NASA: The Atlantis Shuttle ship has been repaired

Atlantis shuttle returned to the launch platform at Cape Canaveral, Florida state, on May 15 after 2 and a half months of repairs. White streaks on the fuel tank are a trace of this repair.

Hail damage caused a delay in the first shuttle journey this year to June, instead of mid-March. As planned, Atlantis will be launched before June 8. At the end of this month, the launch date will be fixed.

The shuttle mission has stopped the past 5 months. After Atlantis, there will be 3 more missions this year. The US Space Agency has at least 14 more space shuttle missions to complete before building the International Space Station and repairing the Hubble Space Telescope.

Then, in 2010, the shuttle fleet will stop working. The next generation of space ships, Orion, will begin bringing US astronauts into space in 2015.

(Photo: Reuters, Sciam.com)

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