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[b]Shuttle Atlantis De-servicing Operations Now Under Way[/b] Post-mission servicing and ferry flight preparations on the Space Shuttle Atlantis got under way in earnest Tuesday at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, following Atlantis' landing Sunday morning at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. After completion of jacking and leveling operations in the Mate-Demate Device, the large gantry-like structure used to conduct post-flight servicing and mounting of the shuttle atop its carrier aircraft, United Space Alliance technicians completed drying of the main engine compartment. They also continued inspections of Atlantis' thermal protection tiles and blankets and completed installation of covers over the shuttle's windows. On Thursday, technicians will don self-contained atmospheric protection ensemble or SCAPE suits in order to drain various toxic fluids from Atlantis' systems that could prove hazardous to unprotected personnel. Installation of the fittings for attachment of the tail cone used to improve the shuttle's aerodynamics during the ferry flight is also on the overnight schedule. Post-mission processing managers are targeting lift operations to mount Atlantis on the modified 747 carrier aircraft on Saturday, and following a Flight Readiness Review the same day, are looking toward ferry flight departure just before sunrise Sunday morning at the earliest. Space Shuttle Atlantis [URL=http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum30/HTML/000790-3.html#fd14j]landed at Edwards Air Force Base[/URL] last Sunday after being diverted from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida due to poor weather conditions there. Atlantis' landing at Edwards was the 53rd shuttle landing to occur at Edwards.
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