Discovery Closes In On Station
The arrival of Space Shuttle Discovery this afternoon will set the stage for a change aboard the International Space Station. Discovery, which is scheduled to arrive at 5:05 p.m. EST, is delivering a new crew member to the station.
STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver about 4:05 p.m. to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be downlinked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers.
NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams will join the Expedition 14 crew about an hour after she and the STS-116 crew enter the station for the first time about 7:02 p.m. She will replace European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with the STS-116 crew. The crew rotation will be official when the custom-made seatliners are swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
STS-116 is also delivering the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s solar arrays.
The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
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Full Version: International Space Station - Latest News
STS-116 Arrives, Station Set for Crew Rotation
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
Space Shuttle Discovery’s arrival this afternoon sets the stage for a change aboard the International Space Station. Discovery, which docked at 5:12 p.m. EST, is delivering a new crew member to the station.
NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams will join the Expedition 14 crew about an hour after she and the STS-116 crew enter the station for the first time tonight shortly after 7. She will replace European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with the STS-116 crew. The crew rotation will be official when the custom-made seatliners are swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
STS-116 is also delivering the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s solar arrays.
About an hour before docking, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be downlinked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers.
The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
Space Shuttle Discovery’s arrival this afternoon sets the stage for a change aboard the International Space Station. Discovery, which docked at 5:12 p.m. EST, is delivering a new crew member to the station.
NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams will join the Expedition 14 crew about an hour after she and the STS-116 crew enter the station for the first time tonight shortly after 7. She will replace European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with the STS-116 crew. The crew rotation will be official when the custom-made seatliners are swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
STS-116 is also delivering the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s solar arrays.
About an hour before docking, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be downlinked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers.
The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Williams to Replace Reiter on Station Crew
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
Space Shuttle Discovery’s arrival this afternoon sets the stage for a change aboard the International Space Station. Discovery, which docked at 5:12 p.m. EST, delivered a new crew member to the station.
The STS-116 crew and NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, who will join the Expedition 14 crew later this evening, entered the station for the first time at 6:54 p.m. EST. Williams will replace European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with the STS-116 crew. The crew rotation will be official when their custom-made seatliners are swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
STS-116 also delivered the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s newest solar arrays.
About an hour before docking, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be downlinked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers.
The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
Space Shuttle Discovery’s arrival this afternoon sets the stage for a change aboard the International Space Station. Discovery, which docked at 5:12 p.m. EST, delivered a new crew member to the station.
The STS-116 crew and NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, who will join the Expedition 14 crew later this evening, entered the station for the first time at 6:54 p.m. EST. Williams will replace European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with the STS-116 crew. The crew rotation will be official when their custom-made seatliners are swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
STS-116 also delivered the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s newest solar arrays.
About an hour before docking, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be downlinked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers.
The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Expedition 14, STS-116 Exchanges Crew Members
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew lost one member and gained another Monday night during the first crew exchange at the International Space Station during a shuttle mission in four years.
NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station Monday afternoon with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight EST Tuesday. Her crewmates are Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Williams will spend six months on the outpost. She will become a member of the Expedition 15 crew in March 2007.
Reiter will wrap up a five-month stay on the station when he leaves with STS-116 next week. He arrived at the station in July with the STS-121 mission to give the station its first three-member crew since May 2003. He was a member of Expedition 13 until Expedition 14 began its tour of duty in September.
The crew rotation became official when their custom-made seatliners were swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
Discovery, which docked at 5:12 p.m. Monday, also delivered the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s newest solar arrays. The first excursion is scheduled to take place Tuesday.
About an hour before docking, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be downlinked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers.
The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew lost one member and gained another Monday night during the first crew exchange at the International Space Station during a shuttle mission in four years.
NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station Monday afternoon with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight EST Tuesday. Her crewmates are Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Williams will spend six months on the outpost. She will become a member of the Expedition 15 crew in March 2007.
Reiter will wrap up a five-month stay on the station when he leaves with STS-116 next week. He arrived at the station in July with the STS-121 mission to give the station its first three-member crew since May 2003. He was a member of Expedition 13 until Expedition 14 began its tour of duty in September.
The crew rotation became official when their custom-made seatliners were swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
Discovery, which docked at 5:12 p.m. Monday, also delivered the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s newest solar arrays. The first excursion is scheduled to take place Tuesday.
About an hour before docking, STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be downlinked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers.
The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
On-Orbit Station Construction Continues
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
The International Space Station grew Tuesday when the STS-116 crew installed the P5 integrated truss segment. The P5 was attached at 5:45 p.m. EST.
The construction work was performed by STS-116 spacewalkers Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang and robot arm operators Joan Higginbotham and Sunita Williams. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the addition of the P6 and its set of solar arrays.
Two more spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s newest solar arrays. The spacewalks are set for Thursday and Saturday.
The P5’s installation is not the only change that the station has undergone since Space Shuttle Discovery docked Monday. Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday.
Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15 crew.
Reiter will wrap up a five-month stay on the station when he leaves with STS-116 next week. He arrived at the station in July with the STS-121 mission to give the station its first three-member crew since May 2003. He was a member of Expedition 13 until Expedition 14 began its tour of duty in September.
The crew rotation became official when their custom-made seatliners were swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
Also, the Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: A camera aboard Space Shuttle Discovery captured this view
of the International Space Station as the shuttle approached for docking.
Photo credit: NASA
The International Space Station grew Tuesday when the STS-116 crew installed the P5 integrated truss segment. The P5 was attached at 5:45 p.m. EST.
The construction work was performed by STS-116 spacewalkers Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang and robot arm operators Joan Higginbotham and Sunita Williams. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the addition of the P6 and its set of solar arrays.
Two more spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s newest solar arrays. The spacewalks are set for Thursday and Saturday.
The P5’s installation is not the only change that the station has undergone since Space Shuttle Discovery docked Monday. Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday.
Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15 crew.
Reiter will wrap up a five-month stay on the station when he leaves with STS-116 next week. He arrived at the station in July with the STS-121 mission to give the station its first three-member crew since May 2003. He was a member of Expedition 13 until Expedition 14 began its tour of duty in September.
The crew rotation became official when their custom-made seatliners were swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.
Also, the Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
To boldly go... where dreams come true
ISS as the first step to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Credits: ESA
17 December 2006
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest structure humankind has ever built for space purposes. The Station is also the first of many steps, including returning on the Moon, which eventually will lead to Mars, and beyond. What, then, is the role of the ISS in the greater context that is human spaceflight?
"I think the ISS is very important for further space exploration", says the Swedish ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang. "It is the step we need in order to learn how to live and work in space, how humans react to the weightlessness and the radiation exposure of long duration spaceflights. It is the step we need to be able to get to the Moon, Mars, and beyond."
Christer Fuglesang thinks that the ISS also is important from a political perspective, to gain support for the projects that are necessary to extend human presence in space. "Hopefully Europe will be a part of this."
The weight problem
Something we have to solve before we can send people on trips around the Solar System are the physiological effects of the absence of gravity. Here, the ISS plays a key role. It gives us the only opportunity we have to study how the human body reacts to long periods of weightlessness. Among the problems that arise are the loss of muscle and bone mass. Other problems are a decrease in the red blood cell count, and that the immune system has a tendency to weaken.
Yet another problem astronauts on extended trips will encounter is the radiation of interplanetary space. Even on board ISS, well above the Earth's atmosphere, the astronauts haven't completely left the Earth's protective care. The Station is deep within the Earth's magnetic field and the radiation belts this generates. This way the astronauts on board ISS are protected from most of the radiation. But the Space Station still gives us an opportunity to study how space radiation affects the human body.
As the medical knowledge gathered on board ISS increases, spacecraft engineers will be ever more able to judge what is needed to maintain the health of interplanetary astronauts.
To maintain life
Astronaut Sunita L. Williams (right) and ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang, both STS-116
mission specialists, enjoy a light moment as they prepare to open food packages on the
middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery. Williams will joined Expedition 14 crew as Flight
Engineer after entering the International Space Station. Docking of the two spacecraft
will occured on 11 December.
Credits: NASA
Another area where the ISS can give an invaluable insight is life support systems. On a three year return trip to Mars, or for people to be able to live in a Moon base, it is essential to have a life support system that can work without external input, as a closed system. Some elements maybe can be supplied on site on the Moon or on Mars, but for most of the life support systems operation this will not be possible.
When speaking of life support systems, food, air and water are probably what springs to mind. There are however other things that are difficult – if not impossible – to live without.
"The first astronauts could get by with nappies. They didn't need a toilet on those short missions. But for a trip of half a year, or more, that simply doesn't work," says Mats André, Professor of Space Physics at the Institute for Space Physics in Uppsala. On board the ISS, and on long journeys in the Solar System, everyday life must be able to continue.
New technology
Human spaceflight has an important role also in a broader perspective. "Space is one area that drives cutting edge technology", says Mats André. "For example, you very rarely get a chance to repair something in space. Stuff simply has to work." As an example of space driving technology, he talks about the courses the Institute give in space technology. "Many of our students don't end up doing space related things. But they do get involved with technology at the real cutting edge."
From another point of view the ISS makes it possible to learn techniques and methodologies for constructing structures in the weightlessness of space, and how to work with the help of robotic systems.
Robots are good but people are better
There is also a very ordinary reason why humans should follow where robots have led. "There are things human space missions can accomplish that otherwise is virtually impossible", Mats André explains. "We can do much with relatively inexpensive, unmanned probes. But only gets you so far. To take the next step, you actually have to send a geologist to Mars with a hammer to bang at the rocks. There is no way around it."
Lennart Nordh, Head of Research at the Swedish National Space Board, is of the same opinion. "If we look in a desert on Earth, it's difficult to detect life. We must find the right places and dig to find it. So, if we really want to establish whether there is life on Mars, my guess is we'll have to go there."
Wouldn't it be just a little sad if we didn't find out we have strange cousins in the Martian permafrost, or in hot springs at the bottom of Jupiter moon Europa's ocean, just because we didn't send curious and enterprising people, but were content to send robots.
Source: ESA - Celsius Mission
STS-116 Nears End of Busy Stay at Station
Image above: This view of a full moon was photographed by an
Expedition 14 crewmember onboard the International Space Station.
Earth's horizon and airglow is visible at left.
Photo credit: NASA
The STS-116 crew’s stay at the International Space Station is winding down. Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew are slated to leave Tuesday to conclude an eight-day stay in which STS-118 added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station at 5:09 p.m. EST Tuesday.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
The P5’s installation is not the only change that the station has undergone since Space Shuttle Discovery docked last week. Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter will return to Earth with STS-116.
Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews have worked together to transfer Discovery 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews have also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that will return to Earth with STS-116.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: This view of a full moon was photographed by an
Expedition 14 crewmember onboard the International Space Station.
Earth's horizon and airglow is visible at left.
Photo credit: NASA
The STS-116 crew’s stay at the International Space Station is winding down. Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew are slated to leave Tuesday to conclude an eight-day stay in which STS-118 added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station at 5:09 p.m. EST Tuesday.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
The P5’s installation is not the only change that the station has undergone since Space Shuttle Discovery docked last week. Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter will return to Earth with STS-116.
Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews have worked together to transfer Discovery 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews have also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that will return to Earth with STS-116.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
STS-116 Leaves New Truss Segment, Crew Member With Station
Image above: Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon,
the International Space Station moves away from Space Shuttle Discovery.
Photo credit: NASA
The STS-116 crew’s stay at the International Space Station came to an end Tuesday when Space Shuttle Discovery undocked at 5:10 p.m. EST. During its eight-day visit, the STS-116 crew added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday, Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter will return to Earth with STS-116.
Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews have also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that will return to Earth with STS-116.
STS-117 is scheduled to visit the station in March.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon,
the International Space Station moves away from Space Shuttle Discovery.
Photo credit: NASA
The STS-116 crew’s stay at the International Space Station came to an end Tuesday when Space Shuttle Discovery undocked at 5:10 p.m. EST. During its eight-day visit, the STS-116 crew added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday, Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter will return to Earth with STS-116.
Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews have also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that will return to Earth with STS-116.
STS-117 is scheduled to visit the station in March.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew to Spend Christmas on Station
Image above: Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon,
the International Space Station moves away from Space Shuttle Discovery.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members are back to a regular schedule aboard the International Space Station and are scheduled to spend a quiet Christmas on the orbital outpost. Meanwhile, their most recent visitors, the STS-116 crew returned to Earth on Friday.
Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-114 crew left the station Tuesday. During its eight-day visit, the STS-116 crew added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew on Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter returned to Earth with STS-116.
The STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that returned to Earth with STS-116.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon,
the International Space Station moves away from Space Shuttle Discovery.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members are back to a regular schedule aboard the International Space Station and are scheduled to spend a quiet Christmas on the orbital outpost. Meanwhile, their most recent visitors, the STS-116 crew returned to Earth on Friday.
Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-114 crew left the station Tuesday. During its eight-day visit, the STS-116 crew added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew on Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter returned to Earth with STS-116.
The STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that returned to Earth with STS-116.
For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew Returns to Work After Holiday Break
Image above: Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon,
the International Space Station moves away from Space Shuttle Discovery.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members aboard the International Space Station have returned to a regular schedule and spent a quiet Christmas on the orbital outpost. Meanwhile, their most recent visitors, the STS-116 crew returned to Earth on Friday.
Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-114 crew left the station Dec. 19. During its eight-day visit, the STS-116 crew added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew on Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter returned to Earth with STS-116.
The STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that returned to Earth with STS-116.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Backdropped by the blackness of space and Earth's horizon,
the International Space Station moves away from Space Shuttle Discovery.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members aboard the International Space Station have returned to a regular schedule and spent a quiet Christmas on the orbital outpost. Meanwhile, their most recent visitors, the STS-116 crew returned to Earth on Friday.
Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-114 crew left the station Dec. 19. During its eight-day visit, the STS-116 crew added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system.
The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew on Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter returned to Earth with STS-116.
The STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that returned to Earth with STS-116.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew Prepares Experiments, Talks to Students
Image above: Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria (left) and Flight Engineer
Mikhail Tyurin share a meal at the galley in the Zvezda Service Module
of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
To continue studying the impact of countermeasures to the effects of living in space, Flight Engineer Sunita Williams unstowed and set up the blood and urine collection hardware. Her samples will be used to better understand the impact of countermeasures such as exercise and pharmaceuticals on nutritional status and nutrient requirements.
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Williams also spent several hours stowing away spacewalk tools used during STS-116 and preparing equipment and tools to be used for spacewalks in February. They also reserved some time for STS-116 cargo unpacking and stowage.
Lopez-Alegria conducted a ham radio session with students at the Kashiwahara Community Center in Sayama, Japan. Some questions the students asked included what he does for fun in space and if his elementary school studies reflect his work in space.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria (left) and Flight Engineer
Mikhail Tyurin share a meal at the galley in the Zvezda Service Module
of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
To continue studying the impact of countermeasures to the effects of living in space, Flight Engineer Sunita Williams unstowed and set up the blood and urine collection hardware. Her samples will be used to better understand the impact of countermeasures such as exercise and pharmaceuticals on nutritional status and nutrient requirements.
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Williams also spent several hours stowing away spacewalk tools used during STS-116 and preparing equipment and tools to be used for spacewalks in February. They also reserved some time for STS-116 cargo unpacking and stowage.
Lopez-Alegria conducted a ham radio session with students at the Kashiwahara Community Center in Sayama, Japan. Some questions the students asked included what he does for fun in space and if his elementary school studies reflect his work in space.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew Unpacks, Works on Experiments
Image above: This distorted view of a full moon intersecting Earth's
horizon was photographed by an Expedition 14 crew member onboard
the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
Except for maintenance and exercise, the Expedition 14 crew had Christmas day off. For most of the week, the crew scheduled parts of each day for unpacking of Discovery-delivered items, entering them into the Inventory Management System for tracking.
The crew members also worked on experiments including heart function and changes in blood of space farers during long-duration spaceflight, a Nutritional Status Assessment, cosmic ray measurement and plant growth in space.
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin passed a milestone of their stay on the station – Tuesday was their 100th day in space. Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, who came to the station aboard Discovery, had an hour budgeted each day to familiarize herself with the station and adapt to life on board. As a new crew member, she will continue this routine for her first two weeks.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: This distorted view of a full moon intersecting Earth's
horizon was photographed by an Expedition 14 crew member onboard
the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
Except for maintenance and exercise, the Expedition 14 crew had Christmas day off. For most of the week, the crew scheduled parts of each day for unpacking of Discovery-delivered items, entering them into the Inventory Management System for tracking.
The crew members also worked on experiments including heart function and changes in blood of space farers during long-duration spaceflight, a Nutritional Status Assessment, cosmic ray measurement and plant growth in space.
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin passed a milestone of their stay on the station – Tuesday was their 100th day in space. Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, who came to the station aboard Discovery, had an hour budgeted each day to familiarize herself with the station and adapt to life on board. As a new crew member, she will continue this routine for her first two weeks.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Station Crew Back at Work
Image above: Geneva, Switzerland, is featured in this image photographed
by an Expedition 14 crew member on the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members aboard the International Space Station are back at work this week after enjoying a quiet holiday weekend. They celebrated New Year's on orbit with a traditional dinner of rehydrated American food and Russian delicacies.
Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams will primarily focus this week on the first phase of installing the new Oxygen Generation System. The complex procedure being performed by the crew this week will test the equipment to ensure that it can support a full crew when the permanent complement aboard the station ultimately expands to six people.
Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin is spending several days this week modifying the ventilation system in the service module to run more quietly. He will add two new noise-isolation crew cabin fans, sound deadening vibration isolators and air ducts with acoustic shields.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Geneva, Switzerland, is featured in this image photographed
by an Expedition 14 crew member on the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members aboard the International Space Station are back at work this week after enjoying a quiet holiday weekend. They celebrated New Year's on orbit with a traditional dinner of rehydrated American food and Russian delicacies.
Station Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams will primarily focus this week on the first phase of installing the new Oxygen Generation System. The complex procedure being performed by the crew this week will test the equipment to ensure that it can support a full crew when the permanent complement aboard the station ultimately expands to six people.
Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin is spending several days this week modifying the ventilation system in the service module to run more quietly. He will add two new noise-isolation crew cabin fans, sound deadening vibration isolators and air ducts with acoustic shields.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew Works on New Oxygen Generator
Image above: Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin (left) holds a camera in
the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Also pictured
are Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria (center) and Flight Engineer
Suni William.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members spent a busy week aboard the International Space Station working to install a new oxygen-generating system, adding soundproofing in the living quarters and unpacking supplies delivered by the space shuttle in December.
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams primarily focused this week on the first phase of installing a new oxygen-generating system. This additional system will be needed as a supplement to the Russian Elektron oxygen generator when the permanent crew aboard the station expands from three to six people. The new system will be activated and tested later this year.
Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin spent several days this week modifying the ventilation system in the service module to run more quietly. He added two new noise-isolation crew cabin fans, sound deadening vibration isolators and air ducts with acoustic shields.
On Friday, Lopez-Alegria and Williams took time out from their tasks to speak with students at the Columbia Explorers Academy. The students asked the astronauts about living in orbit and the goals of their mission.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin (left) holds a camera in
the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Also pictured
are Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria (center) and Flight Engineer
Suni William.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members spent a busy week aboard the International Space Station working to install a new oxygen-generating system, adding soundproofing in the living quarters and unpacking supplies delivered by the space shuttle in December.
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams primarily focused this week on the first phase of installing a new oxygen-generating system. This additional system will be needed as a supplement to the Russian Elektron oxygen generator when the permanent crew aboard the station expands from three to six people. The new system will be activated and tested later this year.
Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin spent several days this week modifying the ventilation system in the service module to run more quietly. He added two new noise-isolation crew cabin fans, sound deadening vibration isolators and air ducts with acoustic shields.
On Friday, Lopez-Alegria and Williams took time out from their tasks to speak with students at the Columbia Explorers Academy. The students asked the astronauts about living in orbit and the goals of their mission.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Holidays, Housework and Hamming It Up
Image above: Christmas decorations in the Zvezda Service Module of
the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
In celebration of the Russian Orthodox Christmas, the Expedition 14 crew had off-duty days Jan. 6 and Jan. 7. On Sunday, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin received a 10-minute VIP call from Patriarch Alexis II of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Despite the days off, the crew conducted its weekly three-hour station cleaning last Saturday. Flight Engineer Suni Williams made the rounds servicing laptops. She first performed the regular bi-monthly reboot of a router and file server and the weekly rebooting of all laptops. Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Williams also continued their weekly food frequency questionnaires.
Sunday morning Williams conducted a ham radio session with participants in the Australian Scout Jamboree 2007 at Elmore, Victoria, Australia. On Monday, she conducted two more sessions - one with the Sherman Elementary School in Henrietta, N. Y. and the other with the Dilworth Elementary School in San Jose, Calif.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Christmas decorations in the Zvezda Service Module of
the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
In celebration of the Russian Orthodox Christmas, the Expedition 14 crew had off-duty days Jan. 6 and Jan. 7. On Sunday, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin received a 10-minute VIP call from Patriarch Alexis II of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Despite the days off, the crew conducted its weekly three-hour station cleaning last Saturday. Flight Engineer Suni Williams made the rounds servicing laptops. She first performed the regular bi-monthly reboot of a router and file server and the weekly rebooting of all laptops. Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Williams also continued their weekly food frequency questionnaires.
Sunday morning Williams conducted a ham radio session with participants in the Australian Scout Jamboree 2007 at Elmore, Victoria, Australia. On Monday, she conducted two more sessions - one with the Sherman Elementary School in Henrietta, N. Y. and the other with the Dilworth Elementary School in San Jose, Calif.
Source: NASA - Space Station
A Busy Day for Expedition 14 Crew
Image above: Mikhail Tyurin (left), Michael Lopez-Alegria and Sunita
Williams conduct a New Year press conference for journalists in the
Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
Tuesday the Expedition 14 crew worked for several hours in the Service Module on a major systems replacement task. They installed a new Russian cycle ergometer, which included assembling it from parts and testing it. The new unit was delivered on the ISS Progress 23 cargo ship.
Afterwards, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin disassembled and removed the docking mechanism in the hatchway between the Progress 22 cargo craft and the docking compartment. The mechanism will be returned to Earth on Space Shuttle Atlantis' mission to the complex in March.
Flight Engineer Sunita Williams moved U.S. hardware delivered by Progress 23, including an Ethernet cable required for the upcoming spacewalks, from the cargo ship to station stowage locations. Other crew duties included routine maintenance and experiments.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Mikhail Tyurin (left), Michael Lopez-Alegria and Sunita
Williams conduct a New Year press conference for journalists in the
Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
Tuesday the Expedition 14 crew worked for several hours in the Service Module on a major systems replacement task. They installed a new Russian cycle ergometer, which included assembling it from parts and testing it. The new unit was delivered on the ISS Progress 23 cargo ship.
Afterwards, Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin disassembled and removed the docking mechanism in the hatchway between the Progress 22 cargo craft and the docking compartment. The mechanism will be returned to Earth on Space Shuttle Atlantis' mission to the complex in March.
Flight Engineer Sunita Williams moved U.S. hardware delivered by Progress 23, including an Ethernet cable required for the upcoming spacewalks, from the cargo ship to station stowage locations. Other crew duties included routine maintenance and experiments.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew Members Speak Live With U.S. Embassies
Image above: Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and
Flight Engineer Sunita Williams participate in a live televised event.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams Wednesday did a televised interactive talk with the U.S. Embassies in Madrid, Spain, and New Delhi, India. Lopez-Alegria, born in Spain, spoke with U.S. Ambassador Eduardo Aquirre, media and school children. Williams, of Indian background, spoke with U.S. Ambassador David C. Mulford and Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space.
Also on Wednesday, Lopez-Alegria and Williams performed a mandatory emergency medical on-board training drill. This is an exercise designed to refresh crew members’ skills in applying advanced cardio life support in an emergency. Lopez-Alegria and Williams performed steps to resolve a simulated medical emergency. The objectives of the exercise include practicing communication and coordination necessary to perform medical emergency procedures, locating appropriate emergency medical components and determining each crew member’s individual method of delivering cardio-pulmonary resuscitation in zero-gravity.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and
Flight Engineer Sunita Williams participate in a live televised event.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams Wednesday did a televised interactive talk with the U.S. Embassies in Madrid, Spain, and New Delhi, India. Lopez-Alegria, born in Spain, spoke with U.S. Ambassador Eduardo Aquirre, media and school children. Williams, of Indian background, spoke with U.S. Ambassador David C. Mulford and Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space.
Also on Wednesday, Lopez-Alegria and Williams performed a mandatory emergency medical on-board training drill. This is an exercise designed to refresh crew members’ skills in applying advanced cardio life support in an emergency. Lopez-Alegria and Williams performed steps to resolve a simulated medical emergency. The objectives of the exercise include practicing communication and coordination necessary to perform medical emergency procedures, locating appropriate emergency medical components and determining each crew member’s individual method of delivering cardio-pulmonary resuscitation in zero-gravity.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Expedition 14 Crew Preps for Progress 24
Image above: Gibraltar Bay in the western Mediterranean Sea, as
photographed by an Expedition 14 crew member.
Photo credit: NASA
Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Suni Williams spent the past week preparing for the arrival of ISS Progress 24. The cargo craft will launch on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan shortly after 9:00 p.m. EST. The docking is planned for Friday, Jan. 19 at approximately 10:00 p.m. The new Russian cargo ship will bring about 2½ tons of food, fuel, oxygen and supplies to the complex, including clothing and spacewalk hardware for the next station crew that will arrive in April.
Packed with discarded items, Progress 22 will undock from the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment Tuesday, Jan. 16 around 6:30 p.m. and its engines will be fired three hours later to send it back into the atmosphere where it will burn up.
In other activities, the crew worked for several hours in the Zvezda Service Module on a major systems replacement task, trained on the Robotics Onboard Trainer and relocated it to a new rack in the Destiny lab. They also repaired and tested a Russian exercise machine.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Gibraltar Bay in the western Mediterranean Sea, as
photographed by an Expedition 14 crew member.
Photo credit: NASA
Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Suni Williams spent the past week preparing for the arrival of ISS Progress 24. The cargo craft will launch on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan shortly after 9:00 p.m. EST. The docking is planned for Friday, Jan. 19 at approximately 10:00 p.m. The new Russian cargo ship will bring about 2½ tons of food, fuel, oxygen and supplies to the complex, including clothing and spacewalk hardware for the next station crew that will arrive in April.
Packed with discarded items, Progress 22 will undock from the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment Tuesday, Jan. 16 around 6:30 p.m. and its engines will be fired three hours later to send it back into the atmosphere where it will burn up.
In other activities, the crew worked for several hours in the Zvezda Service Module on a major systems replacement task, trained on the Robotics Onboard Trainer and relocated it to a new rack in the Destiny lab. They also repaired and tested a Russian exercise machine.
Source: NASA - Space Station
New Progress to Launch to Space Station
A new Progress is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station a little after 9 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 17, with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, oxygen, other supplies and equipment aboard.
The station's 24th Progress unpiloted cargo carrier will bring to the orbiting laboratory more than 1,720 pounds of propellant, about 110 pounds of oxygen, and 3,285 pounds of dry cargo – a total of 5,115 pounds. JSC2007-E-02931 Artist's rendering of the ISS following scheduled activities of Jan. 16, 2007.
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 16,
2007. Progress 22 resupply vehicle undocks from the
Pirs Docking Compartment. Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
P24 will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is scheduled to reach the station after a flight of just over two days. Docking is to be on Friday, Jan. 19 a little after 10 p.m.
The spacecraft will use the automated Kurs system to dock at the Pirs Docking Compartment. Expedition 14 flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin will stand by at the manual Toru docking system controls, should his intervention become necessary.
Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, finished filling P24's sister cargo carrier, ISS Progress 22, with trash and other discards for its Jan. 16 undocking from Pirs and subsequent destruction on re-entry.
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 19,
2007. Progress 24 resupply vehicle docks to the Pirs
Docking Compartment (lower left). Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
After its unloading, P22 was used as a storage area for a while. Many items brought to the station aboard the space shuttle Discovery on STS-121 in July eventually found a temporary home there until crew members could put them in more permanent places.
ISS Progress 23 remains at the aft compartment of the Zvezda Service Module. It is scheduled to undock in April.
The Progress is similar in appearance and some design elements to the Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crew members to the station, serves as a lifeboat while they are there and returns them to Earth. The aft module, the instrumentation and propulsion module, is nearly identical.
But the second of the three Progress sections is a refueling module, and the third, uppermost as the Progress sits on the launch pad, is a cargo module. On the Soyuz, the descent module, where the crew is seated on launch and which returns them to Earth, is the middle module and the third is called the orbital module.
Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions
A new Progress is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station a little after 9 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 17, with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, oxygen, other supplies and equipment aboard.
The station's 24th Progress unpiloted cargo carrier will bring to the orbiting laboratory more than 1,720 pounds of propellant, about 110 pounds of oxygen, and 3,285 pounds of dry cargo – a total of 5,115 pounds. JSC2007-E-02931 Artist's rendering of the ISS following scheduled activities of Jan. 16, 2007.
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 16,
2007. Progress 22 resupply vehicle undocks from the
Pirs Docking Compartment. Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
P24 will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is scheduled to reach the station after a flight of just over two days. Docking is to be on Friday, Jan. 19 a little after 10 p.m.
The spacecraft will use the automated Kurs system to dock at the Pirs Docking Compartment. Expedition 14 flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin will stand by at the manual Toru docking system controls, should his intervention become necessary.
Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, finished filling P24's sister cargo carrier, ISS Progress 22, with trash and other discards for its Jan. 16 undocking from Pirs and subsequent destruction on re-entry.
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 19,
2007. Progress 24 resupply vehicle docks to the Pirs
Docking Compartment (lower left). Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
After its unloading, P22 was used as a storage area for a while. Many items brought to the station aboard the space shuttle Discovery on STS-121 in July eventually found a temporary home there until crew members could put them in more permanent places.
ISS Progress 23 remains at the aft compartment of the Zvezda Service Module. It is scheduled to undock in April.
The Progress is similar in appearance and some design elements to the Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crew members to the station, serves as a lifeboat while they are there and returns them to Earth. The aft module, the instrumentation and propulsion module, is nearly identical.
But the second of the three Progress sections is a refueling module, and the third, uppermost as the Progress sits on the launch pad, is a cargo module. On the Soyuz, the descent module, where the crew is seated on launch and which returns them to Earth, is the middle module and the third is called the orbital module.
Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions
ISS Progress 22 Undocks, New Cargo Craft Awaits Launch
Image above: The ISS Progress 20 cargo craft undocks from the station
on June 19, 2006.
