Jun 22 2007
From The Space Library
Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California after weather concerns prevented the crew from landing at NASA’s KSC in Florida. Sunita L. Williams returned home with the STS-117 crew, having surpassed Shannon W. Lucid’s 1996 record of 188 days and 4 hours. Williams had set a new 195-day record for the longest spaceflight by a woman. U.S. astronaut Clayton C. Anderson remained at the ISS, scheduled to return home aboard Discovery in October. The STS-117 mission had successfully increased the power capability of the ISS, preparing the station for the future delivery of European and Japanese laboratories. Although Atlantis had sustained some damage soon after launch on 8 June, several inspections in orbit had revealed no critical damage, and Mission Control had declared the Shuttle’s thermal protection system safe for reentry on flight day 13. NASA had originally scheduled the mission to last 11 days, but had added extra days to allow time in case of the necessity of repairs to the thermal protection system. Olivas had stapled a thermal blanket back into place during the unscheduled fourth spacewalk on 17 June.
NASA, “Shuttle Atlantis Crew Returns Home After Successful Mission,” news release 07-142, 22 June 2007, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/jun/HQ_07142_Atlantis_landing.html (accessed 13 April 2010); Alicia Chang for Associated Press, “Space Shuttle Lands in California,” 25 June 2007.
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