WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, workers begin removing the protective cover from the Orbital Boom Sensor System (OBSS) to be installed in the payload bay of Atlantis. The 50-foot-long OBSS attaches to the Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle robotic arm, and is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttles Thermal Protection System while in space. The Return to Flight mission STS-121 has a launch window of July 12 - July 31, 2005.