KSC-2011-2366

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians transport a system that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing spacecraft in orbit to a low bay test cell in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Called the Robotic Refueling Mission RRM, the system will be processed to fly aboard space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Atlantis and its STS-135 crew are scheduled to carry the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module packed with supplies, logistics and spare parts to the space station. The mission also will return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135, targeted to launch June 28, will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann