May 23 2000
From The Space Library
Shuttle Atlantis, commanded by James D. Halsell Jr., began boosting the ISS into a higher orbit. By firing its steering jets 27 times during a 1-hour push, Shuttle Atlantis raised the space station about 9 miles (14 kilometers) farther from Earth than it had been. The effort was the first of three planned realignment maneuvers. NASA officials wanted to allow Atlantis's thrusters to have a day to cool down before continuing with the project. In addition to changing the ISS's orbit, Atlantis's astronauts serviced the exterior of the space station and replaced four of its failing batteries. The crew hoped that the latter procedure would stop the gradual drop in elevation that the ISS had been experiencing during the months before Atlantis's visit.
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