Tech Shout!

As Americans will get busy welcoming the Christmas season, engineers and scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) too will be caught up with their own hectic schedules! NASA has given the thumbs-up to Atlantis after a review, which means that the space shuttle can blast its way to the International Space Station (ISS).

In fact, William Gerstenmaier who is the associate administrator for space operations at NASA was the chairperson at the day-long review of mission preparations at the John F. Kennedy Space Center. He confirmed, “We are all on track for a launch next Thursday.”

All the news about the leak in the ISS were brushed aside as Michael T. Suffredini, who is space station program manager at NASA said that the measurement was incorrect. He explains, “We suspect that for whatever reason the measurement was not correct. The space station is already equipped with patch materials and replacement seals. The seepage measurement is so low that even if confirmed, the Atlantis mission would still unfold.”

The space shuttle Atlantis is now on track for the eleven day mission. It will be launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will be manned by a multinational crew of seven astronauts led by Atlantis commander Steve Frick. Around three spacewalks are planned to connect European Space Agency’s new Columbus laboratory as well as its external experiment platforms to the station.