The New Oxygen Generator System will be on the STS-121 mission and the Water recovery system in the early spring of 2007. Hopefully this will eliminate a lot of the air problems for the ISS and for future Moon missions.

Crew Prepares for Progress and Shuttle Arrivals


Image Image above: Flight Engineer Jeff Williams works on a spacesuit
in the Zvezda Service Module of the space station.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams are preparing the station for the upcoming arrivals of a Progress supply spaceship and Space Shuttle Discovery. The Progress, which launches from Kazakhstan, arrives on June 24. Discovery is due to visit the station in July on mission STS-121.

Vinogradov and Williams completed stowing gear from their June 1 spacewalk. Spacewalk tasks included repairs to a vent which releases hydrogen produced by a Russian oxygen generator. The generator, also known as the Elektron, was reactivated after repairs and then failed a few hours later. Russian specialists are looking into the problem.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Progress and Shuttle Preparations Continue


Image Image above: Flight Engineer Jeff Williams works on a spacesuit
in the Zvezda Service Module of the space station.
Credit: NASA

Ground controllers commanded the ISS Progress 21 thrusters to reboost the station on Friday, placing it at the proper altitude for the rendezvous and docking of the Progress 22 cargo ship, which will launch on June 24 and dock on June 26. The reboost also prepared the station for rendezvous and docking by Discovery on the STS-121 mission.

On Sunday, Commander Pavel Vinogradov brought the Elektron oxygen-generation system back on line by conducting a troubleshooting procedure with a grounding wire that apparently was the cause for its failure last week after being reactivated and ran briefly. No power swapout was required, and Elektron is operating normally once again.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Progress and Shuttle Preparations Continue


Image Image above: A gibbous moon photographed by an Expedition
13 crewmember on the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

Ground controllers commanded the ISS Progress 21 thrusters to reboost the station last week, placing it at the proper altitude for the rendezvous and docking of the Progress 22 cargo ship, which will launch on June 24 and dock on June 26. The reboost also prepared the station for rendezvous and docking by Discovery on the STS-121 mission.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Prepares for Progress and Shuttle Dockings


Image above: Computer-generated artist’s rendering of the International
Space Station following scheduled activities of June 26, 2006.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams this week prepared for the departure of one unpiloted Progress cargo carrier, the arrival of another, and for the STS-121 shuttle mission of Discovery that will deliver an additional crew member.

Both crew members worked to pack ISS Progress 20 with trash to get ready for its June 19 undocking, deorbit and incineration in the Earth's atmosphere. They continued to use oxygen from its tanks for the station's atmosphere. They closed the hatch and performed a leak check Friday.

The crew also tested the manual docking system, which would be used in the unlikely event the automated docking system is unable to bring ISS Progress 22 to the Pirs docking port. The new Progress is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome June 24 and dock with the station June 26. It will carry about 2.5 tons of equipment and supplies.

Also on Tuesday, Williams, a Wisconsin native, took time to talk with a reporter from WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, Wis.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Ready for Visiting Spacecraft, New Crewmember


Image above: The Progress 20 cargo spacecraft is pictured docked to the
International Space Station's Russian Pirs docking compartment. The
Progress 20 undocked to burn up over the Pacific Ocean on Monday,
June 19.
Credit: NASA

Station Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams said goodbye to a Russian cargo spacecraft as it undocked from the International Space Station Monday morning. A new cargo spacecraft, a Russian Progress 22, will launch from Kazakhstan Saturday morning at 11:08 EDT and dock to the station two days later.

NASA managers set July 1 as the official launch date for Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. The shuttle will dock two days later with the station delivering a third crewmember for Expedition 13 – European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter.

Meanwhile, Vinogradov and Williams continue with science experiments and routine maintenance aboard their orbiting laboratory.

Source: NASA - Space Station

New Role Seen for Station's Next Progress

06.19.06

A new Progress will launch toward the International Space Station June 24. It will have the distinction, at least for a while after its unloading, of serving as a closet rather than a garbage can for the orbiting laboratory.

All in all, the 22nd Progress to visit the station will have just over 2½ tons of equipment and supplies on board. Included in its 5,090 pounds of cargo will be more than 1,900 pounds of propellant, just over 100 pounds of air and oxygen, almost 250 pounds of water and almost 2,860 pounds of dry cargo.

Its sister cargo carrier and a predecessor at the station, ISS Progress 20, was undocked from the station June 19. It was deorbited and destroyed with its load of trash and station discards on re-entry.

ISS Progress 21, which arrived at the station April 23, remains at the aft docking port of the Zvezda service module. It is scheduled to be undocked and deorbited on Sept. 13.

Progress 22 is to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:08 a.m. EDT Saturday. Docking to the Pirs docking compartment is scheduled for June 26 at 12:27 p.m. NASA Television will cover the docking live, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Plans call for Progress 22 to be used after it is unloaded as a "closet." It will provide additional stowage space, rather than act a trash receptacle. Many items eventually to be stowed aboard will be delivered by Discovery on STS-121, scheduled to launch on July 1. Progress 22 unloading will begin only after departure of Discovery.

The Progress is similar in appearance and some design elements to the Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crewmembers 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 - Space Station - Expeditions

Station Crew Prepares for Docked Operations with Shuttle


Image above: The Progress 20 cargo spacecraft is pictured departing the
International Space Station. Progress 20 was docked to the Russian Pirs
docking compartment.
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineer Jeff Williams checked out the station’s robotic arm, maneuvering it in position as Expedition 13 awaits the arrival of Space Shuttle Discovery. Williams will support shuttle crewmembers Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson as they work with the station's arm. Discovery on mission STS-121 is scheduled for launch July 1 at 3:49 p.m. EDT delivering a third crewmember to the station -- European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter.

Williams and station Commander Pavel Vinogradov also configured headsets they will use to communicate as the shuttle performs a backflip, or R-bar pitch maneuver, when it approaches the station. The flight engineer also serviced American spacesuits on the station that will be used for spacewalks during the STS-121 mission.

A new cargo spacecraft, a Russian Progress 22, will launch from Kazakhstan Saturday morning at 11:08 EDT and dock to the station two days later. The Progress 20 cargo ship undocked from the station Monday morning and burned up over the Pacific Ocean.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Progress 22 Launches to Resupply Station


Image above: The Progress 20 cargo spacecraft is pictured departing the
International Space Station. Progress 20 was docked to the Russian Pirs
docking compartment.
Credit: NASA

The Progress 22 cargo spacecraft launched on time Saturday morning at 11:08 a.m. EDT from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The resupply ship is delivering propellant, oxygen, water and other cargo. Docking with the International Space Station is scheduled for Monday, June 26 at 12:27 p.m. NASA TV coverage begins at 11:30 a.m.

Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and station Commander Pavel Vinogradov continue preparing the station for Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. The two crewmembers have checked out the robotic arm, serviced U.S. spacesuits and configured communication headsets. The shuttle is set for launch July 1 at 3:49 p.m. EDT delivering a third crewmember for Expedition 13 -- European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Progress 22 Docks With the Station


Image above: The Progress 22 cargo spacecraft docking to the Pirs
docking compartment.
Credit: NASA TV

The Progress 22 cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on Monday at 12:25 p.m. EDT. The resupply ship is delivering propellant, oxygen, water and other cargo. It will also act as a “closet” rather than a trash receptacle after unloading, providing additional stowage space for the station.

Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and station Commander Pavel Vinogradov continue preparing the station for Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. The two crewmembers have checked out the robotic arm, serviced U.S. spacesuits and configured communication headsets. The shuttle is set for launch July 1 at 3:49 p.m. EDT delivering a third crewmember for Expedition 13 -- European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Progress Docks With Space Station

A new Progress docked to the International Space Station at 12:25 p.m. EDT Monday with more than 2.5 tons of fuel, water and other supplies aboard.


Image above: The Progress 22 cargo spacecraft as it
approaches the Pirs docking compartment before docking.
Image credit: NASA TV

The 22nd Progress unpiloted cargo carrier brings the station more than 1,900 pounds of propellant, just over 100 pounds of air and oxygen, almost 250 pounds of water and almost 2,860 pounds of dry cargo.

Its sister cargo carrier and a predecessor at the station, ISS Progress 20, was undocked from the station June 19. It was deorbited and destroyed with its load of trash and station discards on re-entry.

ISS Progress 21, which arrived at the station April 23, remains at the aft docking port of the Zvezda service module. It is scheduled to be undocked and deorbited on Sept. 13.

P22 may face a more dignified future than its predecessors, which in effect became big garbage cans. Plans call for P22 to be used after it is unloaded as a "closet." It will provide additional stowage space, rather than act as a trash receptacle.

Many items eventually to be stowed aboard will be delivered by Discovery on STS-121, scheduled to launch on July 1. Most P22 unloading will be done only after departure of Discovery.

The Progress is similar in appearance and some design elements to the Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crewmembers 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

Expedition Crew Prepares for Shuttle


Image above: Astronaut Jeffrey Williams works the controls of the
Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) or Canadarm2.
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and Commander Pavel Vinogradov continue preparing the station for its rendezvous and docking with space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. The two crew members have checked out the robotic arm, serviced U.S. spacesuits and configured communication headsets. Discovery will bring equipment and supplies to the station.

The shuttle is set for launch July 1 at 3:49 p.m. EDT delivering a third crew member for Expedition 13 -- European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter. This will return the station to three crew members for the first time since 2003.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition Crew Awaits Shuttle Launch


Image above: Astronaut Jeffrey Williams works the controls of the
Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) or Canadarm2.
Credit: NASA

For the second straight day, uncooperative weather forced Space Shuttle Program managers to delay the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery, which will deliver a new crew member to the International Space Station. The STS-121 mission is now slated to launch at 2:38 p.m. EDT Tuesday and arrive at the station Thursday.

In addition to delivering a new Expedition 13 crew member, STS-121 will resupply and service the International Space Station.

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Flight Engineer and Science Officer Jeff Williams are now scheduled to welcome the STS-121 crew and Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency on to the station on Thursday. Shortly after hatch opening, a seat liner custom made for Reiter will be installed into the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. The seat liner will allow Reiter to return to Earth on the Soyuz, and its installation marks the start of Reiter’s tour of duty as a member of Expedition 13. It will be the first time the orbital outpost has had a three-member crew since May 2003.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station to Pass Over Washington, D.C. This July 4th


The International Space Station won't appear this large in the skies over Washington on July 4, but it will be a clearly
visible point of light.
Image credit: NASA

This year, the hundreds of thousands of people gathered to watch fireworks on Washington's National Mall will see one extra light in the sky. If clouds don't obscure it, the International Space Station will be visible for seven minutes as it passes over North America.

The station will appear on the northwest horizon at 9:35 p.m. EDT, moving higher and into the northern sky before descending toward the eastern-southeastern horizon. At 9:40 p.m. EDT, the station will be in the northeast sky with an elevation of 50 degrees, meaning it will be more than halfway up toward the zenith, the point of the sky directly overhead. Just after 9:42 p.m., the station will disappear below the eastern-southeastern horizon.

The station should be visible to anyone within about 50 miles of Washington. For someone standing in the center of the Mall, the station will appear to rise from behind the Museum of American History, pass over the Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art, and disappear behind the U.S. Capitol.

During the pass, the station will be flying southeast across Canada and the United States. When it becomes visible, the station will be northwest of Lake Superior, crossing over the upper peninsula of Michigan, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin, Luke Huron, Ontario, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As it disappears from view it will be moving out over the Atlantic Ocean.

To find a list of sighting opportunities for the International Space Station and the space shuttle, visit NASA's Sighting Opportunities page.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Discovery, New Crew Member En Route to Station


Image above: Astronaut Jeffrey Williams works the controls of the
Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) or Canadarm2.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA Flight Engineer and Science Officer Jeff Williams are awaiting the arrival of Space Shuttle Discovery and their new crew member, Thomas Reiter of the European Space Agency. In addition to delivering a new Expedition 13 crew member, the STS-121 mission will resupply and service the International Space Station.

Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 2:38 p.m. EDT today and is slated to dock with the station on Thursday. At the time of launch, the station was flying 220 miles above the southern Pacific Ocean south of Tasmania.

Shortly after hatch opening on Thursday, a seat liner custom made for Reiter will be installed into the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. The seat liner will allow Reiter to return to Earth on the Soyuz, and its installation marks the start of Reiter’s tour of duty as a member of Expedition 13. It will be the first time the orbital outpost has had a three-member crew since May 2003.

STS-121 is the first shuttle mission to visit the space station since STS-114 departed in August 2005 and the 18th to visit the orbital outpost.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Makes Final Preps for STS-121’s Arrival


Image above: Astronaut Jeffrey Williams works the controls of the
Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) or Canadarm2.
Credit: NASA

With Space Shuttle Discovery’s arrival one day away, the Expedition 13 crew is making final docking preparations aboard the International Space Station. Discovery and the STS-121 crew are delivering a third Expedition 13 crew member, supplies and equipment to the international outpost. Discovery is scheduled to dock with the station at 10:52 a.m. EDT Thursday.

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA ISS Science Officer Jeff Williams are slated to prep cameras they will use to take images of Discovery’s heat shield. They also will pressurize the station compartment to which Discovery will dock.

Vinogradov and Williams will welcome the STS-121 crew and their new ship mate Thomas Reiter onto the station about two hours after docking. Reiter, who is a European Space Agency astronaut, will officially join the Expedition crew when his custom made seat liner is installed into the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. The seat liner will allow Reiter to return to Earth on the Soyuz.

