STS-117 (ISS Assemblyflight 13A) was a Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis, launched from Pad 39-A of the Kennedy-Space Centre on 8 June 2007. Atlantis lifted off from the launch pad at 19:38 EDT. Damage from a hail storm on 26 February 2007 had previously caused the launch to be postponed from an originally-planned launch date of 15 March 2007. The launch of STS-117 marked the 250th orbitalhuman space flight.
Atlantis delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) the second starboard truss segment (the S3/S3 Truss) and its associated energy systems, including a set of solar array. During the course of the mission the crew installed the new truss segment, retracted one set of solar arrays, and unfolded the new set on the starboard side of the station. STS-117 also brought Expedition 15 crewmember Clayton Anderson to the station, and returned with ISS crewmember Sunita Williams.
On 11 June 2007, NASA mission managers announced a two-day extension of the mission, adding a fourth extra-vehicular activity (EVA). These two days were inserted into the mission timeline after flight day 8. This possibility had been discussed prior to launch. Because of launch day and thus rendezvous day uncertainty the decision to extend was deferred until after launch. The repair of the gap in the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) thermal blanket (heat shielding) was conducted during EVA 3.

STS-117 remains the longest mission for Atlantis because of the cancellation of landing opportunities on 21 June 2007 due to bad weather. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base on 22 June 2007

Previous Columbia Manifest
Position - Astronaut
Commander Frederick W. Sturckow
Third spaceflight
Pilot Mark Polansky
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Patrick G. Forrester
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Richard Mastracchio
Second spaceflight
Mission Specialist 3 Joan Higginbotham
First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 4 James F. Reilly
Third spaceflight

The STS-117 mission delivered the second starboard truss segment (S3/S4) and associated energy systems to the International Space Station (ISS). Manufactured by the Boeing Company at the Michoud Assembly Facility, S3/S4 is the heaviest station payload the shuttle has ever carried. The main functions of the S3/S4 truss segments are to provide electrical power and data interfaces for station's electronics and convert sunlight to electricity. They also provide active thermal protection to electrical components throughout the space station and allow the connection of platforms to store spare parts. S3/S4 segments were the second starboard addition to the ISS truss structure after the S1 truss was attached during Atlantis' STS-112 mission.

Both S3/S4 were handed off to NASA in September 2002. S3/S3 measures 44 feet 9.6 inches (13.66 meters) long by 16 feet 3.4 inches (4.96 meters) wide by 15 feet 2.3 inches (4.63 meters) high and weighs 35,678 lbs (16,183 kilograms). It is made from stainless steel.

During flight day 4 activities, the S3/S4 truss segment was removed from the payload bay of Atlantis using the shuttle's robotic arm and handed off to the station's Canadarm2, where it was maneuvered and mated to the outboard end of the S1 truss.
Starboard 3
The S3 primary structure is made of a hexagonal-shaped stainless steel structure and includes four bulkheads and six longerons, beams that connect the bulkheads. The secondary structure includes brackets, fittings, attach platforms, EVA activity equipment and miscellaneous mechanisms. S3 was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Centre on 7 December 2000.

Starboard 4
Major subsystems of the S4 truss are the port inboard Photovoltaic Module (PVM), the Photovoltaic Radiator (PVR), the Alpha Joint Interface Structure (AJIS) and the Modified Rocketdyne Truss Attachment System (MRTAS). The primary functions of the PVMs are to collect, convert, store and distribute electrical power to loads within the segment and to other station segments. There are two SAWs on the S4 each deployed in the opposite direction from each other.

Hydrogen Vent Valve
Atlantis carried a Hydrogen Vent Valve in its mid-deck to the space station. The valve used to vent Hydrogen overboard is part of the oxygen generating system (OGS). The OGS helps to produce oxygen for the crew to replace oxygen lost due to experiment use, airlock depressurization and venting.

Other items