Latest Léopold Eyharts Stories

The U.S. space agency started the countdown Monday for the launch of space shuttle Atlantis on an 11-day mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis is to lift off Thursday from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:31 p.m. EST during a 10-minute launch window. NASA weather officer Kathy Winters said the forecast called for an 80 percent chance of acceptable launch conditions. The seven STS-122 astronauts arrived at Kennedy Monday...

Preparations of the European Columbus laboratory took an important step earlier this week with the final closure of the module's hatch ahead of the December launch to the International Space Station.Although there was no formal ceremony to mark the occasion, the hatch closure is an important milestone for all involved. "This means we are 99% ready for flight," explains Bernardo Patti, ESA's Columbus Project Manager. "All the activities related to the pressurised volume are finished. The work...

More than 500 years ago, the voyages of Christopher Columbus to the New World and the discoveries he made caused quite a stir throughout Europe. Today, excitement is building on both sides of the Atlantic as the long-awaited launch of ESA's Columbus space laboratory grows closer, as NASA starts processing Shuttle Atlantis in preparation for the mission.Columbus was flown to Florida on 30 May 2006. Earlier this year, it was removed from temporary storage, and the 12.8 tonne International Space...

ESA -- The Shuttle's return to flight is fast approaching. On April 6, Discovery arrived on its launch pad. The first mission since the catastrophe in February 2003 is now scheduled for mid-May. The resumption of flights is of great importance for the International Space Station. It will allow more frequent service visits to pursue the construction of the orbital complex and allow long duration missions for three astronauts "“ instead of two. One European astronaut in particular is...