Reiter’s arrival will mark the first time the station has had a three-member crew since Expedition 6 left in May 2003.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Set to Have Three-Member Crew


Image above: The International Space Station is pictured from the space
shuttle's docking port as the spacecraft are a few thousand feet apart.
Credit: NASA TV

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams welcomed the STS-121 crew aboard the International Space Station at 12:30 p.m. EDT today. Also entering the station was European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter who will become a station crew member later today.

Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the station at 10:52 a.m. EDT. Hatch opening occurred after the completion of pressure and leak checks between the two spacecraft.

Reiter officially becomes a part of the Expedition 13 when his custom-made seat liner is installed into the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. The seat liner will allow Reiter to return to Earth on the Soyuz. Seat line installation is set for 1:58 p.m. EDT.

STS-121 also delivered hardware and supplies, most of which are located in the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module. Leonardo will be attached to the station’s Unity module on Friday.

The two crews will spend the next week conducting joint operations, which includes two spacewalks and the transfer of cargo.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Artist's view of ISS configuration after docking of Space Shuttle mission STS-121 at the
start of the Astrolab Mission

Credits: ESA/Ducros

6 July 2006
ESA PR 25-2006. Thanks to the resumption of Space Shuttle flights, the permanent crew of the International Space Station is now back up to three. Joining Russian commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA flight engineer Jeffrey Williams onboard is ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter.

Less than two days after its Tuesday evening lift-off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at Florida’s Cape Canaveral, the Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station this afternoon at 16:52 CEST (14:52 UTC). The Shuttle’s seven crew members were welcomed by the Station’s permanent crew of two who have been on board since March.


ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter shortly after entering ISS for the first time. Reiter arrived
on board Space Shuttle Discovery as a member of the STS-121 crew. He will remain on
the Station as a member of the Expedition crew for around six months.

Credits: NASA TV

Shortly after boarding, Thomas Reiter recovered his landing seat liner (tailor-made for his body shape) and installed it on the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft. Launched back in March, this Russian ferry ship is currently docked to the ISS to serve as an emergency ’lifeboat’ for the permanent crew (and also to return Vinogradov and Williams in September).
This seat liner transfer marked the arrival of Thomas Reiter as the third member of the ISS permanent crew and the return to a crew of three for the first time since May 2003.

Thomas Reiter will now spend five to seven months on board as second flight engineer. He is the first non-US, non-Russian astronaut to be given such an assignment. In the future, he will be succeeded by more ESA, Japanese or Canadian astronauts. As flight engineer, he will carry out numerous tasks on board the Station to operate and maintain equipment in its US and Russian segments. He had been in training for these ISS equipment activities since 2001.


A view of the International Space Station from Discovery as the Space Shuttle approaches
for docking. Docking of Discovery on mission STS-121 occurred at 16:52 CEST (12:52 UT).
STS-121 brings supplies and equipment to the Station as well as ESA astronaut Thomas
Reiter who, after entering the ISS, will join the ISS Expedition 13 crew for a six-month stay
on board.

Credits: NASA TV

His ISS system responsibilities will include the Russian docking mechanism, guidance and control, environmental control and life support systems, power control and communications, crew health & safety and extra-vehicular activities. He is due to become the first ESA astronaut to perform a spacewalk from the Station. In addition, he will operate research facilities onboard to support the ongoing international programme of scientific experimentation.

Among his science activities, he will conduct a series of experiments devised by European scientists for ESA’s Astrolab Mission. These will include investigations in the field of human physiology and psychology, microbiology, plasma physics and radiation dosimetry. He will also perform technology demonstrations and conduct industrial and educational experiments for universities and primary/secondary schools.

Source: ESA - News

Reiter Joins Expedition 13


Image above: Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff Williams (left) observes
STS-121 Mission Specialists Lisa Nowak (center) and Stephanie Wilson
as they use the robotics work station to move the multi-purpose logistics
module with the station's Canadarm2.
Credit: NASA TV

For the first time since May 2003, the International Space Station has a three-member crew. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter joined the Expedition 13 crew Thursday afternoon when his custom-made seat liner was installed into the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. The seat liner will allow Reiter to return to Earth on the Soyuz.

Reiter arrived at the station when Space Shuttle Discovery docked at 10:52 a.m. EDT. Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams welcomed Reiter and the six-member STS-121 crew aboard the station at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

The two crews will spend the next week conducting joint operations, which includes two spacewalks and the transfer of cargo.

STS-121 also delivered hardware and supplies, most of which are located in the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module. Leonardo was attached to the station’s Unity module today.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Reiter Joins Expedition 13


Image above: The space station was photographed from Space Shuttle
Discovery as it was preparing to dock.
Credit: NASA TV

For the first time since May 2003, the International Space Station has a three-member crew. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter joined the Expedition 13 crew Thursday afternoon when his custom-made seat liner was installed into the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. The seat liner will allow Reiter to return to Earth on the Soyuz.

Reiter arrived at the station when Space Shuttle Discovery docked Thursday morning at 10:52 EDT. Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer and NASA Science Officer Jeff Williams welcomed Reiter and the six-member STS-121 crew aboard the station at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

The two crews will spend the next week conducting joint operations, which now includes three spacewalks and the transfer of cargo from the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module. Leonardo was lifted from the shuttle's payload bay and attached to the station’s Unity Node Friday morning. Also, the STS-121 mission was extended an extra day.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Works With Shuttle Crew


Image above: Astronaut Piers Sellers participates in the mission's first
extravehicular activity while the Space Shuttle Discovery was docked
with the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA TV

The newly expanded Expedition 13 crew continues to work with its visitors. Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-121 crew arrived at the International Space Station on July 6.

Discovery delivered supplies, equipment and a new station crew member. The STS-121 crew also performed maintenance on the station’s mobile transporter during two of the three scheduled spacewalks.

European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter joined the Expedition 13 crew shortly after he arrived when his custom-made seat liner was installed into the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. The seat liner will allow Reiter to return to Earth on the Soyuz. This is the first time since May 2003 that the station has a three-member crew.

Most of the cargo delivered to the station arrived in the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module. Leonardo was lifted from the shuttle's payload bay and attached to the station’s Unity Node on July 7. Leonardo will return to the payload bay Friday filled with science experiment results, unneeded items and trash, setting the stage for Discovery’s departure on Saturday.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Bids Farewell to STS-121


Image above: From left are, Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Thomas
Reiter, Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams.
Credit: NASA TV

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter said farewell to their guests, the STS-121 crew, before Space Shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 6:08 a.m. EDT today. The two crews spent almost nine days conducting joint operations.

Discovery delivered supplies, equipment and a new station crew member. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter joined the Expedition 13 crew shortly after STS-121 arrived. Most of the cargo delivered to the station arrived in the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module. The STS-121 crew also performed maintenance on the station’s mobile transporter during two of the three spacewalks.

