CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Edwards Air Force Base in California, a sling in the mate/demate device hoists space shuttle Atlantis from the ground. A Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, will be moved underneath and Atlantis bolted to the top of the modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
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NASA ID
KSC-2009-3455
Date Created
May 30, 2009
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Cape Canaveral, FL
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