Discovery Crew Welcomed Aboard Space Station


Image above: Expedition 17 welcomes the STS-124 crew aboard the International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Space shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station at 2:03 p.m. EDT, delivering the STS-124 crew, a new Japanese module and a new crew member to the orbital outpost.

Discovery carries with it the second component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM). The 37-foot, 32,000-pound JPM will be attached to the left side of the Harmony connecting node by shuttle and station crew members during a series of three spacewalks. The JPM will join the first component of Kibo, the Japanese Logistics Module, which was launched on the last shuttle flight, STS-123, in March.

Also traveling with STS-124 is a new Expedition 17 crew member, astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who will replace Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman.

The STS-124 and Expedition 17 crews conducted pressure and leak checks before opening the hatches between the two spacecraft at 3:36 p.m. They then greeted each other to begin nine days of joint operations.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Conduct First Spacewalk


Image above: STS-124 astronauts work outside the International Space Station during the
shuttle mission's first spacewalk.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The crews of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station are conducting the first of three spacewalks, attatching a new laboratory to the orbital outpost.

During the excursion, spacewalkers will retrieve a shuttle inspection tool, inspect components of a solar alpha rotary joint and prepare the largest component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory for installation on the station.

Mission specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide will use the station’s robotic arm to remove the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) from the shuttle’s payload bay and install it on Harmony.

On Wednesday, the crews are scheduled to power up the JPM and open the hatches to begin outfitting the lab.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Conduct First Spacewalk


Image above: A view of the Japanese Pressurized Module as it moves from space shuttle
Discovery's payload bay to its new home on the station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The crews of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station are conducting the first of three spacewalks, attaching a new laboratory to the orbital outpost.

During the excursion, spacewalkers will retrieve a shuttle inspection tool, inspect components of a solar alpha rotary joint and prepare the largest component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory for installation on the station.

Mission specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide will use the station’s robotic arm to remove the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) from the shuttle’s payload bay and install it on Harmony.

On Wednesday, the crews are scheduled to power up the JPM and open the hatches to begin outfitting the lab.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Complete First Spacewalk


Image above: A view of the Japanese Pressurized Module as it moves from space shuttle
Discovery's payload bay to its new home on the station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The crews of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station have completed the first of three spacewalks, attaching a new laboratory to the orbital outpost.

During the excursion, spacewalkers retrieved a shuttle inspection tool, inspected components of a solar alpha rotary joint and prepared the largest component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory for installation on the station.

Mission specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide used the station’s robotic arm to remove the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) from the shuttle’s payload bay and install it on Harmony.

On Wednesday, the crews are scheduled to power up the JPM and open the hatches to begin outfitting the lab.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Astronauts Work to Activate, Open Kibo


Image above: A view of station and shuttle crew members as they prepare Kibo for activation..
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The shuttle and station crews are scheduled to open the hatches to the newly installed Japanese laboratory Kibo this afternoon. The experiment module was installed on the Harmony Node’s port side Tuesday.

Mission specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide will prepare Kibo for activation before opening the hatches. Shortly after entering Kibo with Hoshide, Expedition 17 Commander Sergei Volkov will sample the air and test for contamination. Crew members will wear protective goggles and masks inside Kibo until they are sure the Japanese lab’s air is clean.

Mission Specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan will review procedures for their second spacewalk and sleep in the U.S. Quest airlock tonight to purge the nitrogen from their bodies. During Thursday’s spacewalk, the second of the mission, the spacewalkers will outfit the new lab and prepare the Japanese logistics module for relocation.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Astronauts Enter Kibo


Image above: A view of STS-124 crew member Karen Nyberg as she works inside Kibo.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The shuttle and station crews opened the hatches to the newly installed Japanese laboratory Kibo at 5:05 p.m. EDT Wednesday. The experiment module was installed on the Harmony Node’s port side Tuesday.

Mission specialists Karen Nyberg and Akihiko Hoshide prepared Kibo for activation before opening the hatches. Shortly after entering Kibo, the crew members sampled the air and tested for contamination. Crew members wore protective goggles and masks inside Kibo until they were sure the Japanese lab’s air was clean.

Mission specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan will review procedures for their second spacewalk and sleep in the U.S. Quest airlock overnight to purge the nitrogen from their bodies. During Thursday’s spacewalk, the second of the mission, the spacewalkers will outfit the new lab and prepare the Japanese logistics module for relocation.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Conduct Second Spacewalk


Image above: STS-124 Mission Specialist Ron Garan works outside the International
Space Station's Kibo module.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The crews of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station are conducting the second spacewalk of the STS-124 mission.