STS-121 was the 18th shuttle mission to visit the station. The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the orbital outpost is STS-115, which will resume assembly of the station with the delivery the P3/P4 truss and a set of solar arrays.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Bids Farewell to STS-121


Image above: Commander Pavel Vinogradov (left) and Flight Engineers
Thomas Reiter and Jeff Williams wave to the departing STS-121 crew.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter said farewell to their guests, the STS-121 crew, before Space Shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 6:08 a.m. EDT Saturday. The two crews spent almost nine days conducting joint operations.

Discovery delivered supplies, equipment and a new station crew member. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter joined the Expedition 13 crew shortly after STS-121 arrived. Most of the cargo delivered to the station arrived in the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module. The STS-121 crew also performed maintenance on the station’s mobile transporter during two of the three spacewalks.

STS-121 was the 18th shuttle mission to visit the station. The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the orbital outpost is STS-115, which will resume assembly of the station with the delivery of the P3/P4 truss and a set of solar arrays.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Back at Work


Image above: Commander Pavel Vinogradov (left) and Flight Engineers
Thomas Reiter and Jeff Williams wave to the departing STS-121 crew.
Credit: NASA

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter returned to work this week after bidding farewell to the visiting Space Shuttle Discovery crew on Friday, followed by an off-duty day on Monday. The station crew, now conducting long-duration operations with a three-person complement for the first time since May 2003, will concentrate on collecting scientific data, performing station maintenance and setting up hardware and computers for experiments on the International Space Station.

Jeff Williams worked with the station's robotic arm to gather additional data for ground controllers looking into a problem that briefly delayed the berthing of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module in Discovery's payload bay on Friday. Leonardo, which carried more than 7,400 pounds of cargo to the station, was filled with approximately 4,600 pounds of experiment data samples, unneeded equipment and trash for the return back to Earth aboard the shuttle.

Source: NASA - Space Station

S121-E-07714 (15 July 2006)- Cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov (left), Expedition 13 commander representing Russia's Federal Space Agency; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Reiter, flight engineer; and astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams, NASA space station science officer and flight engineer, are photographed by the departing STS-121 crew (out of frame) prior to the undocking of Space Shuttle Discovery from the International Space Station. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 5:08 a.m. (CDT) on July 15, 2006.

Credits: NASA

20 July 2006
German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel spoke today with ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, from Germany, via live link on board the International Space Station (ISS). The call was placed from ESA's Space Operations Centre (ESOC), in Darmstadt, Germany.

During this first "space-to-Earth" discussion between Mrs. Merkel and Reiter, the German head of government asked about Reiter's scientific programme while on board the ISS and his reaction to sleeping under zero gravity. She also took the opportunity to wish the three ISS crew members good luck in English, German and Russian.

Prime Minister Roland Koch of Germany's Hessen region, host region of the ESOC facility, and ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain also participated in the call, which began at 12:30 CEST and lasted about 20 minutes.


"Space exerts not only a great fascination but also provides via scientific experiments great value, in particular for research in the health and medical sector," said Chancellor Merkel. She added that, "This visit to ESOC has demonstrated again that ambitious space programmes cannot be done by one country alone; international cooperation is of the utmost importance. Therefore, Germany will remain a constant and reliable partner in the European space programme."


Chancellor visits operations control facilities

Prior to today's in-flight call, Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Koch were guided on a tour of the ESOC operations centre by Gaele Winters, ESA Director of Operations and Head of ESOC. The visitors were shown dedicated control rooms and other site facilities from which 54 European satellites have been successfully operated.


MetOp flight controllers in simulation training for LEOP, the launch and early operations phase, at ESOC, 7 July 2006.

Credits: ESA-D.Scuka

The ESA director general and senior managers briefed the visitors on current and recent deep space, scientific and Earth observation missions including Huygens, which landed on Saturn's moon Titan, Mars Express, Venus Express, and Envisat, as well as future European solar exploration missions.
"It is a great honour and a pleasure to welcome Chancellor Angela Merkel and Hessen Prime Minister Roland Koch to ESOC for this in-flight call. Their visit demonstrates deep support for Thomas Reiter's ISS mission as a key element of Europe's human spaceflight programme, and is particularly significant for ESA's operations centre hosted in Germany," ESA Director General Dordain said.


Highlight: ISS in-flight call to Hessen-born ESA astronaut Reiter

The in-flight call came from ESOC in Darmstadt, located near Frankfurt, Reiter's birthplace. The astronaut was therefore keen to discuss the scientific objectives of his 6-month Astrolab mission with Chancellor Merkel and the prime minister of his home region. Chancellor Merkel holds a PhD in physics and is strongly interested in innovation, research and technology.

Reiter's Astrolab mission is the first long-duration mission by an ESA astronaut on the ISS and the science programme includes European experiments in biology, materials science and astrophysics. As of today's in-flight call, he will have just started his second week in space.

In addition to the science programme, Reiter's activities on board the ISS include regular crew duties and functions as well as an extra-vehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, currently scheduled for 3 August.

The Astrolab mission will enable Europe to gain experience and know-how in the operation of long-duration spaceflights in preparation for the addition of Europe's Columbus laboratory to the ISS in the second half of 2007.


ESOC: Europe's gateway to space

ESOC, the European Space Operations Centre, is ESA's operations control centre responsible for the control of all ESA satellites. Since 1967, it has successfully operated more than 50 missions, including Huygens, Venus Express, Mars Express, Rosetta, XMM-Newton, SMART-1 and Envisat. The main control room (MCR) and individual mission dedicated control rooms are linked to satellites via ESTRACK, ESA's worldwide network of ground tracking stations.

ESOC mission controllers are supported by a team of specialists working in flight dynamics, software and communications. ESOC operates satellites during their entire mission lifetime, carries out routine and corrective manoeuvres and conducts payload operations. The centre employs some 250 permanent staff and 550 contractors.

Source: ESA - News

Equipment Checks, Spacewalk Preps for Crew


Image above: Commander Pavel Vinogradov (left) and Flight Engineers
Thomas Reiter and Jeff Williams wave to the departing STS-121 crew.
Credit: NASA

The International Space Station has returned to a three person crew for the first time since May 2003 when Expedition Six returned home. The third crew member, European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, was delivered to the station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the second return to flight mission, STS-121.

Reiter and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams are checking out new gear brought onboard the station after Discovery docked on July 6. New additions to the station include a laboratory freezer that stores biological and life science samples and a new oxygen generation system for the orbiting space outpost.

Expedition 13 is also looking ahead to its first spacewalk planned for August 3. Williams and Reiter will exit the station from the U.S. airlock and ready the truss structure for upcoming shuttle missions STS-115 and STS-116. These missions will deliver new trusses, continuing station assembly.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Continues Preparations for August 3 Spacewalk


Image above: Nukuoro Atoll, Federated States of Micronesia is featured
in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the
International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The International Space Station has returned to a three person crew for the first time since May 2003 when Expedition Six returned home. The third crew member, European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, was delivered to the station aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the second return to flight mission, STS-121.

