spacecraft
Atlantis orbiter
Reusable crewed spacecraft with flight deck, payload bay, and orbital maneuvering systems.
TransitSatellite Library / Launch Vehicle Engineering
Space Shuttle Atlantis
Reusable crewed spacecraft and launch system
Space Shuttle Atlantis delivered the Destiny U.S. laboratory on STS-98 and the Columbus European laboratory on STS-122, expanding ISS research capability.
Engineering overview
Space Shuttle Atlantis combined a reusable crewed orbiter with an external propellant tank and two reusable solid rocket boosters for ascent. The orbiter carried astronauts, docking systems, a robotic arm, and a large payload bay that could transport pressurized station modules.
During STS-98 in February 2001, Atlantis delivered the Destiny laboratory. During STS-122 in February 2008, it delivered the Columbus laboratory. Both missions used the Shuttle cargo bay and station assembly operations to add permanent research facilities to the ISS.
Engineering schematic
Vehicle components
propellant
External tank
Supplied propellants to the orbiter main engines during ascent.
propulsion
Solid rocket boosters
Two boosters provided major thrust during the first portion of ascent.
propulsion
Orbiter main engines
Three liquid-propellant engines powered ascent using external-tank propellants.
cargo
Payload bay
Transported ISS laboratory modules and related mission hardware.
robotics
Shuttle robotic arm
Supported handling and positioning of payloads during station assembly.
Connected missions
ISS launch timeline
February 7, 2001
STS-98
February 7, 2008
STS-122
TransitSatellite connections