During the 6.5-hour spacewalk, Mission Specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan will perform a number of tasks to continue outfitting the exterior of the Kibo laboratory. Among their duties, they will install front and rear television cameras on the outside of the Kibo Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM, remove thermal covers from the Kibo robotic arm system, and prepare a JPM upper docking port where the Kibo logistics module will be attached on Friday. They also will prepare an external storage platform for the removal and replacement of a nitrogen tank assembly, a task they will perform on Sunday's third spacewalk.

Meanwhile, astronauts inside the space station will activate the second of the two Kibo JPM power channels and continue outfitting the inside of the JPM.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Complete Spacewalk


Image above: STS-124 Commander Mark Kelly (center) and Expedition 17 Flight Engineer
Greg Chamitoff (top) help Mission Specialists Ron Garan (far left) and Mike Fossum remove
their spacesuits after a successful second spacewalk.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Astronauts Mike Fossum and Ron Garan completed their second STS-124 spacewalk at 6:15 p.m. EDT Thursday, when the Quest airlock was repressurized. The spacewalk lasted seven hours, eleven minutes.

The astronauts completed a number of tasks to outfit the Kibo Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM. They installed television cameras on the front and rear of the JPM to assist Kibo robotic arm operations, removed thermal covers from the Kibo robotic arm, prepared an upper JPM docking port for Friday's attachment of the Kibo logistics module, readied a spare nitrogen tank assembly for its installation during Sunday's third spacewalk, and retrieved a failed television camera from the Port 1 truss.

At the end of the spacewalk, Fossum inspected the port solar alpha rotary joint, or SARJ. He described and photographed some features that appeared to be lines of grease.

Inside the space station, astronauts moved all the racks from the Japanese logistics module into the Kibo JPM, and closed the logistics module's hatch. The logistics module is ready to be relocated Friday from its current location on top of the Harmony node to its permanent location on top of the JPM. Both Kibo JPM power channels have been activated and are functioning normally.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Continue Work on Kibo


Image above: STS-124 Commander Mark Kelly floats in the hatch between the Harmony
node and the Kibo Japanese Pressurized Module.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory continues today as the STS-124 and Expedition 17 crew members move the logistics module to its fixed position atop the newly installed experiment module.

The crew also will activate the Japanese robotic arm located at the forward end cone of the JPM.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Continue Work on Kibo


Image above: STS-124 Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman (left) and Karen Nyberg (right)
work in the Kibo laboratory.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory continued today as the STS-124 and Expedition 17 crew members moved the logistics module to its fixed position atop the newly installed experiment module.

The crew also activated the Japanese robotic arm located at the forward end cone of the JPM.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Continue Work on Kibo, Robotics


Image above: The STS-124 and Expedition 17 crews in the International
Space Station's Kibo module answer questions from the media.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The STS-124 and Expedition 17 crew members are spending most of the day outfitting the Japanese Logistics Module (JLM) and preparing Kibo’s robotic systems for initial deployment.

Crew members also will review procedures and prepare for the third and final spacewalk of the mission which will take place Sunday.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Astronauts Perform Third Spacewalk


Image above: Spacewalkers Mike Fossum and Ron Garan work outside of the International
Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Astronauts Mike Fossum and Ron Garan began the third and final planned spacewalk of STS-124 at 9:55 a.m. EDT, leaving the International Space Station’s Quest airlock for a 6.5-hour excursion.

The STS-124 and Expedition 17 crew members spent most of Saturday outfitting the Japanese Logistics Module (JLM) and preparing Kibo’s robotic systems for initial deployment.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Fossum and Garan Complete Mission’s Third Spacewalk


Image above: Spacewalkers Mike Fossum and Ron Garan work outside of the International
Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Spacewalkers Mike Fossum and Ron Garan completed the third STS-124 spacewalk at 4:28 p.m. EDT. Their excursion lasted six hours and 33 minutes.

Fossum and Garan replaced a nitrogen tank assembly, installed TV equipment and removed a thermal cover from Japan’s new robotic arm. During the two previous spacewalks they outfitted Japan’s Kibo module and performed station maintenance tasks.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg assisted Fossum and Garan with Canadarm2, the station’s main robotic arm.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalkers Complete Work Outside Station


Image above: STS-124 and Expedition 17 crew members share a meal aboard the International
Space Station..
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Mission Specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan completed the third STS-124 spacewalk at 4:28 p.m. EDT Sunday. Their excursion lasted six hours and 33 minutes.