Reiter and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams are checking out new gear brought onboard the station after Discovery docked on July 6. New additions to the station include a laboratory freezer that stores biological and life science samples and a new oxygen generation system for the orbiting space outpost.

Expedition 13 is looking ahead to its first spacewalk planned for August 3. Williams and Reiter will exit the station from the U.S. airlock and ready the truss structure for upcoming shuttle missions STS-115 and STS-116. These missions will deliver new trusses, continuing station assembly.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spread Your Wings, It's Time to Fly

The next part of the International Space Station might resemble a cocoon when tucked inside Space Shuttle Atlantis for flight. But by the time it's deployed in space, the segment that will provide a quarter of the completed station's power capability will look more like an extremely large butterfly.


Image above: Suspended by an overhead crane in the Space Station Processing Facility, the two truss elements are clearly visible. Joined in the middle by struts are the hexagon-shaped P3 truss (left) with the solar alpha rotary joint attached, and the P4 truss (right) with its solar blankets and masts stowed.
Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

The port three and four (P3/P4) integrated truss segment is the prime payload of the STS-115 mission, scheduled to lift off from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., in late August or early September.

"The truss in its launch configuration is about 45 feet long, but once on orbit with the solar arrays deployed, it will have a wingspan of almost 240 feet," says Robbie Ashley, space station mission manager for the STS-115 mission.


Image above: This illustration shows how the P3/P4 (with its solar arrays extended) will expand the International Space Station. The new truss segment and solar wings are visible on the right side of the station.
Image credit: NASA

The mission's main objective is to resume space station construction by installing and activating the segment during three scheduled spacewalks. The trusses are part of the 11-segment structure that will eventually span more than 300 feet when the station is completed.

"The P3/P4 element will be installed on what is now the end of the P1 port truss segment already on orbit," explains Ashley. "It's going to provide two primary capabilities, the first being power. The power module will provide the capability to generate, store, distribute and regulate power for the space station. It's going to supplement the capability that is up there now with the P6 element. In addition, the P3 half of the truss has a mechanism that's going to rotate all of the outboard truss segments, including the solar arrays, to allow them to stay pointed at the sun for optimal power-generation capability."

On Earth, the P3/P4 segment weighs almost 35,000 pounds -- one of the heaviest station payloads. It will be weightless in orbit, allowing the astronauts to remove the segment from Atlantis' payload bay using the shuttle's remote arm and hand it off to the space station's remote arm. The astronauts will then maneuver the segment into place before attaching it to the P1 segment. The astronauts will need three spacewalks for the entire process.


Image above: The canisters containing the masts for the solar arrays are visible on the end of the P4 truss. Once deployed, its two large solar arrays will provide one-fourth of the total power-generation capability of the completed station.
Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

A major spacewalk task will be deployment of the two solar wings. When extended, each solar wing will be 115 feet by 38 feet. They are deployed in opposite directions and each is made up of a center mast supporting a solar "blanket" on either side. Each wing uses nearly 33,000 solar cells and on Earth would weigh more than 2,400 pounds. The two new wings are capable of generating enough power to meet the needs of 30 average homes, based on consumption of 2 kilowatts of power each.


Image above: An overhead crane lowers the integrated truss segment into the waiting payload canister for transportation to Launch Pad 39B, where it will be loaded into Atlantis' cargo bay.
Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

The P3/P4 truss segment will be moved from the Space Station Processing Facility to Launch Pad 39B in a payload canister. It will then be transferred to the payload bay of Atlantis for launch on the STS-115 mission.

Cheryl L. Mansfield
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

Source: NASA - Space Station - Behind The Scenes

That one actually looks sort of nice, like racing stripes.

Williams and Reiter Check Out Spacesuits


Image above: A setting sun and the thin blue airglow line at Earth’s
horizon was captured in this image from a window on the station.
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter conducted a system check of their spacesuits and checked out tools to be used during the Aug. 3 spacewalk. One of the key tasks today was a familiarization by Williams and Reiter of the pistol grip tool they will use while outside the station.

The expedition crew members continue to set up new equipment brought onboard the station after Discovery docked on July 6. New additions to the station include a laboratory freezer that stores biological and life science samples and a new oxygen generation system for the orbiting space outpost.

This morning, just before 1 a.m. EDT, the ISS Progress 21 engines fired for 3 minutes, 5 seconds in the first of two reboost maneuvers designed to place the station at the proper altitude for rendezvous and docking with Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-115 mission. A second reboost will be conducted in late August, just before the launch of Atlantis.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalk during STS-114

Credits: NASA

28 July 2006
ESA PR 29-2006. On 3 August at 15:55 CEST, ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter will step out of the International Space Station to begin a 6½ hour spacewalk (extra-vehicular activity).

During this time, he and fellow NASA crew member Jeff Williams will install items of hardware in preparation for future ISS assembly work and will also set up for deployment a number of instruments and experiments mounted on the outside of the Station. This will be Reiter’s third EVA, having already carried out two spacewalks on his EuroMir 95 mission in 1995.
Following the Shuttle Discovery’s successful STS-121 mission earlier this month and Thomas Reiter’s arrival onboard the ISS, for the first time since May 2003 the Station is now back up to a permanent crew of three. Reiter’s fellow crew members on ISS Expedition 13 are Russian commander Pavel Vinogradov and NASA science officer Jeff Williams.


Backdropped by a blue and white Earth, the International Space Station moves away from Space Shuttle Discovery. Earlier the STS-121 and Expedition 13 crews concluded almost nine days of cooperative work onboard the shuttle and station. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 5:08 a.m. (CDT) on July 15, 2006.

Credits: NASA

Station operations and maintenance take up a considerable proportion of Expedition 13 time. Since Discovery departed from the ISS on 15 July, the crew has in addition to that been busy conducting experiments and trials in a wide variety of fields including the human life sciences, physical sciences and Earth observation as well as education and technology demonstration.

Station assembly work will include preparations for expanding the Station’s main truss and installing additional solar arrays. The next Shuttle mission, STS-115, is scheduled to proceed during Expedition 13 and will resume major assembly of the Station. The Shuttle and Station crews will work together to add items to the port truss structure. In late August Reiter will become a member of the Expedition 14 crew, when a Soyuz mission exchanges Vinogradov and Williams for Michael Lopez-Alegria (commander) and Mikhail Tyurin (flight engineer). Expedition 14 will also see the arrival of two unpiloted Russian Progress cargo ships and the STS-116 mission with ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang of Sweden on board.

Two spacewalks are planned during Reiter’s stay: one US, the other Russian. They will focus on the continued fitting-out of the Station to prepare external hardware for the installing of additional Station elements and to prepare for external science experiments.


