NASA program managers are meeting to assess the status of the external tank which was damaged Feb. 26 during a hail storm at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. A briefing will be held today to discuss the results of the inspections and a live audio feed of the event will be available.
During the STS-117's 11-day mission, the six-member crew will install a new truss segment, retract a set of solar arrays and unfold a new set on the starboard side of the station. Lessons learned from two previous missions will provide the astronauts with new techniques and tools to perform their duties.
Atlantis Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and Mission Specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson and John "Danny" Olivas will continue training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston as they await a new target launch date.
