American spacecraft brings worms to space

Space shuttle Atlantis took off yesterday to bring replacement parts and about a million worms to the International Space Station (ISS).

Atlantis left the launch pad at 2:28 am this morning in Hanoi.Photo: AP.

BBC said, Atlantis left the launch pad at 19h28 yesterday (2h28 today in Hanoi) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida state. The ship carries dozens of replacement parts for ISS, including pump modules, gas cylinders, two gyroscopes and components for the space station's machine arm.

The US Aerospace Agency (NASA) wants to replace as many parts of ISS as possible before their three shuttles 'retire' in 2010. Under the plan, astronauts will make three. walking space to install equipment.

Caenorhabditis elegans - bacteria eating worms - are brought up by the ship to participate in space experiments. These tests will help scientists understand why human muscles shrink in weightless environments.

All 6 astronauts aboard the Atlantis will work in space for 11 days. They will return with Nicole Stott, an astronaut who has lived on ISS for nearly three months. This is the fifth launch, also the last, for the shuttle in 2009.