CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to begin a 12-day flight to the International Space Station with a launch at 2:20 pm EDT on Friday, May 14, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-132 mission is Atlantis’ final scheduled flight.

Atlantis’ launch date was announced Wednesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station’s equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

STS-132 is the third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010. Two flights remain until the retirement of the shuttle fleet. The STS-133 and STS-134 launches are targeted for September and November, respectively.

The six astronauts for Atlantis’ STS-132 mission will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1, also known as Rassvet (dawn in Russian) to the station. The flight also will transport critical spare parts and cargo, including six new solar array batteries and Ku-band antenna systems. During the mission, three spacewalks are planned to put those spare parts on the station.

Commander Ken Ham and his crew are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately 7 p.m. on Monday, May 10, for final launch preparations. Joining Ham are Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen, and Piers Sellers.

STS-132 will be Atlantis’ 32nd mission and the 34th shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.

Source and picture: NASA