CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The Kennedy Space Center countdown clock fired up Friday evening as workers continued prepping Space Shuttle Atlantis for its mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
At 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 GMT) the clock started as Atlantis sat poised atop launch pad 39-A. It awaits a seven-person crew set for a 4:15 p.m. EDT (20:15 GMT) Monday launch.
Earlier in the afternoon, the crew arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility in five T 38 jet trainers after flying in from Ellington Field near Johnson Space Center.
Mission commander Jim Halsell, flanked by pilot Scott Horowitz and the rest of the crew, said theyre ready for some rest after the long days of training for the mission that was organized only a few months ago.
After visiting with friends and family for awhile, the crew headed to their quarters to begin shifting their sleep schedule.
"Weve been training every day -- long hours at the Johnson Space Center," Halsell said. "And now the opportunity to come to Kennedy and relax for a couple of days as the processing finishes up, and go man the vehicle, and go fly the mission really marks the beginning of the spaceflight."
Mission specialist Mary Ellen Weber, who will operate the orbiters robotic arm during the spacewalk of Jim Voss and Jeff Williams, said it would be hard for most to imagine how excited the crew was on arrival.
"Weve had a tremendous time training together and were looking forward to being a part of the International Space Station," she said.
Also aboard Atlantis is cosmonaut Yuri Usachev who, after a stint on the Russian space station Mir, has more time in orbit than the rest of his crew mates combined.
Usachev, Voss and fellow-astronaut Susan Helms are scheduled to be the second crew to staff the ISS in 2001.
"Its a big privilege to be here and represent Russia and the Russian space agency," Usachev said. "Its an exciting time for me. This is much like Baikonur, where we launch."
Atlantis' crew members have numerous tasks to perform on their 11-day mission. After docking with the ISS, they will replace faulty batteries and equipment, deliver supplies and perform one spacewalk. Additionally, the orbiter will boost the station into a higher orbit.
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