On July 4th, the American spacecraft Discovery was launched on a crucial mission for the United States’ space ambitions, despite lingering safety concerns three years after the Columbia disaster.
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The seven astronauts of the Discovery shuttle wave goodbye before launch (Photo: AP) |
The Discovery spacecraft will transport seven astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on a mission aimed at enhancing the shuttle’s safety. Two minutes after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the two solid rocket boosters successfully detached from the Discovery shuttle.
The astronauts will deliver approximately 13 tons of equipment and supplies to the ISS. In addition to resupplying the ISS, this mission will test the safety systems installed following the Columbia disaster in February 2003.
The crew members are scheduled to leave the space station after about two weeks, while German astronaut Thomas Reiter will remain aboard.
NASA had planned to launch the Discovery shuttle from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 1st, but had to cancel due to inclement weather. The seven astronauts on board (five men and two women) marked the 115th flight of the American shuttle program. This is the first shuttle flight of 2006 and the second since the tragic Columbia disaster three years ago.
The Columbia shuttle exploded over Texas during its re-entry on February 1, 2003, resulting in the loss of all seven astronauts on board.
T.TRÚC
