SPACEPHOTOS

(01/19/2001) -- Space Shuttle Atlantis (background, right) approaches the doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building (left) on its way back from Launch Pad 39A. Atlantis has rolled back to the VAB so that workers can conduct inspections, make continuity checks and conduct X-ray analysis on the 36 solid rocket booster cables located inside each booster’s system tunnel. An extensive evaluation of NASA’s SRB cable inventory revealed conductor damage in four (of about 200) cables on the shelf. Shuttle managers decided to prove the integrity of the system tunnel cables already on Atlantis before launching Jan. 19. The launch has been rescheduled no earlier than Feb. 6