November 16, 2009

NASA fuels space shuttle Atlantis for liftoff

By MARCIA DUNN , AP Aerospace Writer

The space shuttle Atlantis is seen on launch pad 39a of the NASA Kennedy Space Center shortly after the rotating service structure was rolled back, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, Cape Canaveral, Fla.. Atlantis is scheduled to launch at 2:28p.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/NASA, Bill Ingalls)

(AP) -- NASA is fueling space shuttle Atlantis for its afternoon liftoff.

Atlantis is scheduled to blast off Monday at 2:28 p.m. on a mission to stockpile the International Space Station with big spare parts.

There's now a 70 percent chance that the weather will cooperate, which is not nearly as good as previous days. Low clouds are the main concern.

Atlantis' six astronauts woke up around the time fueling got under way Monday well before dawn.

The 11-day flight is expected to keep the astronauts in orbit through Thanksgiving. They plan to unload nearly 30,000 pounds of pumps, tanks and other spare parts, as well as science experiments.

It's NASA's last shuttle flight of the year.

NASA fuels space shuttle Atlantis for liftoff

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