Atlantis to launch on Sept. 6

Cape Canaveral, Florida – Space shuttle Atlantis has been made ready for launch from the Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 6, after a week of delays caused by bad weather. Atlantis and the six member space crew will be on its mission to resume construction of the International Space Station.

Shuttle managers decided on the launch date after no damage to facilities or flight hardware was reported at the Kennedy Space Centre, following the exit of Ernesto from Florida.

“We’re back,” said NASA spokesman Bill Johnson. “There was no water intrusion in any operational areas, and so basically we came through this one unscathed.”

Making things difficult for the officials, Ernesto passed through the area where Atlantis stands. The peak wind recorded on Launch Pad 39B was measured at 44 miles per hour (about 70 kph). NASA decided to protect the shuttle in place when weather forecasts improved, after the shuttle was surrounded by the rotating service structure.

During the next several days, teams will focus on completing pre-launch tasks. If Atlantis’ launch is hindered by the weather again on the 6th of September, NASA has launch opportunities in the following two days.

All dates up to September 17 allow for completion of the mission's objectives and allow for shuttle undocking from the station. This is necessary so the Russian Soyuz taking the next space station crew up to the orbiting laboratory can launch on the 18th of September.

The STS-115 crew, Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson, and mission specialists Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean flew in their training jets back to Houston earlier this week. They intended to return to Florida on Saturday morning.

During this mission the crew will travel to the International Space Station to install a new 17-ton segment of the station's truss backbone, adding a new set of giant solar panels and batteries to the complex. Three spacewalks are also planned.