Mission Atlantis: Stocking Up Space Station

The space shuttle Atlantis launched on its second to last spaceflight, the STS-128 mission, on Nov. 16, 2009 to deliver a huge shipment of vital supplies to the International Space Station.

Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Charlie ?Scorch? Hobaugh, Atlantis flew an 11-day mission and delivered about 27,250 pounds (12,360 kg) of vital spare parts to the station in order to extend its lifespan. The astronauts celebrated the birth of a crewmate?s daughter while they were in space (the little girl was born on Earth) and spent Thanksgiving in orbit.

Below is SPACE.com?s special report on Atlantis? STS-128 mission, which marked the fifth shuttle flight of the year in 2009. This page was updated on Nov. 28, 2009.

Home Again

Space Shuttle Atlantis Lands Safely in Florida
Space shuttle Atlantis landed safely in Florida early Friday, gliding in under sunny skies to wrap up a successful 11-day delivery mission to the International Space Station.

Atlantis Shuttle Astronauts Hope for Morning Landing
The seven astronauts aboard space shuttle Atlantis are hoping for clear skies above Florida so they can return home today.

Astronauts Celebrate Thanksgiving in Space on Two Spaceships
A dozen astronauts in orbit took a break from their orbital work Thursday to celebrate a weightless Thanksgiving, despite the fact that they're flying on two different spaceships.

Atlantis Astronauts to Give Their Thanks with Shuttle Stuff(ing)
They may not have the traditional fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner, but the seven astronauts returning to Earth onboard space shuttle Atlantis are set to show their thanks with a memento-stuffed locker for those who made their mission a success.

Holiday Sky Treat: Spot the Space Station
The space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station are separately flying around the Earth until Friday, and they can be seen as a pair of bright lights in the sky at certain times over the next few days.

Shuttle Atlantis Departs From Space Station
The space shuttle Atlantis cast off from the International Space Station early Wednesday after almost a week linked to deliver vital spare parts.

Astronauts Prepare to Leave Space Station
The seven astronauts on shuttle Atlantis have bid farewell to the crew of the space station and are gearing up to undock on Wednesday.

Astronauts to Spend Last Day At Space Station
The crew of the shuttle Atlantis plans to spend today wrapping up work at the International Space Station (ISS) in preparation for departure tomorrow.

Astronauts Wrap Up Final Tasks in Delayed Spacewalk
Two NASA astronauts completed their mission's third and last spacewalk Monday, installing a new science experiment and an oxygen tank outside the International Space Station.

Astronauts Poised for Mission's Last Spacewalk
Two astronauts, one a proud new dad for the second time, will venture outside the International Space Station Monday on the third and last spacewalk of their mission.

Shuttle Astronauts Take Time Off in Space
Astronauts aboard the linked shuttle Atlantis and International Space Station took some well-deserved time off Sunday to rest up from their mission to stock up the orbiting lab, with one spaceflyer overjoyed after hearing news of the birth of his new baby daughter.

Astronauts Speed Through Second Spacewalk
Two astronauts raced through the second spacewalk of their docked shuttle mission at the International Space Station Saturday, getting so far ahead of schedule they took on jobs scheduled for future excursions.

Astronaut Dad in Space

It's a Girl! Astronaut's Daughter Born While He's in Space
Talk about one proud papa. Astronaut Randy Bresnik beamed with joy Sunday after hearing news of the arrival of his new baby daughter, who was born on Earth while he orbited above on the International Space Station.

Astronauts Prepare for Second Spacewalk, New Baby
Astronaut Randy Bresnik may be expecting his wife Rebecca to give birth, but that hasn't shaken his focus for a planned spacewalk outside the International Space Station today to install new video antennas and other equipment.

NASA: Birth of Astronaut's Daughter Delayed
NASA has joined astronaut Randy Bresnik, who is in orbit now, in the waiting game for the birth his daughter, just one day before the spaceflyer is poised to make his first spacewalk.

Astronauts Unfazed by False Alarms in Space
Astronauts on the linked shuttle Atlantis and International Space Station said Friday that they're not worried about recent false alarms that disrupted their sleep with erroneous reports of calamity.

Astronaut Stuck in Space for Daughter's Birth
It may be the mother lode of all bad timing: Atlantis shuttle astronaut Randy Bresnik is stuck at the International Space Station, hundreds of miles from his pregnant wife Rebecca, who is expected to give birth to a baby girl as early as today.

