NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Headed for Delivery Stop at Space Station

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Nov. 16, 2009

Allard Beutel
Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 
321-867-2468
allard.beutel@nasa.gov 

Michael Curie 
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
michael.curie@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 09-266

NASA'S SHUTTLE ATLANTIS HEADED FOR DELIVERY STOP AT SPACE STATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew 
began an 11-day delivery flight to the International Space Station on 
Monday with a 2:28 p.m. EST launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center 
in Florida. The shuttle will transport spare hardware to the outpost 
and return a station crew member who spent more than two months in 
space. 

Atlantis is carrying about 30,000 pounds of replacement parts for 
systems that provide power to the station, keep it from overheating, 
and maintain a proper orientation in space. The large equipment can 
best be transported using the shuttle's unique capabilities.

"We appreciate all the effort making this launch attempt possible. We 
are excited to take this incredible vehicle for a ride to another 
incredible vehicle, the ISS," Commander Charlie Hobaugh said shortly 
before launch.

The flight will include three spacewalks and the installation of two 
platforms to the station's truss, or backbone. The platforms will 
store the spare parts needed to sustain station operations after the 
shuttle fleet is retired.

Hobaugh is joined on Atlantis' STS-129 mission by Pilot Barry E. 
Wilmore and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike 
Foreman and Bobby Satcher. Atlantis will return with station resident 
Nicole Stott, marking the final time the shuttle is expected to 
rotate station crew members. Wilmore, Bresnik and Satcher are 
first-time space fliers.

Atlantis' first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 
Friday, Nov. 27, at 9:43 a.m. This mission is the 129th space shuttle 
flight, the 31st to the station, the 31st for Atlantis and the fifth 
in 2009. 

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of 
Atlantis' mission. NASA Television features live mission events, 
daily mission status news conferences and 24-hour commentary. For 
NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

NASA's Web coverage of STS-129 includes mission information, 
interactive features, news conference images, graphics and videos. 
Mission coverage, including the latest NASA TV schedule, is available 
on the main space shuttle Web site at:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle 

Melvin, Satcher and Stott are providing mission updates on Twitter. 
For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media Web sites, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/connect 

Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout 
the shuttle mission and landing. To access the NASA News Twitter 
feed, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/nasa

Daily news conferences with STS-129 mission managers will take place 
at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. During normal business 
hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, reporters may 
ask questions from participating NASA locations. Please contact your 
preferred NASA facility before its daily close of business to confirm 
its availability before each event. 

Johnson will operate a telephone bridge for media briefings that occur 
outside of normal business hours. To be eligible to use this service, 
reporters must possess valid media credentials issued by a NASA 
center or specifically for the STS-129 mission.

Media representatives planning to use the service must contact the 
Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to 
the start of a briefing in which they wish to participate. Newsroom 
personnel will verify their credentials and transfer them to the 
phone bridge. The capacity of the phone bridge is limited and will be 
available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

	
-end-



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