Photo credit: NASA
The ISS Progress 22 cargo craft undocked from the International Space Station Tuesday at 6:29 p.m. EST. The Russian-built cargo carriers, which carry discarded items after leaving the station, enter the Earth's atmosphere three hours later and burn up safely.
The undocking clears the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment for the arrival of the ISS Progress 24 on Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. The new Progress will launch Wednesday, Jan. 17 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:12 p.m. The cargo craft is delivering 2 1/2 tons of propellant, oxygen, spacewalk gear and clothing.
The Progress launch is commemorating the 100th birthday of Sergei Korolev who was born Jan. 12, 1907. Korolev is recognized as the "Great Designer" of Soviet spacecraft. His picture is featured on the payload fairing of the rocket that will launch the Progress into orbit
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: The ISS Progress 20 cargo craft undocks from the station
on June 19, 2006.
Photo credit: NASA
The ISS Progress 22 cargo craft undocked from the International Space Station Tuesday at 6:29 p.m. EST. The Russian-built cargo carriers, which carry discarded items after leaving the station, enter the Earth's atmosphere three hours later and burn up safely.
The undocking clears the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment for the arrival of the ISS Progress 24 on Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. The new Progress will launch Wednesday, Jan. 17 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:12 p.m. The cargo craft is delivering 2 1/2 tons of propellant, oxygen, spacewalk gear and clothing.
The Progress launch is commemorating the 100th birthday of Sergei Korolev who was born Jan. 12, 1907. Korolev is recognized as the "Great Designer" of Soviet spacecraft. His picture is featured on the payload fairing of the rocket that will launch the Progress into orbit
Source: NASA - Space Station
January 16, 2007. Baikonur Cosmodrome.
At 4:00 Moscow time Soyuz launch vehicle was rolled out from the integration building to the launch pad. Soyuz-U launch vehicle with Progress M-59 transport vehicle is installed on the launch pad. L-2 days activities have been started.
Click images for larger version
Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia - Press Release
ISS Progress 22 Undocks, New Cargo Craft Awaits Launch
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
The ISS Progress 22 cargo craft undocked from the International Space Station Tuesday at 6:29 p.m. EST. The Russian-built cargo carriers, which carry discarded items after leaving the station, enter the Earth's atmosphere three hours later and burn up safely.
The undocking clears the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment for the arrival of the ISS Progress 24 on Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. The new Progress will launch Wednesday, Jan. 17 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:12 p.m. The cargo craft is delivering 2 1/2 tons of propellant, oxygen, spacewalk gear and clothing.
The Progress launch is commemorating the 100th birthday of Sergei Korolev who was born Jan. 12, 1907. Korolev is recognized as the "Great Designer" of Soviet spacecraft. His picture is featured on the payload fairing of the rocket that will launch the Progress into orbit.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
The ISS Progress 22 cargo craft undocked from the International Space Station Tuesday at 6:29 p.m. EST. The Russian-built cargo carriers, which carry discarded items after leaving the station, enter the Earth's atmosphere three hours later and burn up safely.
The undocking clears the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment for the arrival of the ISS Progress 24 on Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. The new Progress will launch Wednesday, Jan. 17 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:12 p.m. The cargo craft is delivering 2 1/2 tons of propellant, oxygen, spacewalk gear and clothing.
The Progress launch is commemorating the 100th birthday of Sergei Korolev who was born Jan. 12, 1907. Korolev is recognized as the "Great Designer" of Soviet spacecraft. His picture is featured on the payload fairing of the rocket that will launch the Progress into orbit.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Resupply Ship Heads to Station, Commemorates “Great Designer”
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
A new delivery of propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear is headed for the International Space Station. The ISS Progress 24, a Russian resupply ship, lifted off Wednesday at 9:12 p.m. EST from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The new cargo craft is due to link up with the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment Friday at 10 p.m.
An older cargo craft, the ISS Progress 22, left the station Tuesday at 6:29 p.m. About three hours later the Progress 22, loaded with discarded items from the station, entered Earth’s atmosphere and safely burned up.
The launch of the new resupply ship honors the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Korolev – Russia’s “Great Designer” of Soviet spacecraft. The new Progress bears the portrait of Korolev on the external payload fairing. The spacecraft designer was born on Jan. 12, 1907.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
A new delivery of propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear is headed for the International Space Station. The ISS Progress 24, a Russian resupply ship, lifted off Wednesday at 9:12 p.m. EST from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The new cargo craft is due to link up with the station’s Pirs Docking Compartment Friday at 10 p.m.
An older cargo craft, the ISS Progress 22, left the station Tuesday at 6:29 p.m. About three hours later the Progress 22, loaded with discarded items from the station, entered Earth’s atmosphere and safely burned up.
The launch of the new resupply ship honors the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Korolev – Russia’s “Great Designer” of Soviet spacecraft. The new Progress bears the portrait of Korolev on the external payload fairing. The spacecraft designer was born on Jan. 12, 1907.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Progress Launches to Space Station
A new Progress launched to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:12 p.m. EST Wednesday with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, oxygen, other supplies and equipment aboard.
The station's 24th Progress unpiloted cargo carrier will bring to the orbiting laboratory more than 1,720 pounds of propellant, about 110 pounds of oxygen, and 3,285 pounds of dry cargo – a total of 5,115 pounds
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 16,
2007. Progress 22 resupply vehicle undocks from the
Pirs Docking Compartment. Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
P24 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is scheduled to reach the station after a flight of just over two days. Docking is set for a little after 10 p.m. Friday.
The spacecraft will use the automated Kurs system to dock at the Pirs docking compartment. Expedition 14 flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin will stand by at the manual Toru docking system controls, should his intervention become necessary.
Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, finished filling P24's sister cargo carrier and predecessor, ISS Progress 22, with trash and other discards for its Tuesday undocking from Pirs and subsequent destruction on re-entry
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 19,
2007. Progress 24 resupply vehicle docks to the Pirs
Docking Compartment (lower left). Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
After its unloading P22 was used as a storage area for a while. Many items brought to the station aboard the space shuttle Discovery on STS-121 in July eventually found a temporary home there until crew members could put them in more permanent places.
ISS Progress 23 remains at the aft compartment of the Zvezda Service Module. It is scheduled to undock in April.
The Progress is similar in appearance and some design elements to the Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crew members to the station, serves as a lifeboat while they are there and returns them to Earth. The aft module, the instrumentation and propulsion module, is nearly identical.
But the second of the three Progress sections is a refueling module, and the third, uppermost as the Progress sits on the launch pad, is a cargo module. On the Soyuz, the descent module, where the crew is seated on launch and which returns them to Earth, is the middle module and the third is called the orbital module.
Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions
A new Progress launched to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:12 p.m. EST Wednesday with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, oxygen, other supplies and equipment aboard.
The station's 24th Progress unpiloted cargo carrier will bring to the orbiting laboratory more than 1,720 pounds of propellant, about 110 pounds of oxygen, and 3,285 pounds of dry cargo – a total of 5,115 pounds
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 16,
2007. Progress 22 resupply vehicle undocks from the
Pirs Docking Compartment. Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
P24 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is scheduled to reach the station after a flight of just over two days. Docking is set for a little after 10 p.m. Friday.
The spacecraft will use the automated Kurs system to dock at the Pirs docking compartment. Expedition 14 flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin will stand by at the manual Toru docking system controls, should his intervention become necessary.
Expedition 14 crew members, Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, finished filling P24's sister cargo carrier and predecessor, ISS Progress 22, with trash and other discards for its Tuesday undocking from Pirs and subsequent destruction on re-entry
Image above: Artist's rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of Jan. 19,
2007. Progress 24 resupply vehicle docks to the Pirs
Docking Compartment (lower left). Progress 23 remains
connected to the Zvezda Service Module aft port.
Image credit: NASA.
After its unloading P22 was used as a storage area for a while. Many items brought to the station aboard the space shuttle Discovery on STS-121 in July eventually found a temporary home there until crew members could put them in more permanent places.
ISS Progress 23 remains at the aft compartment of the Zvezda Service Module. It is scheduled to undock in April.
The Progress is similar in appearance and some design elements to the Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crew members to the station, serves as a lifeboat while they are there and returns them to Earth. The aft module, the instrumentation and propulsion module, is nearly identical.
But the second of the three Progress sections is a refueling module, and the third, uppermost as the Progress sits on the launch pad, is a cargo module. On the Soyuz, the descent module, where the crew is seated on launch and which returns them to Earth, is the middle module and the third is called the orbital module.
Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions
January 18, 2007. Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Progress M-59 transport cargo vehicle was launched to the International Space Station from the launch pad #1 of Baikonur launch site at 05:12 am Moscow time.
The launch is aimed at delivering cargo to the ISS, which is required to continue the station manned operation, support crew living and working conditions, and re-supply the engine tanks with propellant.
Source: S.P.Korolev RSC Energia
The Starsem press release is reproduced below:
Success of the 1718th launch of Soyuz
Evry, January 18, 2006
The 1718th flight of a Soyuz launch vehicle was performed Thursday, January 18, 2007 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:12 a.m. Baikonur time (3:12 a.m., in Paris).
Starsem, Arianespace and their Russian partners report that the Progress cargo spacecraft was accurately placed on the target orbit for another mission to the International Space Station.
This was the first Soyuz family mission in 2007. It came after the successful Starsem's launch of the Corot, the astrophysics pioneer mission in the discovery of telluric extrasolar planets, using the next generation evolved Soyuz 2-1b launch vehicle.
With the introduction of the Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center (CSG), this famed Russian launch vehicle becomes an integral part of the European launcher fleet, together with the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and the lightweight Vega. To be offered exclusively by Arianespace to the commercial market, the Soyuz at CSG is Europe's reference medium-class launch vehicle for governmental and commercial missions.
Starsem is the Soyuz Company, bringing together all key players involved in the production, operation and international commercial marketing of the world's most versatile launch vehicle. Shareholders in Starsem are Arianespace, Astrium, the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Samara Space Center.
The Starsem manifest for Soyuz missions currently includes contracted launches for the European Space Agency, MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd and Globalstar LLC.
Source: Starsem Press Release
Success of the 1718th launch of Soyuz
Evry, January 18, 2006
The 1718th flight of a Soyuz launch vehicle was performed Thursday, January 18, 2007 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:12 a.m. Baikonur time (3:12 a.m., in Paris).
Starsem, Arianespace and their Russian partners report that the Progress cargo spacecraft was accurately placed on the target orbit for another mission to the International Space Station.
This was the first Soyuz family mission in 2007. It came after the successful Starsem's launch of the Corot, the astrophysics pioneer mission in the discovery of telluric extrasolar planets, using the next generation evolved Soyuz 2-1b launch vehicle.
With the introduction of the Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center (CSG), this famed Russian launch vehicle becomes an integral part of the European launcher fleet, together with the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and the lightweight Vega. To be offered exclusively by Arianespace to the commercial market, the Soyuz at CSG is Europe's reference medium-class launch vehicle for governmental and commercial missions.
Starsem is the Soyuz Company, bringing together all key players involved in the production, operation and international commercial marketing of the world's most versatile launch vehicle. Shareholders in Starsem are Arianespace, Astrium, the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Samara Space Center.
The Starsem manifest for Soyuz missions currently includes contracted launches for the European Space Agency, MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd and Globalstar LLC.
Source: Starsem Press Release
"You see all of Europe in one glance" - Thomas Reiter reports on his ISS mission
German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter floats on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Discovery. This was among the first group of digital still images showing the crewmembers onboard during their first full day in space after launching from Cape Canaveral on 4 July 2006.
Credits: NASA
18 January 2007
The ISS, symbol of international cooperation, became a bit more international with ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter's long-duration mission. Today, Reiter met the press for the first time since returning from the International Space Station, at ESA's European Astronaut Centre (EAC), in Cologne, Germany.
In front of some 80 extremely attentive media members, Reiter presented a 45-minute report on the successful scientific results of his Astrolab Mission, as well as on his experiences of daily work and life on board the ISS. His mission ended on 22 December 2006.
The ESA astronaut began his journey on 4 July 2006 on board the US Space Shuttle Discovery. Two days later, he formally joined the Expedition 13 crew on the ISS as Flight Engineer. This marked the first time since the tragic February 2003 Columbia accident, and subsequent suspension of Shuttle flights, that a full, three-member crew was on board the ISS.
"It was an uplifting moment when the mission finally started. The launch, one of the high points after many months of preparation and training, marks a tremendous transition, since you reach orbit and start to experience weightlessness just nine minutes later," said Reiter.
Following the two-day journey to the ISS on board the crowded Shuttle, Reiter said the Space Station - with its 60-metre long axis - was "positively roomy."
Living and working on the ISS
Space Shuttle Discovery lands on Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at the end of the STS-116 mission to the International Space Station. Amongst the crew are ESA astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Thomas Reiter.
Credits: ESA - S.Corvaja
Working in both the US and Russian sections of the Station, Reiter carried out a wide range of daily maintenance and operations tasks. He also managed a full slate of 19 experiments on behalf of a number of European institutions and research centres, focussing on areas such as human physiology and psychology, microbiology, plasma physics and radiation dosimetry as well as technology demonstrations.
In addition, the tightly organised science programme included experiments for industry and educational purposes, both for universities and primary and secondary schools.
Reiter was particularly pleased with the widespread enthusiasm shown by pupils who took part in actual experiments, as this is likely to help inspire their curiosity and inspire them towards future studies; he said human curiosity is one of the prime motivations for space exploration.
Apart from eating, sleeping and the intensive scientific programme, daily work life included physical exercise for two hours per day, plus regular, ongoing station maintenance.
ESA's ATV to Supply Station starting in mid-2007
ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, after returning from a 6-month stay on the International Space Station, relaxes in the crew quarters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Reiter returned to Earth with the STS-116 crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery. Landing took place on Runway 15 at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility as the sun set on the shortest day of the year.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Furthermore, crew must unload and transfer supplies from the Russian Progress unmanned supply vehicles that arrive every three to four months.
With a two-tonne capacity, the Progress flights also deliver water, food, clothing, and technical and medical supplies, as well as letters and gifts from home. Beginning from mid-2007, ESA's new Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), known as Jules Verne, will boost the resupply capacity to 7.5 tonnes.
As part of his mission, he also helped deliver and install important ESA-developed equipment, including the MELFI (Minus 80C Laboratory Freezer for the ISS) experiment and the EMCS (European Modular Cultivation System).
A unique perspective
Despite having completed a previous long-duration mission, Euromir 95, Reiter - an experienced astronaut - reported being still enthralled by the view of the Earth from space, as well as seeing the sunrise and sunset multiple times per day. "We can see parts of continents and are amazed by the variety of colours and forms created by the combination of land, sea and clouds. It's something that leaves you breathless."
One of the high points of his almost six months in space was an EVA (extravehicular activity), carried out on 3 August 2006 together with US astronaut Jeffery Williams. The EVA lasted for 5 hours 54 minutes, and was completed ahead of schedule. The astronauts installed hardware on the ISS exterior to support future assembly work as well as a number of instruments and experiments that must be mounted externally.
ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, Expedition 13 Flight Engineer 2, is seen with the reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) sample case which was one of the final major planned tasks for a 5-hour, 54-minute spacewalk that he shared with astronaut Jeff Williams (out of frame), Flight Engineer and NASA ISS Science Officer.
Credits: NASA
"Working outside the Station means clambering around the exterior at an altitude of 400 kilometres and a speed of 27 000 kilometres per hour - this is an amazing and indescribable feeling," reports Reiter.
Even if the space suits are technically sophisticated, Reiter said that each movement was difficult in weightlessness, making space walking like playing sports. That Reiter and his colleague Williams could finish the EVA ahead of schedule and so complete several additional tasks speaks well of European astronauts' physical conditioning and preparation.
Further, on the morning of 4 August 2006, just over 30 days after arriving at the ISS, Reiter broke the previous European space duration record of 209 days, 12 hours, 25 minutes and 11 seconds in space, which was held by his ESA colleague Jean-Pierre Haigneré.
To the question: Can one really feel at home on board the ISS? Reiter said, "Yes, my parting from my two fellow crew colleagues was rather difficult, so we did in fact feel quite at home. There are good days and bad days, and we went through them together."
Back to Earth
ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter uses experiment equipment inside the US Destiny laboratory. Reiter has been a member of the Station's Expedition crew since his arrival with Space Shuttle mission STS-121 in July 2006.
Credits: NASA
On 22 December 2006, Reiter returned to Earth together with ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang, from Sweden, who had travelled into orbit on 10 December on board the Shuttle Discovery to undertake the Celsius Mission, aimed at helping extend and enlarge the ISS. Overall, Reiter spent 171 days in space, a new European record.
After a three-day return trip, Reiter said that he felt "relatively good" upon landing at Cape Canaveral, Florida, adding that the Shuttle provided a much more comfortable landing than the Soyuz capsule did on his last return.
"I wouldn't say 'No' if asked to go again," said Reiter with a smile when asked if he would like to return to space.
Michel Tognini, Head of the European Astronaut Centre, and an astronaut himself, stated that Reiter is now the European astronaut with the most experience.
As Chairman of the ESA Council and CEO of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Professor Dr Sigmar Wittig underlined the strong cooperation of all partners involved in Reiter's Astrolab Mission, which is enabling Europe to play a fundamental role in the completion and operation of the ISS. For Germany, one of the key contributions has been the establishment and operation of the Columbus Control Centre, located at DLR's Oberpfaffenhofen facility.
Europe on the ISS to stay
A view of the International Space Station following the STS-116 Shuttle mission during which the P5 truss section was added, the Station's electrical supply was rewired and the P6 solar array was retracted. This image was taken shortly after Space Shuttle Discovery undocked at 23:10 CET (22:10 UT) on 19 December 2006.
Credits: NASA
Astrolab and Celsius were the first in a series of ESA missions to the International Space Station, as Europe fulfils its duty as a fully-fledged ISS partner, contributing to maintenance and assembly tasks, with European modules set to be delivered.
In 2007, ESA plans to fly at least two more astronauts to the Station on assembly missions. It is also negotiating a flight opportunity for a third with a view to a second European astronaut being assigned a permanent crew member slot.
Already-approved contributions include the flights of Paolo Nespoli, of Italy, on the STS-120 mission to deliver the Node 2 module during the summer and Hans Schlegel, of Germany, on STS-122 to accompany ESA’s Columbus laboratory in the autumn. The long-duration flight of Leopold Eyharts, of France, is under discussion with NASA.
Source: ESA - News
Progress 24 Nears Station, Ready for Docking Tonight
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
After launching Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan the ISS Progress 24 is approaching the International Space Station. At 10 p.m. EST the new cargo carrier will link up with the station’s Pirs docking compartment.
The Russian resupply ship is loaded with propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear replenishing supplies for Expedition 14 and the upcoming Expedition 15 mission.
An older cargo craft, the ISS Progress 22, left the station with discarded items Tuesday evening. About three hours later the Progress 22 entered Earth’s atmosphere and safely burned up.
Wednesday’s launch of the new resupply ship honored the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Korolev – Russia’s “Great Designer” of Soviet spacecraft. The spacecraft designer was born on Jan. 12, 1907.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
After launching Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan the ISS Progress 24 is approaching the International Space Station. At 10 p.m. EST the new cargo carrier will link up with the station’s Pirs docking compartment.
The Russian resupply ship is loaded with propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear replenishing supplies for Expedition 14 and the upcoming Expedition 15 mission.
An older cargo craft, the ISS Progress 22, left the station with discarded items Tuesday evening. About three hours later the Progress 22 entered Earth’s atmosphere and safely burned up.
Wednesday’s launch of the new resupply ship honored the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Korolev – Russia’s “Great Designer” of Soviet spacecraft. The spacecraft designer was born on Jan. 12, 1907.
Source: NASA - Space Station
New Resupply Ship Arrives at Station
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
A Russian resupply ship loaded with propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear arrived at the International Space Station Friday at 9:59 p.m. EST. The ISS Progress 24 docked to the station’s Pirs docking compartment. The Progress is carrying supplies for Expedition 14 and the upcoming Expedition 15 mission.
Two days earlier on Wednesday Jan, 17 the cargo spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan achieving Earth orbit about 10 minutes later. A series of pre-programmed engine firings fine tuned the Progress’ arrival at the station which finally led to its automated docking.
Pirs was home to the ISS Progress 22 which undocked Tuesday, Jan. 16 making way for the newly docked Progress 24. After undocking, the Progress 22 -- loaded with trash and other discarded items -- entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up safely.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: The ISS Progress 24 cargo craft rolls out to the launch pad.
