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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
Photo/AFP) | BEIJING, Aug.
21 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA technicians on Sunday successfully replaced two bolts
securing a crucial communications antenna on space shuttle Atlantis because
engineers thought they were dangerously short.
Atlantis is scheduled to lift off on
the upcoming Sunday on a mission to resume construction of the International
Space Station.
The work began Friday evening and wrapped up Sunday
afternoon. "Everything went well and we're good to go," NASA spokeswoman Tracy
Young said.
Atlantis has safely flown 26 times with those bolts
since they were first installed 25 years ago. The problem was discovered after
Atlantis was rolled to the launch pad when a review of paperwork on bolts on
NASA's three space shuttles was ordered because a related problem was found in
Discovery.
NASA decided to swap two of the four bolts holding
Atlantis' main communications antenna in place because they were too short,
and liable to pop out during launch with potentially catastrophic results.
Atlantis and its crew of six are due to carry a 16-ton
truss segment that contains the space station's second set of solar arrays. The
power upgrade is expected to double the amount of electricity available for the
station. Enditem
(Agencies)
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