The STS-111 mission, the 14th Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station (ISS), was launched on June 5, 2002 aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour. On board were the STS-111 and Expedition Five crew members. Astronauts Kerneth D. Cockrell, commander; Paul S. Lockhart, pilot; and mission specialists Franklin R. Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin were the STS-111 crew members. Expedition Five crew members included Cosmonaut Valeri G. Korzun, commander; Astronaut Peggy A. Whitson and Cosmonaut Sergei Y. Treschev, flight engineers. Three space walks enabled the STS-111 crew to accomplish the delivery and installation of the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System (MBS), an important part of the Station's Mobile Servicing System that allows the robotic arm to travel the length of the Station, which is necessary for future construction tasks. In this photograph, Astronaut Philippe Perrin, representing CNES, the French Space Agency, participates in the second scheduled EVA. During the space walk, Perrin and Chang-Diaz attached power, data, and video cables from the ISS to the MBS, and used a power wrench to complete the attachment of the MBS onto the Mobile Transporter (MT).

Credits: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA-MSFC)

The first of the two spacewalks will take place on Thursday 3 August between 15:55 and 22:15 CEST and will feature Thomas Reiter and Jeff Williams. They will wear US spacesuits, Reiter’s (EV2) plain white and Williams’ (EV1) with red stripes.

During their activity outside, the astronauts will set up external hardware including the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) designed to monitor ISS electrical charging to ensure better rendez-vous and docking and EVA safety, and two Materials International Space Station Experiments (MISSE 3 and 4). Reiter and Williams will prepare Station truss components for future assembly work by installing a motor controller on the thermal radiator rotary joint and deploying the new EVA infrared camera to monitor the condition of critical reinforced carbon-carbon material.

The first half-hour of the EVA is a preparatory phase devoted to airlock depressurisation, egress through to the outside and set-up tasks. This is followed by the installation of the FPMU, lasting about two hours. Setting-up MISSE 3 and 4 will then take approximately one hour. Motor controller installation on the thermal radiator rotary joint, inspection of the radiator beam valve module and setting up the EVA infrared camera will take about two hours. Clear-up and ingress back into the airlock will take up the last half-hour of the timeline.


Astronaut James F. Reilly leaves through the Joint Airlock Quest during the first ever spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) - July 2001

Credits: NASA

In recent days, Reiter and Williams have been busy preparing for their spacewalk by flushing the Quest airlock and spacesuit cooling loops as well as configuring airlock systems and the tool set, which includes a pistol grip tool - a battery-powered screwdriver/wrench with several interchangeable heads used to bolt orbital replaceable units and other components. Other tools are various retractable or adjustable tethers, a trash bag and a special restraint device to position and keep the astronaut in the desired orientation at the worksite. The astronauts also reviewed robotic arm (Canadarm 2) procedures.

The spacewalk sets the stage for further assembly and power reconfiguration work to be done on the Station’s electrical systems during the upcoming STS-115 and 116 Shuttle missions planned for August/September and December. Additional solar panels and electrical equipment will be delivered on those two missions.


How to follow the EVA

The spacewalk can be followed live from the Columbus Control Centre, located on the premises of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich. ESA astronauts and mission specialists will be available for interviews throughout.

Media representatives wishing to attend this event are requested to fill in the attached accreditation form.

Those unable to attend can follow it live on the internet.

To provide up-to-the-minute coverage of Thomas Reiter's 6½ spacewalk, ESA and DLR will be keeping an online EVA ‘blog' diary (in English and German). The writers, located at the Control Centre, will work alongside veteran ESA astronaut Reinhold Ewald to provide the latest images, commentary and behind-the-scenes information on EVA progress as well as additional background on the technology of spacewalking.

The EVA blogs will be available from 2 August at the following addresses:

http://www.esa.int/evablog_en (English)
http://www.esa.int/evablog_de (German)

NASA TV will also be covering the event live: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Note


Born 23 May 1958, in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. He is married and has two sons. Enjoys fencing, badminton, cooking, and playing guitar.

Credits: NASA

Thomas Reiter is the first non-US, non-Russian astronaut to become a permanent ISS crew member. In the future, he is due to be succeeded by other ESA, Japanese and Canadian astronauts. As flight engineer, he is in charge of vital tasks regarding ISS guidance and control, environmental control and life support systems, power control and communications, crew health & safety and extra-vehicular activity. On 3 August he will become the first ESA astronaut to have performed a spacewalk from the ISS. Here too he has considerable experience to draw on, having performed two EVAs during the six-month long EuroMir mission in 1995.

In September, Vinogradov and Williams will return to Earth to be replaced by NASA commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin, with whom Reiter will continue his mission.

Source: ESA - News

Shockless Future Spacewalkers' Aim

Space Station crew members Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter will work to avoid future shocks during a scheduled 6-hour-plus spacewalk Aug. 3.

They also will have a third station crew member for the first time in more than three years. Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov will coach them through their prebreathe exercise program and help them suit up for their outing.


Image above: Jeff Williams participates in the first session of extravehicular activity performed by the Expedition 13 crew.
Image credit: NASA

The station crew was reduced to two members in May 2003 in the wake of the Columbia accident. Since then, spacewalkers have had to reconfigure station systems before donning their spacesuits without help.

Once the spacewalk begins, Williams and Reiter will be coached through their tasks by Astronaut Steve Bowen. He will act as spacewalk intravehicular officer from the International Space Station Flight Control Room in Houston's Mission Control Center.

The first and longest major task of the spacewalk is installation of the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU). That device is designed to measure the electrical potential of the station so ways can be verified or devised to minimize arcing hazards as the ISS grows.

Williams, designated lead spacewalker (EV1), will wear the U.S. spacesuit with red stripes. Reiter, EV2, will wear the all-white suit.

They will spend about half an hour setting up equipment after they emerge from the Quest airlock shortly before 10 a.m. EDT. They'll then move with the FPMU to a camera mount near the upper outboard end of the S1 (starboard one) truss. Total time allotted for the installation is 1 hour, 50 minutes.

Next they'll move back to the airlock. There they'll install two Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) containers. MISSE 3 goes on one of the high-pressure tanks around the crew lock, while MISSE 4 is set up on Quest's outboard end.

The experiment, housed in suitcase-like containers left open, looks at the long-time effects of space on a variety of materials. The idea is to identify optimal materials for use in future spacecraft.

A little over three hours into the spacewalk, Williams will install a controller for a thermal radiator rotary joint on the S1 truss. Meanwhile, Reiter will replace a computer on S1.

While Reiter finishes that task, Williams will begin installation of a starboard jumper and spool positioning device (SPD) on S1. Reiter will inspect a radiator beam valve module SPD site and install one there if necessary, then move on to install a port jumper and SPD.

The jumpers are designed to improve the flow of ammonia through the radiators once that coolant is installed.

Williams will begin setup for the final major task, test of an infrared camera designed to detect damage in a shuttle's reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) thermal protection. The camera is designed to detect damage by variations in temperature between sound and damaged RCC test sections.

