Just one day after space shuttle Discovery and its crew successfully completed the STS-131 mission by landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations for the next mission to the International Space Station are in full swing.
The STS-132 astronauts, led by Commander Ken Ham, flew to Kennedy in T-38 jets Tuesday evening and will spend the rest of the week conducting the standard prelaunch training and countdown dress rehearsal known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT.
Rollout of space shuttle Atlantis to Launch Pad 39A was again delayed by weather today, with the move now set to begin at 12:01 a.m. EDT Thursday. The 3.4-mile trip normally takes about six hours, and tonight’s weather forecast is favorable. STS-132 is the last planned mission for Atlantis.
Following their successful 15-day mission, the STS-131 astronauts will return to their home base at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston later this afternoon.