Atlantis on Way to Refit Space Station: Now Safely in Space, the Crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis

Jun 09, 04:37 AM

Current Headlines: By Martin Merzer and Phil Long, The Miami Herald

Jun. 9--CAPE CANAVERAL -- From NASA's better-late-than-never department: Shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts catapulted from the launch pad Friday evening, roared through golden twilight and safely reached orbit.

The launch, originally planned for March 15 but delayed so ground crews could repair damage from a freak hail storm, was the first of the year.

And it all went well Friday at the Kennedy Space Center.

The weather remained clear, the spaceship produced no glitches, and Atlantis -- its orange, hail-blasted fuel tank speckled with thousands of white patches -- blasted off at 7:38 p.m. after a virtually perfect countdown.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven . . . main engine start . . . five, four, three, two, one and . . . liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis," said George Diller, a launch commentator for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, observing a tradition familiar to generations of Americans.

FLORIDA ROOKIE

Now, the crew will spend 11 days in space, conducting three spacewalks to attach new solar arrays to the International Space Station.

One of those spacewalks will be performed by Steve Swanson, a rookie astronaut and a graduate of Florida Atlantic University. He plans to make the most of it.

"I definitely have gotten a lot of advice," Swanson said during a NASA preflight interview. "The biggest thing, of course, they tell you, is that it's a fantastic experience, and don't forget that when you're out there, you know, take a second when you can, look around, look at Earth. It's the best view you're going to get."

The crew also will deliver astronaut Clay Anderson to the station for a four-month stay and bring home Sunita Williams, who has been there since December.

In addition to Swanson, 46, and Anderson, 48, also aboard are pilot Lee Archambault, 46; commander Rick Sturckow, 45, and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, 50; James Reilly, 53, and John (Danny) Olivas, 41.

As he crawled into Atlantis, Olivas looked toward a NASA video camera and used sign language to say "I love you."

ON WAY AT LAST

He and the others were relieved that their long wait was over.

"I'm very happy to be part of the whole program," Swanson said. "It's just a dream come true."

It also was a dream-like experience for thousands of spectators gathered on beaches and riverbanks within view of the space center.

"Really, really amazing," said Isabelle Tew, 11, from Cardiff, Wales, in the United Kingdom. 'I thought, 'What could the astronauts be thinking? What do they feel?' "

If all goes well, Atlantis will land at the space center at around 2:40 p.m. June 19.

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