Atlantis returns to its launch pad

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., May 15 (UPI) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration moved the space shuttle Atlantis back to its launch pad Tuesday at Cape Canaveral, Fla., without incident.

The shuttle underwent major repairs after its external fuel tank and wings were damaged during a February hail storm while on the launch pad. Atlantis left NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center at 5:02 a.m. Tuesday and reached Launch Pad 39A shortly before noon.

When Atlantis lifts off for the International Space Station in June, its mission may sound a little familiar. The STS-117 crew will install a new truss segment, unfurl new solar arrays and fold up an old one -- all complex tasks involved in the past two missions.

"We're really fortunate that we have those guys to follow," said Atlantis' commander, Rick Sturckow. "Almost everything went great on those missions, and the things that didn't go so well, we're able to learn from."

Along with Sturckow, the crew includes pilot Lee Archambault and astronauts Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John Olivas, Jim Reilly and Clay Anderson.