STS-115 Countdown!
Written by Bob McCormick on 8/21/2006 10:04:00 PMThe next big thing at work will (hopefully) start this upcoming Sunday, with the launch of STS-115.
STS-115 (also called 12A) is really the next big step in ISS construction. STS-115 brings up another pair of US Solar Arrays, to go along with the existing pair that were installed in 2001. (Note: The Solar Arrays are huge - I remember one engineer explaining each one of them as "something the size of your backyard". And since they are moving, it's obviously something don't take take trivially.)
Despite all the attention that the last two Shuttle flights (realistically) had, STS-115 really marks the beginning of the next "growth spurt" of the International Space Station. Within the next 3.5 years, we anticipate finishing the assembly of the US truss work (including the solar arrays), This will allow sufficient power to assemble the rest of the international modules on the ISS (from Japan and Europe) and finish off ISS assembly by the expected Shuttle retirement in 2010.
UPDATE: Well, it looks like it will delay 24 hours at least, and for good reason - due to weather, but not weather on Sunday ... weather that happened Friday afternoon.
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1 comments: Responses to “ STS-115 Countdown! ”
By mark_smith on 12:40 PM
Just a quick comment to say good luck to all involved in tommrows launch
mark_smith