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| The space shuttle Atlantis
arrives at launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral,
Florida, Aug. 2, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP
Photo) | BEIJING, Aug.3 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA's
space shuttle Atlantis Wednesday arrived at its launch pad at the Kennedy
Space Center on Cape Canaveral, Florida, in preparation for a launch later this
month.
Atlantis reached Launch Pad 39B at 8:54 am EDT (1254
GMT), nearly eight hours after leaving the Vehicle Assembly Building. The
rollout, originally scheduled for early Monday, was delayed two days because of
stormy weather.
With Atlantis now at the launch pad, the shuttle will
undergo final testing, payload installation and a hot fire test of its auxiliary
power units to ensure proper function.
In the next few days, fuel and power lines will be hooked
up to the vehicle, the shuttle's auxiliary power units will be test-fired and
cargo will be loaded onto the shuttle.
Atlantis hasn't flown since October 2002, and there has
been no construction on the international space station since December 2002.
During the 11-day mission, Atlantis' six astronauts are
scheduled to conduct three spacewalks and deliver and install a 35,000-pound
addition with giant solar arrays that power the space station.
The launch window for the Atlantis mission to the
International Space Station opens Aug. 27.
Atlantis' launch will be the second of the year, and
only the third shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster killed
seven astronauts. Enditem
(Agencies)
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