WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

Inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the orbiter Atlantis is slowly moved toward the external tank and solid rocket boosters stack waiting below (right). After being mated with the stack, Atlantis will be transported to Launch Pad 39A. Atlantis will fly on mission STS-101 to the International Space Station, where its crew of seven will prepare the Station for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda. Atlantis is expected to launch no earlier than April 17, 2000.