NASA Readies Space Shuttle Atlantis for Launch

NASA Readies Space Shuttle Atlantis for Launch, The US space agency is readying for the launch Monday of the space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of six astronauts to deliver equipment that will maintain the nearly completed International Space Station.Liftoff is set for 2:28 pm (1928 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA said.”Atlantis is ready to go, in really great shape,” said shuttle launch manager Mike Moses at a press conference.The shuttle mission is set to include three spacewalks aimed at storing space hardware on the exterior of the orbiting outpost.The 11-day space outing will be the fifth and last shuttle mission for 2009.