Photo credit: NASA
A Russian resupply ship loaded with propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear arrived at the International Space Station Friday at 9:59 p.m. EST. The ISS Progress 24 docked to the station’s Pirs docking compartment. The Progress is carrying supplies for Expedition 14 and the upcoming Expedition 15 mission.
Two days earlier on Wednesday Jan, 17 the cargo spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan achieving Earth orbit about 10 minutes later. A series of pre-programmed engine firings fine tuned the Progress’ arrival at the station which finally led to its automated docking.
Pirs was home to the ISS Progress 22 which undocked Tuesday, Jan. 16 making way for the newly docked Progress 24. After undocking, the Progress 22 -- loaded with trash and other discarded items -- entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up safely.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Significant milestone for Columbus flight readiness
An artist's impression of Columbus - cutaway view - the European laboratory on the
International Space Station.
Credits: ESA / D.Ducros
22 January 2006
In December 2006, experts from ESA and partner organisations met to review Columbus launch preparations. The successful review was a significant milestone for the launch of the Agency's science module, planned for later this year.
The review meeting, known formally as the Flight Operations Readiness Review, included experts from ESA, NASA, the German Aerospace Agency (DLR), the Japanese space agency (JAXA) and industry, and concluded that ESA and its partners are on track for the launch of the Columbus scientific laboratory.
Columbus is Europe's cornerstone contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), and is scheduled for launch on shuttle mission STS-122 in October/November 2007.
The Flight Operations Readiness Review was held 4-5 December 2006 at the Columbus Control Centre at Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, to review the state of preparation of the mission teams and ground infrastructure; it is a formal step required by NASA to check the state of readiness of its international partners in joint missions.
Ground facilities established for Columbus were recently used during the 171-day Astrolab mission, completed by ESA Astronaut Thomas Reiter, of Germany, in December.
Europe's ground preparations on track
The review showed that ESA and partner preparations are on track and that the engineering, infrastructure and training tasks remaining to be done can be completed as planned prior to launch.
On 4-5 December 2006, specialists from ESA, NASA, industry and the German Aerospace
Center (DLR) met at DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, for the Columbus Flight Operations
Readiness Review (FORR).
Credits: ESA
The two-day review was a thorough and comprehensive review of readiness and looked at all areas related to the launch and start of operations for Columbus. The Columbus Control Centre is operated by DLR under contract from ESA.
Review topics included NASA Shuttle flight planning status, payload operations, Columbus generic flight rules, shared documentation, Columbus Control Centre status, ground controller training and certification, flight crew training and the status of the USOCs, Europe's User Support and Operation Centres. These are located at the institutes and universities that will receive and analyse data returned from experiments onboard Columbus.
Columbus Control Centre ready to control
ESA's readiness to support the Columbus delivery mission 24 hours per day via the Columbus Control Centre was one of the key points examined during the review.
Columbus Control Centre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Under the call sign 'Munich',
the Columbus Control Centre will, from 2007, be responsible for systems on board the
orbiting Columbus laboratory and for European science activities on board the ISS. The
centre is already building operational expertise during ESA's Astrolab Mission.
Credits: DLR
Bob Chesson, Head of ESA's Human Spaceflight and Exploration Operations department and a review participant, said that formal qualification and acceptance of the Columbus Control Centre are complete, confirming that the ground infrastructure is in good shape.
"We have completed a full programme of system validation tests with the Columbus module demonstrating that the mission control systems can talk to the spacecraft; at this time we have not identified any issues that could change this encouraging status," he added.
Chesson also said that, as a result of this review, "We have shown that the operations facilities and teams are on schedule to achieve operational readiness in time for launch."
His colleague, Roland Luettgens, Operations Manager for Columbus, added that the Columbus flight control team is currently undergoing their certification for the Columbus flight. "They are a highly motivated team of engineers and experts who will conduct the 13-day mission together with their counterparts at NASA."
ESA astronauts ready for demanding Columbus delivery mission
German ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel
ESA astronauts Hans Schlegel, from Germany, and Leopold Eyharts, from France, are two of the key participants in the Columbus delivery mission, coded as "ISS Assembly Flight 1E."
ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel will be trained on all aspects of the 1E mission, and will serve as an EVA (spacewalk) crew member, while Leopold Eyharts will receive all of the Columbus training in anticipation of a possible assignment.
Columbus activity ramps up
Having arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, the United States, the
container containing Columbus laboratory is removed from the Beluga aircraft.
The Columbus laboratory is ESA's biggest contribution to the International Space Station.
This laboratory will provide internal payload accommodation for various scientific
experiments. The Columbus laboratory will be flown on a Space Shuttle to the ISS in the
second half of 2007.
Credits: ESA
In upcoming months, activity related to the launch of Columbus will intensify.
The module itself has already been shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, arriving in Florida on 30 May 2006 via an Airbus A300-600 'Beluga' heavy lift aircraft.
In March and April 2007, ESA and NASA technicians aided by contractor personnel will begin removing Columbus from temporary storage.
ESA's single biggest ISS contribution
The Columbus laboratory is ESA's biggest single contribution to the International Space Station. The 4.5-metre diameter cylindrical module is equipped with flexible research facilities that offer extensive science capabilities.
During its 10-year projected life span, Earth-based researchers - with expert assistance from the ISS crew - will be able to conduct thousands of experiments in life sciences, materials science, fluid physics and a host of other disciplines, all in the weightlessness of orbit.
Source: ESA - News
Expedition 14 Talks to Martha Stewart
Image above: Expedition 14 crew chats with Martha Stewart.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Martha Stewart, homemaking expert and popular television personality, chatted with the crew of Expedition 14 Monday morning. The event started at 11:40 a.m. EST and was shown on NASA TV.
Stewart asked the Expedition crew members about their experiments on station, the view of Earth from their vantage point, and life in their orbital home away from home.
Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams showed off her green thumb with a sample of bean sprouts she had been growing as part of a horticulture experiment for long-term living in space. Pickles and shrimp cocktail were the crew member’s top choices when asked of their favorite foods in space.
After giving a glimpse of their personalized sleeping areas, Williams and Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria told Stewart they were open to any home decorating or cooking tips for their home in space.
“You are helping us learn so much about space travel,” Stewart said. “Just seeing you enjoying yourselves while you’re doing such fantastic research is really wonderful.”
A Russian resupply ship loaded with propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear arrived at the International Space Station Friday at 9:59 p.m. EST. The ISS Progress 24 docked to the station’s Pirs docking compartment. The Progress is carrying supplies for Expedition 14 and the upcoming Expedition 15 mission.
Two days earlier on Wednesday Jan. 17 the cargo spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan achieving Earth orbit about 10 minutes later. A series of pre-programmed engine firings fine tuned the Progress’ arrival at the station which finally led to its automated docking.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Expedition 14 crew chats with Martha Stewart.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Martha Stewart, homemaking expert and popular television personality, chatted with the crew of Expedition 14 Monday morning. The event started at 11:40 a.m. EST and was shown on NASA TV.
Stewart asked the Expedition crew members about their experiments on station, the view of Earth from their vantage point, and life in their orbital home away from home.
Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams showed off her green thumb with a sample of bean sprouts she had been growing as part of a horticulture experiment for long-term living in space. Pickles and shrimp cocktail were the crew member’s top choices when asked of their favorite foods in space.
After giving a glimpse of their personalized sleeping areas, Williams and Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria told Stewart they were open to any home decorating or cooking tips for their home in space.
“You are helping us learn so much about space travel,” Stewart said. “Just seeing you enjoying yourselves while you’re doing such fantastic research is really wonderful.”
A Russian resupply ship loaded with propellant, oxygen, experiment hardware and other gear arrived at the International Space Station Friday at 9:59 p.m. EST. The ISS Progress 24 docked to the station’s Pirs docking compartment. The Progress is carrying supplies for Expedition 14 and the upcoming Expedition 15 mission.
Two days earlier on Wednesday Jan. 17 the cargo spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan achieving Earth orbit about 10 minutes later. A series of pre-programmed engine firings fine tuned the Progress’ arrival at the station which finally led to its automated docking.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew Preps for Spacewalk
Image above: New Orleans, Louisiana is featured in this image photographed
by an Expedition 14 crew member on the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members are accelerating their preparations for three U.S. spacewalks with the first starting next week. They readied safety items and reviewed safety procedures such as aiding a crewmate incapacitated by decompression sickness. Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams also reviewed updated spacewalk timelines and tagged up with ground specialists to address certain questions.
Williams also set aside some time to conduct a ham radio session with students at the École élémentaire publique Le Prélude in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: New Orleans, Louisiana is featured in this image photographed
by an Expedition 14 crew member on the International Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members are accelerating their preparations for three U.S. spacewalks with the first starting next week. They readied safety items and reviewed safety procedures such as aiding a crewmate incapacitated by decompression sickness. Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams also reviewed updated spacewalk timelines and tagged up with ground specialists to address certain questions.
Williams also set aside some time to conduct a ham radio session with students at the École élémentaire publique Le Prélude in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Source: NASA - Space Station
Crew Unloads Supplies, Preps for Spacewalk
Image above: Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin holds camera
equipment as he floats in the Zvezda Service Module of the International
Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members began the week unloading more than 2.5 tons of supplies that were delivered to the station by the ISS Progress 24 cargo craft. Supplies included food, gifts from home, clothing, spare parts, oxygen and water.
The crew members also started preparations for the upcoming spacewalks, with the first spacewalk scheduled for January 31. They readied the spacesuits to be worn by Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams. Lopez-Alegria and Williams also used computer-based training to refresh their skills with the Simplified Aid For Extravehicular Activity Rescue (SAFER) jetpack. The SAFER backpack allows spacewalkers to fly themselves back to the station in the event they become untethered and separated from the complex.
The crew took time out from their work on Monday to speak with television host Martha Stewart. They also took time to field questions from schools in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and another in Winnebago, Neb. by amateur radio.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin holds camera
equipment as he floats in the Zvezda Service Module of the International
Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The Expedition 14 crew members began the week unloading more than 2.5 tons of supplies that were delivered to the station by the ISS Progress 24 cargo craft. Supplies included food, gifts from home, clothing, spare parts, oxygen and water.
The crew members also started preparations for the upcoming spacewalks, with the first spacewalk scheduled for January 31. They readied the spacesuits to be worn by Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams. Lopez-Alegria and Williams also used computer-based training to refresh their skills with the Simplified Aid For Extravehicular Activity Rescue (SAFER) jetpack. The SAFER backpack allows spacewalkers to fly themselves back to the station in the event they become untethered and separated from the complex.
