The orbiter Atlantis heads into the mate demate device at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after a trip from California.

The orbiter Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, heads into the mate/demate device at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after a protracted trip from California. Atlantis landed in California Feb. 19 concluding mission STS-98. The ferry flight began March 1; unfavorable weather conditions kept it on the ground at Altus AFB, Okla., until it could return to Florida. The orbiter will next fly on mission STS-104, the 10th construction flight to the International Space Station, scheduled June 8