CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center workers walk with shuttle Atlantis as the orbiter is recently towed from its processing hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building for temporary storage.

Removing Atlantis from its Orbiter Processing Facility will allow workers to perform annual maintenance in the hangar -- work that can only be done when there is no shuttle present. Checks will be made of the bay's cranes, work platforms, lifting mechanisms and jack stands.

While no final decision has been made yet, shuttle Atlantis is currently targeted to be launched in September 2004 as NASA's first return to flight mission following the Columbia tragedy.

The shuttle is far from being ready to fly, as is evident in this view by the missing main engines and reinforced carbon carbon panels of the forward leading edge of the wing.

Atlantis will be returned to its hangar early next week.

Credit: NASA