After possible get-ahead tasks by Reiter and perhaps Williams and 30 minutes of cleanup, airlock entry and pressurization, the spacewalk is scheduled to end at 3:15 p.m.

This is the third spacewalk for both Williams and Reiter. It is the 69th spacewalk to support station assembly and maintenance and the 22nd from the Quest airlock.

Source: NASA - Space Station - Expeditions

Final Week of Preparations for Aug. 3 Spacewalk


Image above: In the Quest airlock on the International Space Station,
two spacesuits await a busy day of spacewalking.
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter prepared spacesuits and tools, conducted a dry run of exit and entry procedures, and moved the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm into position. The arm's cameras will provide television views of the spacewalk. Williams and Reiter will leave the station's Quest airlock at 9:55 a.m. EDT Thursday, Aug. 3, for the 6-hour, 20-minute spacewalk. Station Commander Pavel Vinogradov will serve as the spacewalk choreographer from inside the complex. NASA TV coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 9 a.m. EDT.

+ Watch NASA TV

The expedition crew members continue to set up new equipment brought onboard the station after Discovery docked on July 6. Williams is wrapping up the week-long checkout of a super deep-freezer. Installed in the Destiny laboratory, it has 300 liters of freezing and storage capacity in four compartments for life sciences and biological samples, preserving them for return to Earth.

Last Wednesday, just before 1 a.m. EDT, the ISS Progress 21 engines fired for 3 minutes, 5 seconds in the first of two reboost maneuvers designed to place the station at the proper altitude for rendezvous and docking with Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-115 mission. A second reboost will be conducted in late August, just before the launch of Atlantis.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Continues Preps for Aug. 3 Spacewalk


Image above: In the Quest airlock on the International Space Station,
two spacesuits await a busy day of spacewalking.
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter continue preparations for Thursday morning’s spacewalk which is scheduled to begin at 9:55 EDT. Their main job is to install a device that measures electrical charging around the truss structure and solar arrays. After completing other duties, they should wrap up their spacewalk at 4:15 p.m. Commander Pavel Vinogradov will assist his two crewmates from inside the International Space Station. NASA TV coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 9 a.m.

+ Watch NASA TV

Meanwhile, the crew members are exercising regularly and continue their space station science and maintenance activities. Also, Expedition 13 is preparing for the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115 in late August.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Spacewalk Today


Image above: In the Quest airlock on the International Space Station,
two spacesuits await a busy day of spacewalking.
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter are preparing for today's spacewalk, which is scheduled to begin at 9:55 EDT. Their main job is to install a device that measures electrical charging around the truss structure and solar arrays. After completing other duties, they should wrap up their spacewalk at 4:15 p.m. Commander Pavel Vinogradov will assist his two crewmates from inside the International Space Station. Live coverage of spacewalk activities is available on NASA TV

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Begins Spacewalk


Image above: In the Quest airlock on the International Space Station,
two spacesuits await a busy day of spacewalking.
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter began their spacewalk at 10:04 a.m. EDT. They will install a device that measures electrical charging around the truss structure and solar arrays. After completing other duties, they should wrap up their spacewalk about 6.5 hours later. Commander Pavel Vinogradov will assist his two crewmates from inside the International Space Station. Live coverage of spacewalk activities is available on NASA TV

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Begins Spacewalk


Image above: An Expedition 13 crew member works outside the
International Space Station during the second spacewalk of the mission.
Credit: NASA TV

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter began their spacewalk at 10:04 a.m. EDT. They will install a device that measures electrical charging around the truss structure and solar arrays. After completing other duties, they should wrap up their spacewalk about 6.5 hours later. Commander Pavel Vinogradov will assist his two crewmates from inside the International Space Station. Live coverage of spacewalk activities is available on NASA TV

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew to 'Kick It Up a Notch' With Chef Emeril Lagasse

The crew of the International Space Station will indulge next week in the ultimate “take-out” food, a meal delivered by a NASA space shuttle and designed by chef Emeril Lagasse of the Food Network's "Emeril Live." After tasting several of Lagasse's creations, the three-person crew will talk to the chef at 1:30 p.m. EDT Aug. 10 in a special hookup carried live on NASA TV.
+ Watch NASA TV Now


Image above: Expedition 13 crewmates (from left) Thomas Reiter,
Pavel Vinogradov and Jeff Williams will enjoy a meal designed by chef
Emeril Lagasse.
Photo Credit: NASA.

Lagasse sent NASA some of his special recipes for potential use in space. After the required testing and processing, five different meals were selected. Emeril's Mardi Gras jambalaya, mashed potatoes with bacon, green beans with garlic, rice pudding and mixed fruit were delivered to the station aboard the shuttle Discovery in July.

The station is home to NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter. Station crews usually live and work in space for six months. "Our research has indicated that quality, appetizing food is important for the health and morale of astronauts during space missions, especially long ones," said NASA's Vickie Kloeris, who oversees the development and distribution of food on the space station.

Menu options for shuttle and station crews are more extensive than ever before, with about 200 U.S. food items available. Russian food also is available.
+ Space Food Fact Sheets

Source: NASA - Space Station - Behind The Scenes

Jeff and Tom sound so happy to be done and back inside the air lock they almost sound "Space Happy" !

Expedition 13 Successfully Completes Spacewalk


Image above: An Expedition 13 crew member works outside the
International Space Station during the second spacewalk of the mission.
Credit: NASA TV

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter are back in the International Space Station after successfully completing their spacewalk Thursday at 3:58 p.m. EDT. While outside they installed a device that measures electrical charging around the truss structure and solar arrays. They also placed an experiment on the orbiting laboratory that will study how various materials react to the extremes of the outer space environment. Commander Pavel Vinogradov assisted his two crewmates from inside the International Space Station.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crewmen Back Inside After Spacewalk

Space Station crewmen Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter wrapped up a successful 5-hour, 54-minute spacewalk at 3:58 p.m. EDT Thursday. They installed and replaced equipment and set up scientific experiments outside the orbiting laboratory.


Image above: Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter works outside the
International Space Station during the spacewalk on August 3, 2006.
Image credit: NASA TV

They had a third station crew member for the first time in more than three years. Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov coached them through their prebreathe exercise program and helped them suit up for their outing.

The station crew was reduced to two members in May 2003 in the wake of the Columbia accident. Since then, spacewalkers have had to reconfigure station systems before donning their spacesuits without help.

Williams and Reiter were coached during their spacewalk tasks by Astronaut Steve Bowen. He will act as spacewalk intravehicular officer from the International Space Station Flight Control Room in Houston's Mission Control Center.

The first and longest major task of the spacewalk was installation of the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU). That device is designed to measure the electrical potential of the station so ways can be verified or devised to minimize arcing hazards as the ISS grows.


Image above: Expedition 13 Flight Engineers Jeff Williams (right)
and Thomas Reiter participate in the mission's second spacewalk on August 3, 2006.
Image credit: NASA TV

Williams, designated lead spacewalker (EV1), wore the U.S. spacesuit with red stripes. Reiter, EV2, wore the all-white suit.

