NASA has given the green light for the space shuttle Atlantis mission to launch on 16 November carrying six astronauts to the International Space Station.

Liftoff is set for 2.28pm (6.28pm GMT) from the Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florida, the US space agency said following a "flight readiness review" meeting.

The lift-off date, however, still depends on the successful launch on 14 November of the experimental Atlas V rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

If the Atlas launch is delayed to 15 November, the shuttle's lift-off "will move to no earlier than 2.02pm (6.02pm GMT) on 17 November," NASA said in a statement.

The shuttle mission, once it gets underway, is set to include three spacewalks aimed at storing space hardware on the exterior of the orbiting outpost.

The 11-day space outing will be the fifth and last shuttle mission for 2009.

There are just five more shuttle launches scheduled before the planned September 2010 retirement of the fleet.

But the White House could decide to extend the program through 2011 to reduce US reliance on Russia's Soyuz craft for astronaut transport to the ISS while the Orion capsules are being built.

AFP

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