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Back in Orbit

Spanish Translation

By Andrea Delbanco

Rockets roared as the†space shuttle Atlantis blasted into the atmosphere on September 9, headed for the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is a giant space lab in the sky. The orbiting structure is a partnership of many countries, including the United States, Russia and Japan. The station was built in 1998 and its first permanent crew arrived in 2000. Since then, there have always been at least two astronauts on board.

Atlantis's mission was to build the first major addition to the ISS since late 2002. Construction on the structure had stopped since the space shuttle Columbia flight ended in disaster on February 1, 2003. Last week, it was back to business on the ISS, some 220 miles above Earth.

Complicated Construction
To restart the project, Atlantis astronauts took three space walks. The six crew members trained for four and a half years for this mission, which was scheduled to last around 11 days. They delivered and installed a $372 million solar panel system that will double the power and communications capabilities of the ISS. The 17-ton addition is one of the heaviest items ever taken into space. Because the cargo weighed so much, only six astronauts, instead of the usual seven, flew on this mission.

The spacecraft's launch was delayed for two weeks. First there was bad weather, then technical problems held up liftoff. But the trickiest part of all were the space walks. "These are the most complicated space walk and assembly tasks that ever have been done," says NASA shuttle program manager Wayne Hale.

The astronauts completed three space walks, each lasting more than six hours. Installing the new solar panels was painstaking work. Small bolts floated off into space during two space walks. Space debris can be dangerous if it accidentally punctures parts of the spacecraft. But the wayward bolts did not appear to do any damage to Atlantis, and the minor mishap did not stop the astronauts from getting their job done.

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, the only female Atlantis crew member, became the seventh American woman to take a space walk. Before this mission, there had been 159 space walks. Because space suits are not designed for smaller sizes, women generally don't get the assignment. "If you fit in a suit then it is easier to work," explains Piper, who is 5'10" tall.

The Next Steps in Space
A Russian Soyuz craft was scheduled to visit the ISS a few days after Atlantis's planned return. If all goes well, the Soyuz will bring the first female space tourist to the ISS. Three men have paid to travel on Russian spacecraft, but Anousheh Ansari is the first woman. Ansari, who is Iranian-American, won't reveal how much she paid for the rocket ride. Space tourists have spent up to $20 million. To Ansari, the trip is priceless. "I always used to gaze at the stars and wonder what's out there in the universe," she said. "I hope this flight brings me one step closer and helps me realize what's out there."

More space travelers should get to visit the space station in coming years. NASA is planning 14 shuttle flights to complete work on the ISS. When it is done, the space lab will be bigger than a five-bedroom house. From start to finish, the space agency estimates that more than 140 space walks and 800 hours of work will have gone into the project.

NASA plans to retire the current shuttle fleet in 2010. New spacecraft are in the works to take astronauts to the moon, Mars and maybe even beyond.

Next: The Memory Keepers