Atlantis
In Greek mythology, an island continent west of the Straits of Gibraltar, said to have sunk following an earthquake. Although the Atlantic Ocean is probably named after it, the structure of the sea bed rules out its former existence in the Atlantic region. Derived from an Egyptian priest's account, the Greek philosopher Plato created an imaginary early history for the island in Timaeus and Critias, describing it as a utopia (perfect place) submerged 9,000 years previously as punishment for waging war against Athens; an act deemed impious.
Legends about the disappearance of Atlantis may have some connection with the volcanic eruption that devastated Santorini in the Cyclades islands, north of Crete, about 1500 BC. The ensuing earthquakes and tidal waves are believed to have been one cause of the collapse of the empire of Minoan Crete.
Atlantis
| Fourth of the US space shuttles. It made its first flight on 3 October 1985 with a crew of five. |
| In 1989 Atlantis launched the Galileo spacecraft on a six-year journey to the planet Jupiter and in 1995 undertook the first of seven missions to dock with the Russian space station Mir, exchanging crew members. After a refit in 1997–98, it resumed service with a series of launches from mid-1999 in support of the International Space Station (ISS), and on 14 February 2001 successfully delivered the US science laboratory module Destiny to the ISS. It continued flying missions to the ISS until October 2002. After a gap of almost four years, the craft resumed such missions in September 2006. |
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