08/17/2024
ATLANTIS @ Kennedy Space Centre, Orlando
Space Shuttle Atlantis (OV-104)
- First flight: October 3, 1985 (STS-51-J)
- Last flight: July 8, 2011 (STS-135)
- Number of missions: 33
- Crew members: 156
- Total time in space: 294 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes
Specifications:
- Length: 122.17 feet (37.24 meters)
- Wingspan: 78.06 feet (23.79 meters)
- Height: 58.67 feet (17.89 meters)
- Weight: 4.5 million pounds (2 million kilograms)
- Payload capacity: 59,000 pounds (26,760 kilograms)
Notable Missions:
- STS-51-J (1985): First flight of Atlantis, deploying two DOD satellites
- STS-30 (1989): Deployed the Magellan spacecraft to Venus
- STS-66 (1994): Studied the Sun's corona and solar wind
- STS-101 (2000): Resupplied the International Space Station (ISS)
- STS-135 (2011): Final flight of Atlantis, resupplying the ISS
Retirement:
- Museum: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Florida
- Display: In a 90-degree angle, as if in flight
The Atlantis space shuttle played a vital role in the Space Shuttle program, contributing significantly to the construction of the ISS, deploying numerous satellites, and conducting various scientific missions.