They spent about half an hour setting up equipment. They then moved with the FPMU to a camera mount near the upper outboard end of the S1 (starboard one) truss.

Next they moved back to the airlock. There they installed two Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) containers. MISSE 3 goes on one of the high-pressure tanks around the crew lock, while MISSE 4 is set up on Quest's outboard end.

The experiment, housed in suitcase-like containers left open, looks at the long-time effects of space on a variety of materials. The idea is to identify optimal materials for use in future spacecraft.

Williams installed a controller for a thermal radiator rotary joint on the S1 truss. Meanwhile, Reiter replaced a computer on S1.


Image above: Expedition 13 Flight Engineer Jeff
Williams works on a task during the Aug. 3, 2006,
spacewalk.
Image credit: NASA TV

While Reiter finished that task, Williams began installation of a starboard jumper and spool positioning device (SPD) on S1. Reiter inspected a radiator beam valve module SPD site and installed one there, then moved on to install a port jumper and SPD.

The jumpers are designed to improve the flow of ammonia through the radiators once that coolant is installed.

Williams began setup for the final major task, test of an infrared camera designed to detect damage in a shuttle's reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) thermal protection. The camera is designed to detect damage by variations in temperature between sound and damaged RCC test sections.

Williams did two get-ahead tasks. The first was installation of a light on the truss railway handcart. He then replaced a malfunctioning GPS antenna. After Reiter finished the infrared camera experiment with the RCC, he installed a vacuum system valve on the U.S. laboratory Destiny for future scientific experiments.

The crew still had spacewalk time remaining, so Mission Control came up with more extra tasks. They included moving two articulating portable foot restraints to prepare for an STS-115 spacewalk, photographing a scratch on the airlock hatch and retrieving a ball stack, which connects hardware to the station, for inspection from PMA-1.

The spacewalk ended with cleanup and airlock entry.

It was the third spacewalk for both Williams and Reiter. It was the 69th spacewalk to support station assembly and maintenance and the 22nd from the Quest airlock.

Source: NASA - Station - Expeditions

Expedition 13 Successfully Completes Spacewalk


Image above: An Astronaut Jeffrey Williams is photographed during an
individualized portion of a productive 5-hour, 54-minute spacewalk
which he shared with European Space Agency astronaut Thomas
Reiter (out of frame).
Credit: NASA

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter successfully completed their spacewalk Thursday at 3:58 p.m. EDT. While outside they installed a device that measures electrical charging around the truss structure and solar arrays. They also placed an experiment on the orbiting laboratory that will study how various materials react to the extremes of the outer space environment. Commander Pavel Vinogradov assisted his two crewmates from inside the International Space Station.

Major events coming up for Expedition 13 are the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115 in late August and a new Progress cargo spacecraft in September.

Source: NASA - Space Station

ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, Expedition 13 Flight Engineer 2, is photographed during a 5-hour, 54-minute excursion which he shared with astronaut Jeff Williams (out of frame). For part of the spacewalk, the pair worked closely in tandem, and then worked separately, getting ahead of their timeline, thus enabling the two to work on extra tasks.

Credits: NASA

7 August 2006
ESA astronaut and International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 13 crew member Thomas Reiter set a new record for the number of days spent in space by a European astronaut last week when he completed a total of over 209 days in orbit.

On the morning of Friday 4 August, just over 30 days after arriving at the Station on board Space Shuttle Discovery as a member of the STS-121 crew, Reiter broke the previous record of 209 days 12 hours 25 minutes and 11 seconds, which was held by his ESA colleague Jean-Pierre Haigneré.
ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain sent a message of congratulations to Reiter who is scheduled to stay on board ISS until December 2006. "At the end of your mission you will have spent one year in space. With this outstanding expertise and experience you – as our “highest flying” colleague – symbolise Europe’s commitment to space," said Dordain. "We are extremely proud of your achievements and wish you the best of luck in your remaining time up there."



Backdropped against the blackness of space, the International Space Station seen from Space Shuttle Discovery as it approached during rendezvous and docking activities on 6 July 2006.

Credits: NASA

The Astrolab Mission is Thomas Reiter's second stay in space, between September 1995 and February 1996 he was on-board engineer for the ESA-Russian Euromir 95 mission to the Mir Space Station, along with Russian colleagues Yuri Gidzenko and Serguei Avdeev.

Thomas Reiter is the first non-US, non-Russian astronaut to become a permanent ISS crew member. On Thursday 3 August he became the first ESA astronaut to perform a spacewalk from the International Space Station when he and NASA astronaut Jeff Williams spent just under six hours installing items of hardware and deploying instruments and experiments on the outside of the Station.

Source: ESA - News

Expedition 13 Crew Returns to Work


Image above: Mt. Etna, Sicily is featured in this image photographed by
an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA

The Expedition 13 crew members are back at work after an off-duty weekend. They stowed spacewalking tools and packed equipment to be returned on Atlantis during the STS-115 mission. They also disassembled the Progress 22 cargo ship docking mechanism and conducted a status check of the MELFI laboratory freezer.

Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter successfully completed their spacewalk Thursday at 3:58 p.m. EDT. Commander Pavel Vinogradov assisted his two crewmates from inside the International Space Station.

Major events coming up for Expedition 13 are the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115 in late August and a new Progress cargo spacecraft in September.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Expedition 13 Crew Talks with Barcelona Soccer Team


Image above: Members of the Barcelona soccer team, during their visit
to Houston, held a conversation with the Expedition 13 crew. They are
shown here presenting the Expedition 13 crew members with team jerseys.
Credit: NASA

The Expedition 13 crew held a conversation with members of the champion Barcelona soccer team Tuesday. The players, in Houston for a game, placed the call to the International Space Station from the Capcom console at the ISS Flight Control room at Johnson Space Center.

The crew completed the six-month maintenance of the treadmill exercise machine. It is now up and running and in good shape. They also continued to pack equipment to be returned on Atlantis during the STS-115 mission.

Major events coming up for Expedition 13 are the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115 in late August and a new Progress cargo spacecraft in September.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Chef Emeril Lagasse Chats With Crew


Image above: Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter (left), Commander Pavel
Vinogradov (center) and Flight Engineer Jeffrey Williams (right) chat
with Chef Emeril Lagasse.
Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 13 crew chatted with Chef Emeril Lagasse on Thursday after tasting several of his gourmet creations delivered by the shuttle Discovery last month. Five different meals were selected after Lagasse sent NASA some of his special recipes for potential use in space. The crew especially enjoyed the Mardi Gras jambalaya and the mashed potatoes with bacon.

+ View video of the event (Real)
+ View video of the event (Windows)

Earlier this week, the crew completed the six-month maintenance of the treadmill exercise machine. It is now up and running and in good shape. They also continued to pack equipm