Astronauts Breeze Through Mission's First Spacewalk
Two astronauts breezed through the first spacewalk of their mission Thursday as they upgraded the International Space Station with a spare antenna and other gear.

Astronauts Gear Up for First Spacewalk
Two astronauts will step out of the International Space Station today on the first of three spacewalks to stock the orbiting lab with spare parts.

Shuttle Atlantis Arrives at Space Station
The space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of six arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday to drop off some massive spare parts for the orbiting laboratory.

Shuttle Atlantis Closing In On Space Station
NASA's space shuttle Atlantis is closing in on the International Space Station and on track to link up with the orbiting laboratory later today.

Astronauts Inspect Space Shuttle for Damage
WASHINGTON ? Astronauts aboard NASA's space shuttle Atlantis inspected their spacecraft's sensitive heat shield Tuesday for any signs of damage incurred during launch.

Space Shuttle Atlantis Blasts Off on Delivery Mission
WASHINGTON ? The space shuttle Atlantis roared into space Monday afternoon to begin a vital 11-day delivery run to the International Space Station.

Shuttle Launch Success

NASA Hails Fifth Shuttle Launch of 2009
WASHINGTON ? NASA hailed the flawless liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis Monday, a space shot that marked the agency's fifth shuttle launch of the year ? a flight rate not seen since 2002, before the tragic Columbia accident.

Space Shuttle Atlantis Poised for Monday Launch
WASHINGTON ? The space shuttle Atlantis is poised to soar into space Monday to ferry six astronauts and tons of spare parts to the International Space Station.

Skies Look Clear for Monday Space Shuttle Launch
The skies above NASA's Florida spaceport look to be clear for tomorrow's planned launch of the space shuttle Atlantis.

Twitter Fans Flock to Space Shuttle Launch
NASA is about to open space shuttle launches to a whole new audience.

Space Shuttle Atlantis 'Go' For Monday Launch
NASA cleared the space shuttle Atlantis to launch toward the International Space Station Monday on a delivery mission.

Space Shuttle On Track for Monday Launch
NASA is on track to launch the space shuttle Atlantis on Monday, but only if an unmanned rocket lifts off early Saturday as planned.

Butterflies to Hitch Orbital Ride on Space Shuttle
Butterflies are slated to get another shot at surviving life aboard the International Space Station. Thousands of students plan to join scientists in watching NASA's space shuttle Atlantis launch to the space station on Nov. 16 with a cargo of two butterfly species, apparently undiscouraged by last year's experiment where caterpillars in space failed to emerge from their cocoons.

Atlantis Shuttle Astronauts Prepare for Nov. 16 Launch
The six astronauts preparing to blast off on the space shuttle Atlantis Monday have arrived at NASA's Florida spaceport to prepare for launch.

New Russian Docking Port Launches Toward Space Station
A Russian rocket launched into space Tuesday carrying a brand-new docking port for the International Space Station.

NASA Opens Space Shuttle Launch to Twitter Fans
Here's something to tweet about: NASA has invited some Twitter followers to view the November launch of space shuttle Atlantis in person during a NASA "tweetup."

NASA Delays Shuttle Launch for New Rocket Test
NASA has pushed back the launch target for the space shuttle Atlantis to Nov. 16 ? a four-day slip ? to give its new Ares I-X rocket an extra chance to blast off, agency officials said Monday.

Shuttle Atlantis Moves to Launch Pad for November Flight
The space shuttle Atlantis rolled out toward its Florida launch pad early Wednesday to prepare for a November liftoff, even though NASA is still unsure of exactly when the spacecraft will fly.

Space Traffic, Meteor Showers Threaten Next Shuttle Launch Date
CAPE CANAVERAL - Two planned rocket launches, short shuttle launch windows, traffic congestion at the International Space Station and two meteor showers could conspire to push space shuttle Atlantis' planned November flight into the new year.

More Resources

• Complete Shuttle Mission Coverage
• Complete International Space Station Expedition Coverage
• Fixing NASA: Complete Coverage of Space Shuttle Return to Flight
  SPACE.com's complete coverage of NASA's STS-114 Return to Flight mission.
• Special Report: STS-107 Columbia Disaster
  SPACE.com's complete coverage of NASA's 2003 Columbia accident.
• All About the Space Shuttle
• All About the International Space Station