SPACEPHOTOS

(08/01/2001)-- STS-110 INSIGNIA: The STS-110 mission begins the third and final phase of construction for the International Space Station (ISS) by delivering and installing the S0 truss segment that will be carried into orbit in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The Station's robotic arm will remove the S0 segment from the Shuttle's payload bay and place it on top of the United States Laboratory. During several spacewalks, S0 will be mechanically attached to ISS, and then multiple cables will be connected allowing electrical power and communications to flow between S0 and ISS. The STS-110 crew patch is patterned after the cross-section of the S0 truss, and encases the launch of the Shuttle Atlantis and a silhouette of the ISS as it will look following mission completion. The successfully installed S0 segment is highlighted in gold. The S0 truss will serve as the cornerstone for the remaining ISS truss segments, which together will span a distance greater than the length of a football field. This truss holds the Station's massive solar arrays, providing electrical power for the modules of all the International Partners, and enables the ISS to reach its full potential as a world-class research facility.