The crew took time out from their work on Monday to speak with television host Martha Stewart. They also took time to field questions from schools in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and another in Winnebago, Neb. by amateur radio.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Space Station Astronauts "Swear In" Navy Sailors
Image above: Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria with Flight Engineer Suni
Williams addresses the sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for
a special re-enlistment ceremony.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, assisted by Flight Engineer Suni Williams, swore in 16 sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during a special live link-up from the space station on Monday. Lopez-Alegria and Williams, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates, conducted the long-distance re-enlistment ceremony as the station orbited 220 miles above the Earth.
Meanwhile, the Expedition 14 crew continued preparations for the first of three spacewalks beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST. On Monday, the crew completed checking out the spacesuits and associated tools and conducted a review of spacewalk procedures with specialists in Mission Control, Houston.
The focus of the first two spacewalks is continuing the transition from temporary station power and cooling systems to permanent ones, a process begun during Space Shuttle Discovery’s STS-116 mission in December.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria with Flight Engineer Suni
Williams addresses the sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for
a special re-enlistment ceremony.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, assisted by Flight Engineer Suni Williams, swore in 16 sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during a special live link-up from the space station on Monday. Lopez-Alegria and Williams, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates, conducted the long-distance re-enlistment ceremony as the station orbited 220 miles above the Earth.
Meanwhile, the Expedition 14 crew continued preparations for the first of three spacewalks beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST. On Monday, the crew completed checking out the spacesuits and associated tools and conducted a review of spacewalk procedures with specialists in Mission Control, Houston.
The focus of the first two spacewalks is continuing the transition from temporary station power and cooling systems to permanent ones, a process begun during Space Shuttle Discovery’s STS-116 mission in December.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Three Back-to-Back Spacewalks Coming Up on Station
The first of three spacewalks in nine days by International Space Station Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST.
The three spacewalks, from the Quest airlock in U.S. spacesuits, and a Russian spacewalk scheduled for Feb. 22 will be the most ever done by station crew members during an increment, said Mike Suffredini, station program manager.
They also will bring to 10 the total number of spacewalks by Lopez-Alegria, an astronaut record. Williams will have a total of four, a women’s record.
Doing the spacewalks close together can save considerable crew time. Preparation of the airlock and the suits for a spacewalk normally requires about 100 crew-member-hours.
Image above: Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin works
with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit in the Quest Airlock
of the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA.
By doing the spacewalks close together, some of the preparations will not have to be repeated for the second and third spacewalks. Program officials believe four days between spacewalks should provide adequate crew rest. The four-day gap could be increased to provide additional rest, or to deal with any issues that arise.
"In the future," said Kirk Shireman, ISS deputy program manager, "we will try to group EVAs together when we have to do more than one U.S. stage EVA."
Derek Hassmann, spacewalk flight director, noted that there have been five “stage” spacewalks, those without a shuttle present, over the past four years. These three, designated EVAs 6, 7, and 8, will be done in nine days. EVA 7 is set for Feb. 4, EVA 8 for Feb. 8.
Chris Looper, a space station trainer working from the station flight control room in Houston’s Mission Control Center, will serve as ground intravehicular officer (ground IV). He will work with the spacewalkers, offering advice and guidance to help them through their tasks. Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin will help with pre-and post-spacewalk activities.
The focus of the first two spacewalks is continuing the transition from temporary station power and cooling systems to permanent ones, a process begun during Discovery’s STS-116 mission in December.
Since that flight four cooling loops have been active on the U.S. segment, two in the temporary system which continued to cool the U.S. laboratory Destiny and two in the permanent system.
Because of an ammonia leak during the installation of Destiny during STS-98 in February 2001, new crew and ground responses have been developed should a similar leak occur during these spacewalks.
EVA 6
Lopez-Alegria, the lead spacewalker wearing the suit with red stripes, and Williams, in the all-white suit, begin the tasks of the first spacewalk by reconfiguring one of the two cooling loops serving Destiny from the temporary to the permanent system.
Working at the “rats’ nest,” an area near the base of the Z1 Truss with numerous fluid and electrical connections, Lopez-Alegria will reconfigure the fluid loop connections, moving two of the fluid lines from the early system from the lab and connecting them back up to the Z1 panel. That will help enable reactivation of the early cooling system if it should be required. He also will connect a cable for the Space Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS).
It will allow power from the station’s solar arrays to be transferred to the docked space shuttle, beginning with STS-118 in June.
Williams will reconfigure electrical connections. Those jobs are expected to take about 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Next the spacewalkers will stand by as the ground retracts the starboard radiator of the P6 Truss. After retraction they will install six cable cinches and two winch bars to secure it and then install a shroud over it. Those tasks should take about 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Lopez-Alegria and Williams then move to the Early Ammonia Servicer on P6. It provided a contingency supply of ammonia for the Early Ammonia System. With the permanent cooling system working, it is no longer needed.
The spacewalkers will remove two fluid lines from the servicer, which will be jettisoned this summer.
Get-ahead tasks, if time is available, include photographing the unretracted P6 starboard solar wing and installing the Node Local Area Network cable. The cable will help provide the capability to command Russian segment systems from the U.S. segment.
EVA 7
The first parts of the Feb. 4 spacewalk are similar to the previous one. Lopez-Alegria and Williams begin the tasks of the second spacewalk by reconfiguring the second of the two cooling loops serving Destiny from the temporary to the permanent system.
At the rats’ nest, Lopez-Alegria will reconfigure the fluid loop connections, moving the second pair of the fluid lines of the early system from the lab and connecting them back up to the Z1 panel. That will help enable reactivation of the early cooling system if it should be required.
Williams will reconfigure electrical connections. The job, like the similar activity on the first spacewalk, is expected to take about 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Next they will watch as the ground retracts the aft radiator of the P6. After retraction they will install another set of six cable cinches and two winch bars to secure the radiator and then install the shroud. Again, those tasks should take about 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Lopez-Alegria will then move to the end of PMA-1 to remove a sunshade from the Node Multiplexer-Demultiplexer (MDM), a data relay system. The area was in the sun during the time the station flew in a previous orientation. Now, with the station's orientation putting the lab in the direction of travel and its 18-inch window always facing the Earth, the sunshade is being removed to keep the MDM from getting too cold.
Lopez-Alegria will remove a single bolt to free the sunshade, then move with it a short distance on the PMA-1 and jettison it aft and a little to starboard.
Meanwhile, Williams will bring tools and cables to the forward end of the lab, where Lopez-Alegria will join her. Together they will finish routing and installation of the SSPTS cables.
Get-ahead tasks include photographing a connector on the end of PMA-2. Shuttle-station audio communication difficulties have been reported during recent shuttle missions. Engineers believe the connector might be affected by debris or corrosion.
EVA 8
On Feb. 8 Lopez-Alegria and Williams will move from the airlock out to Crew Equipment Transfer Aid carts on the rails of the main truss. Pushing the cart with their equipment, including a foot restraint, they move to the P3 Truss. Their first job is to remove two large thermal shrouds on a Rotary Joint Motor Controller (RJMC), from Bays 18 and 20. Each spacewalker does one.
The shrouds, larger than king-size bed sheets, provide thermal shading. With the station in the LVLH attitude, they are no longer needed. They are being removed to avoid trapping heat.
Spacewalkers will work together to fold each into a package a bit smaller than an outdoor garbage can and jettison them, aft and slightly downward.
The 2-hour, 40-minute shroud task will be followed by deployment of two Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Assembly Attachment Systems (UCCAS), one on the upper face of the P3 truss and the other on the lower face. The hour-long job is in preparation for attachment of a cargo carrier during a subsequent shuttle mission.
While Lopez-Alegria works on the second UCCAS, Williams will move out to the end of the P5 truss to remove two launch locks to prepare for the relocation of the P6 Truss.
Get-ahead tasks include removing a final camera stanchion from External Stowage Platform 3 and moving an auxiliary bag containing contingency items – among them tie-down tethers, cabling and connector caps. The bag will be placed near the airlock before the P6 is moved to the end of the port truss.
Russian Spacewalk
On Feb. 22, Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are scheduled to do a spacewalk in Russian Orlan suits from the Pirs airlock. They will work on an antenna of the Progress 23 unpiloted cargo carrier, docked at the aft port of the Zvezda service module.
The antenna did not properly retract when that spacecraft docked in October. The spacewalkers will try to secure or remove the antenna to avoid its interfering with the undocking of P23 in April.
Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions
The first of three spacewalks in nine days by International Space Station Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST.
The three spacewalks, from the Quest airlock in U.S. spacesuits, and a Russian spacewalk scheduled for Feb. 22 will be the most ever done by station crew members during an increment, said Mike Suffredini, station program manager.
They also will bring to 10 the total number of spacewalks by Lopez-Alegria, an astronaut record. Williams will have a total of four, a women’s record.
Doing the spacewalks close together can save considerable crew time. Preparation of the airlock and the suits for a spacewalk normally requires about 100 crew-member-hours.
Image above: Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin works
with an Extravehicular Mobility Unit spacesuit in the Quest Airlock
of the International Space Station.
Image credit: NASA.
By doing the spacewalks close together, some of the preparations will not have to be repeated for the second and third spacewalks. Program officials believe four days between spacewalks should provide adequate crew rest. The four-day gap could be increased to provide additional rest, or to deal with any issues that arise.
"In the future," said Kirk Shireman, ISS deputy program manager, "we will try to group EVAs together when we have to do more than one U.S. stage EVA."
Derek Hassmann, spacewalk flight director, noted that there have been five “stage” spacewalks, those without a shuttle present, over the past four years. These three, designated EVAs 6, 7, and 8, will be done in nine days. EVA 7 is set for Feb. 4, EVA 8 for Feb. 8.
Chris Looper, a space station trainer working from the station flight control room in Houston’s Mission Control Center, will serve as ground intravehicular officer (ground IV). He will work with the spacewalkers, offering advice and guidance to help them through their tasks. Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin will help with pre-and post-spacewalk activities.
The focus of the first two spacewalks is continuing the transition from temporary station power and cooling systems to permanent ones, a process begun during Discovery’s STS-116 mission in December.
Since that flight four cooling loops have been active on the U.S. segment, two in the temporary system which continued to cool the U.S. laboratory Destiny and two in the permanent system.
