After a fortnight of delays, US space shuttle Atlantis has managed to get off the ground but I, for one, can’t help but think that NASA could’ve done a better job than pick such a fate-tempting name for the craft.

When any delays involve things like mechanical faults you can say that’s one of the cons of dealing with the most intricate and complicated machines in existence. However, if a bolt of lightning strikes your launch pad you might start to think that someone, somewhere is trying to tell you something.

One of the mechanical faults was a faulty fuel gauge that indicated empty (or ‘dry’) when half-a-million gallons of cryogenic propellants had only just been pumped in. I hope they had their 5p off /litre Tesco coupon.

The shuttle crew’s mission is to recommence construction on the International Space Station, which has been on hold since 2003, and install $370 million of solar power equipment. Had they missed today’s slot then they would have had to have waited until after a Russian trip to the station due to take place next week.

Another sense of urgency comes from the fact that there is about $100 billion worth of other equipment still lying around Cape Kennedy that is designed to be installed only by NASA’s three operational shuttles. These, in turn, are due to be retired in 2010 and replaced giving less than 3 years to get it all that kit up there, so they really need an expedient timetable from now on. Otherwise Florida’s going to be hosting a pretty weird car boot sale.

I hear the new, upgraded shuttles will be called Pompeii, Belgrano and Titanic. Possibly.

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Keywords: Atlantis, International Space Station, Kennedy, NASA, Shuttle, Space, US