NEW YORK: The shuttle Atlantis has blamed off carrying alive supplies and constituent parts for the International Space Station to nearby its chronicle time the 2010 retirement of the aging shuttle fleet.
Atlantis launched at 2.28pm on weekday (0628 AEDT Tuesday) from the President Space Centre nearby Florida's Cape Canaveral carrying six astronauts and whatever 12 tonnes of gyroscopes, liquid tanks and other equipment.
\"A amend launch, right on time,\" said a NASA spokesman after the shuttle reached orbit most eight transactions into its flight, hurtling at a speed of more than 24,000km/ph, NASA said.
Moment before the lift-off, launch administrator Mike Leinback wished the gathering godspeed, declaring: \"All the vehicle systems are outstanding today, the weather is nearby amend for a good lift-off today.\"
Space agency officials said the mission was pivotal as meet five more shuttle launches remain before the designed Sept 2010 retirement of the fast and the constituent parts module add years to the space station's life.
\"You'll see this theme in whatever of the flights that are going to come after ours as well,\" said mission administrator Brian Smith. \"This grace is every most spares, basically, we're getting them up there while we still can.\"
Atlantis reached its orbit in eight and-a-half transactions 225km above earth. It was due to dock with the ISS at 1653 GMT on Wednesday (0353 AEDT Thursday).
Led by Marine Corps Colonel Charlie Hobaugh, the all-male gathering arrived on weekday at President Space Centre from Houston, Texas, where the astronauts are based.
The 11-day space outing, the fifth and test shuttle mission for 2009, is scheduled to include three space walks to accumulation element on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS).
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