Because of an ammonia leak during the installation of Destiny during STS-98 in February 2001, new crew and ground responses have been developed should a similar leak occur during these spacewalks.
EVA 6
Lopez-Alegria, the lead spacewalker wearing the suit with red stripes, and Williams, in the all-white suit, begin the tasks of the first spacewalk by reconfiguring one of the two cooling loops serving Destiny from the temporary to the permanent system.
Working at the “rats’ nest,” an area near the base of the Z1 Truss with numerous fluid and electrical connections, Lopez-Alegria will reconfigure the fluid loop connections, moving two of the fluid lines from the early system from the lab and connecting them back up to the Z1 panel. That will help enable reactivation of the early cooling system if it should be required. He also will connect a cable for the Space Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS).
It will allow power from the station’s solar arrays to be transferred to the docked space shuttle, beginning with STS-118 in June.
Williams will reconfigure electrical connections. Those jobs are expected to take about 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Next the spacewalkers will stand by as the ground retracts the starboard radiator of the P6 Truss. After retraction they will install six cable cinches and two winch bars to secure it and then install a shroud over it. Those tasks should take about 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Lopez-Alegria and Williams then move to the Early Ammonia Servicer on P6. It provided a contingency supply of ammonia for the Early Ammonia System. With the permanent cooling system working, it is no longer needed.
The spacewalkers will remove two fluid lines from the servicer, which will be jettisoned this summer.
Get-ahead tasks, if time is available, include photographing the unretracted P6 starboard solar wing and installing the Node Local Area Network cable. The cable will help provide the capability to command Russian segment systems from the U.S. segment.
EVA 7
The first parts of the Feb. 4 spacewalk are similar to the previous one. Lopez-Alegria and Williams begin the tasks of the second spacewalk by reconfiguring the second of the two cooling loops serving Destiny from the temporary to the permanent system.
At the rats’ nest, Lopez-Alegria will reconfigure the fluid loop connections, moving the second pair of the fluid lines of the early system from the lab and connecting them back up to the Z1 panel. That will help enable reactivation of the early cooling system if it should be required.
Williams will reconfigure electrical connections. The job, like the similar activity on the first spacewalk, is expected to take about 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Next they will watch as the ground retracts the aft radiator of the P6. After retraction they will install another set of six cable cinches and two winch bars to secure the radiator and then install the shroud. Again, those tasks should take about 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Lopez-Alegria will then move to the end of PMA-1 to remove a sunshade from the Node Multiplexer-Demultiplexer (MDM), a data relay system. The area was in the sun during the time the station flew in a previous orientation. Now, with the station's orientation putting the lab in the direction of travel and its 18-inch window always facing the Earth, the sunshade is being removed to keep the MDM from getting too cold.
Lopez-Alegria will remove a single bolt to free the sunshade, then move with it a short distance on the PMA-1 and jettison it aft and a little to starboard.
Meanwhile, Williams will bring tools and cables to the forward end of the lab, where Lopez-Alegria will join her. Together they will finish routing and installation of the SSPTS cables.
Get-ahead tasks include photographing a connector on the end of PMA-2. Shuttle-station audio communication difficulties have been reported during recent shuttle missions. Engineers believe the connector might be affected by debris or corrosion.
EVA 8
On Feb. 8 Lopez-Alegria and Williams will move from the airlock out to Crew Equipment Transfer Aid carts on the rails of the main truss. Pushing the cart with their equipment, including a foot restraint, they move to the P3 Truss. Their first job is to remove two large thermal shrouds on a Rotary Joint Motor Controller (RJMC), from Bays 18 and 20. Each spacewalker does one.
The shrouds, larger than king-size bed sheets, provide thermal shading. With the station in the LVLH attitude, they are no longer needed. They are being removed to avoid trapping heat.
Spacewalkers will work together to fold each into a package a bit smaller than an outdoor garbage can and jettison them, aft and slightly downward.
The 2-hour, 40-minute shroud task will be followed by deployment of two Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Assembly Attachment Systems (UCCAS), one on the upper face of the P3 truss and the other on the lower face. The hour-long job is in preparation for attachment of a cargo carrier during a subsequent shuttle mission.
While Lopez-Alegria works on the second UCCAS, Williams will move out to the end of the P5 truss to remove two launch locks to prepare for the relocation of the P6 Truss.
Get-ahead tasks include removing a final camera stanchion from External Stowage Platform 3 and moving an auxiliary bag containing contingency items – among them tie-down tethers, cabling and connector caps. The bag will be placed near the airlock before the P6 is moved to the end of the port truss.
Russian Spacewalk
On Feb. 22, Lopez-Alegria and Tyurin are scheduled to do a spacewalk in Russian Orlan suits from the Pirs airlock. They will work on an antenna of the Progress 23 unpiloted cargo carrier, docked at the aft port of the Zvezda service module.
The antenna did not properly retract when that spacecraft docked in October. The spacewalkers will try to secure or remove the antenna to avoid its interfering with the undocking of P23 in April.
Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions
Station Crew Preps for Wednesday's Spacewalk
Image above: Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria holds
a pistol grip tool as he floats in the Destiny laboratory of the International
Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The first of three spacewalks in nine days by Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST. Tasks scheduled for the first six-hour, 30-minute excursion include reconfiguring one of two cooling loops for the Destiny module, rearranging electrical connections and securing and covering the starboard radiator of the P6 truss after retraction.
Lopez-Alegria and Williams completed preparations for the spacewalk on Tuesday, checking out the tools they will use during the spacewalk and conducting a final review of procedures with specialists in Mission Control, Houston.
The pair are "camping out" in the Quest airlock overnight to minimize preparation time Wednesday. The reduced air pressure in the airlock protects against decompression sickness as spacewalkers go to the even lower pressure in the spacesuits for the spacewalk.
On Monday, Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, assisted by Flight Engineer Suni Williams, swore in 16 sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during a special live link-up from the space station. Lopez-Alegria and Williams, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates, conducted the long-distance re-enlistment ceremony as the station orbited 220 miles above the Earth.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Image above: Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria holds
a pistol grip tool as he floats in the Destiny laboratory of the International
Space Station.
Photo credit: NASA
The first of three spacewalks in nine days by Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Sunita Williams is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST. Tasks scheduled for the first six-hour, 30-minute excursion include reconfiguring one of two cooling loops for the Destiny module, rearranging electrical connections and securing and covering the starboard radiator of the P6 truss after retraction.
Lopez-Alegria and Williams completed preparations for the spacewalk on Tuesday, checking out the tools they will use during the spacewalk and conducting a final review of procedures with specialists in Mission Control, Houston.
The pair are "camping out" in the Quest airlock overnight to minimize preparation time Wednesday. The reduced air pressure in the airlock protects against decompression sickness as spacewalkers go to the even lower pressure in the spacesuits for the spacewalk.
On Monday, Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, assisted by Flight Engineer Suni Williams, swore in 16 sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during a special live link-up from the space station. Lopez-Alegria and Williams, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates, conducted the long-distance re-enlistment ceremony as the station orbited 220 miles above the Earth.
Source: NASA - Space Station
Orbiting Astronauts Swear in Navy Sailors
A special re-enlistment ceremony was held on Jan. 29 for 16 Navy sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The reenlistment oath was read by a fellow sailor, but one on a very different ship: the International Space Station.
Image above: Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria with Flight Engineer Suni
Williams addresses the sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for
a special re-enlistment ceremony.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Expedition 14 Commander and Navy Capt. Michael Lopez-Alegria, assisted by Flight Engineer and Navy Cmdr. Suni Williams, conducted the long-distance ceremony from the space station, which was flying about 220 miles above the southern Indian Ocean at the time.
“Your devotion to your shipmates, to the Navy and to our country is deeply appreciated,” said Lopez-Alegria just before beginning the oath. Afterwards, he and Williams could be seen clapping and smiling.
In another NASA connection, one of the re-enlisting servicemen, Chief Petty Officer Thomas C. Peck, has two brothers who work at Johnson Space Center: Boeing’s Donald Peck and Mission Operations’ Gregory Peck. The brothers watched the event when it was rebroadcast on NASA TV later in the day.
Image above: Gregory (left) and Donald Peck, both working
at Johnson Space Center, watch the NASA TV broadcast of
the event -- their brother, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Peck,
was one of the re-enlistees.
Photo credit: NASA
Though far away from the re-enlistees, Williams said that she was pleased to take part in the ceremony.
“It’s truly an honor and a pleasure to be serving alongside you guys,” she said. “The Navy is one big family and we’re just happy to be a part of it.”
“We’re sorry that you can’t float with us up here,” added Lopez-Alegria, “but you’re with us in spirit.”
Lopez-Alegria has been aboard the station since September and will return to Earth in April, while Williams arrived in December and will return to Earth in July. Both are graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy and Navy pilots.
A special re-enlistment ceremony was held on Jan. 29 for 16 Navy sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The reenlistment oath was read by a fellow sailor, but one on a very different ship: the International Space Station.
Image above: Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria with Flight Engineer Suni
Williams addresses the sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower for
a special re-enlistment ceremony.
Photo credit: NASA TV
Expedition 14 Commander and Navy Capt. Michael Lopez-Alegria, assisted by Flight Engineer and Navy Cmdr. Suni Williams, conducted the long-distance ceremony from the space station, which was flying about 220 miles above the southern Indian Ocean at the time.
“Your devotion to your shipmates, to the Navy and to our country is deeply appreciated,” said Lopez-Alegria just before beginning the oath. Afterwards, he and Williams could be seen clapping and smiling.
In another NASA connection, one of the re-enlisting servicemen, Chief Petty Officer Thomas C. Peck, has two brothers who work at Johnson Space Center: Boeing’s Donald Peck and Mission Operations’ Gregory Peck. The brothers watched the event when it was rebroadcast on NASA TV later in the day.
Image above: Gregory (left) and Donald Peck, both working
at Johnson Space Center, watch the NASA TV broadcast of
the event -- their brother, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Peck,
was one of the re-enlistees.
Photo credit: NASA
Though far away from the re-enlistees, Williams said that she was pleased to take part in the ceremony.
“It’s truly an honor and a pleasure to be serving alongside you guys,” she said. “The Navy is one big family and we’re just happy to be a part of it.”
“We’re sorry that you can’t float with us up here,” added Lopez-Alegria, “but you’re with us in spirit.”
Lopez-Alegria has been aboard the station since September and will return to Earth in April, while Williams arrived in December and will return to Earth in July. Both are graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy and Navy pilots.