winds down in four years, a senior agency official said Tuesday.
Atlantis' parts will be used by the remaining shuttles, Discovery and Endeavour, until the aging spacecraft are mothballed in 2010, shuttle program manager Wayne Hale told workers at the Kennedy Space Center last week.
Atlantis, which began flying in 1985, was chosen for retirement first since it was scheduled for maintenance, a process that could take two years. The $3 billion shuttle likely will have four or five more flights to the international space station before retirement.
Source: Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
Related Articles
- Shuttle, Space Station Hook Up in Orbit
- iBASEt's Solumina(R) Powers First Paperless Power-Up on Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis
- Shuttle, Space Station Flex Robotic Arms
- Despite Risks, U.S. Can't Give Up on Shuttle, Space
- Shuttle, space station link amid NASA woes
- Shuttle, space station dock amid NASA worries
- Shuttle Wing Repair Patch Still Eludes NASA -- Agency Aims for Flight By Discovery in May, June
- NASA Still Without Shuttle Repair Kits
- NASA Still Lacks Shuttle Repair Kits
- Russia Can Help NASA Replace Shuttles - Space Agency Official
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds