SPACEPHOTOS

(03/21/2000) -- Underneath the 26.3-foot vertical tail structure of Space Shuttle Atlantis (above right) in the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers place equipment to be used for the removal of Main Engine No. 1. An inventory review concerning defective main engine fuel pump tip seals indicated that defective seals may be present on the fuel pump for the engine. The decision was made to replace the suspect engine with one originally slated for Discovery. The main engine nozzles, visible in the photo, are 7.8 feet across and 9.4 feet high. Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch no earlier than April 17, 2000, on mission STS-101 to resupply the International Space Station for the arrival of the next pressurized module, the Russian-built Zvezda