KSC-2009-6627

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is towed from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-1, or OPF-1. Atlantis touched down on Runway 33 after 11 days in space, completing the 4.5-million mile STS-129 mission to the International Space Station on orbit 171. In OPF-1, processing will begin for Atlantis' next mission, designated STS-132. The 34th shuttle mission to the International Space Station, Atlantis will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and Russian-built Mini Research Module, or MRM, to the orbiting laboratory on STS-132. The second in a series of new pressurized components for Russia, the MRM will be permanently attached to the bottom port of the Zarya module. The Russian module also will carry U.S. pressurized cargo. Three spacewalks are planned to stage spare components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a boom assembly for the Ku-band antenna and spares for the Canadian Dextre robotic arm extension. A radiator, airlock and European robotic arm for the Russian Multi-Purpose Laboratory Module also are payloads on the flight. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller