Space Shuttle Atlantis Returns to Storage

Shuttle Atlantis retreated from its launch pad Monday for the third time in its last four missions.

• In 2006, the shuttle got halfway back to the Vehicle Assembly Building before forecasters determined Tropical Storm Ernesto was a safe distance from Kennedy Space Center.

• Last year, a February hailstorm damaged the orbiter's tiles and external tank, making repairs necessary.

• This time, a computer glitch aboard the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope last month postponed Atlantis' servicing mission and forced the shuttle back into storage.

"Of course, we always prefer a launch to a rollback, but the vehicle is in good condition and will be ready for the Hubble mission," Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer said.

Atlantis began the 3.5-mile trip to the assembly building on top of a 6 million-pound crawler-transporter just before sunrise, and finished six hours later.

The shuttle, its twin solid rocket boosters and fuel tank will remain stacked on a mobile launcher platform until next year, preparing to launch as early as February.

The move cleared the way for Endeavour to shift to launch pad 39A early Saturday.

Endeavour is stationed on pad 39B, a short distance up the coast, where it stood ready as a rescue vehicle if Atlantis sustained critical damage during the Hubble mission. But it now will proceed with a 15-day outfitting mission to the International Space Station that is targeted for liftoff Nov. 14. Endeavour's cargo includes bedroom, bathroom and kitchen gear that will enable the station to support six-person crews for long-duration visits. Astronauts also will conduct four spacewalks to work on rotating joints that allow solar arrays to track the sun.

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