Fossum and Garan accomplished all planned activities and several "get-ahead" tasks. They exchanged a depleted nitrogen tank assembly for a new one, removed thermal covers and launch locks from the Kibo laboratory, and reinstalled a repaired television camera. Fossum also retrieved samples of a dust-like substance from the left solar alpha rotary joint for analysis by experts on the ground.

The spacewalk was Fossum's sixth, Garan's third, the 112th spacewalk devoted to space station assembly and maintenance, and the 197th by U.S. astronauts.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalkers Complete Work Outside Station


Image above: Crew members gather for a portrait inside the International Space Station's Destiny
laboratory. From left are Expedition 17 flight engineers Oleg Kononenko and Greg Chamitoff, former
flight engineer Garret Reisman and Expedition 17 Commander Sergei Volkov. Chamitoff replaces
Reisman who has joined the shuttle crew as a mission specialist and will go home on Discovery.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Mission Specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan completed the third STS-124 spacewalk at 4:28 p.m. EDT Sunday. Their excursion lasted six hours and 33 minutes.

Fossum and Garan accomplished all planned activities and several "get-ahead" tasks. They exchanged a depleted nitrogen tank assembly for a new one, removed thermal covers and launch locks from the Kibo laboratory, and reinstalled a repaired television camera. Fossum also retrieved samples of a dust-like substance from the left solar alpha rotary joint for analysis by experts on the ground.

The spacewalk was Fossum's sixth, Garan's third, the 112th spacewalk devoted to space station assembly and maintenance, and the 197th by U.S. astronauts.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Spacewalkers Complete Work Outside Station


Image above: A "fish-eye" lens on a digital still camera was used to record this image of the
STS-124 and Expedition 17 crew members as they share a meal on the middeck of space
shuttle Discovery while docked with the International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA

Mission Specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan completed the third STS-124 spacewalk at 4:28 p.m. EDT Sunday. Their excursion lasted six hours and 33 minutes.

Fossum and Garan accomplished all planned activities and several "get-ahead" tasks. They exchanged a depleted nitrogen tank assembly for a new one, removed thermal covers and launch locks from the Kibo laboratory, and reinstalled a repaired television camera. Fossum also retrieved samples of a dust-like substance from the left solar alpha rotary joint for analysis by experts on the ground.

The spacewalk was Fossum's sixth, Garan's third, the 112th spacewalk devoted to space station assembly and maintenance, and the 197th by U.S. astronauts.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crews Prepare for Shuttle's Departure


Image above: Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff (left) and STS-124 Mission
Specialist Garrett Reisman answer questions from the media.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The crews of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station will prepare for the end of joint operations today.

At 3:57 p.m. EDT, the two crews will bid farewell to one another and close the hatches between Discovery and the station.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Boy, I'll tell ya...

It's been a hell of a mission. Fantastic perfomances all the way around.

The 124 crew is back on discovery and the hatches are sealed. We leave tomorrow.

But I have to say, for me personally, it's a hell of an emotional moment wathcing an American speak in glowing terms of his Russian crew mates, to his Russian crewmates...in RUSSIAN!


And watching a Japanese and some Russian folks, and a bunch of Americans...and a Brit or two, and Italians and Belgians, and Canadians and all these folks, men and women...together, in one massive scientific and engineeering project, all interacting together, all cooperating, forming lifetime bonds...a brotherhood, and sisterhood!...Christ.


It's something I always dreamed about happening aloft. I knew it could, but here we are today watching it happen.


This is the best stuff humans do, frankly!

Hail 124/1J and Alpha!
And Godspeed on your return.

Superb in all respects...


But God knows, I hate these farewells...so long to prepare, so little time to make it all happen.

But they do make it happen, precisely, and on time...amazing, every time.

That's real TV.

Shuttle and Station Crews Bid Farewell


Image above: Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonauts Sergei Volkov (center), Expedition
17 commander; Oleg Kononenko (left) and NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff, both flight
engineers, pose for a portrait in the Kibo Japanese Pressurized Module of the International
Space Station..
Photo Credit: NASA

The STS-124 and Expedition 17 crews bid one another farewell, and the hatch between the two spacecraft closed Tuesday afternoon. Discovery is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station at 7:42 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

The STS-124 crew arrived at the station June 2, delivering the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM), the second pressurized component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, to the station.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Shuttle Undocks from Station


Image above: A view of the International Space Station from space shuttle Discovery after
undocking.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Space shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 7:42 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

The STS-124 crew arrived at the station June 2, delivering the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM), the second pressurized component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, to the station.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Back to Business as Usual


Image above: Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the International
Space Station is seen from space shuttle Discovery as the two spacecraft begin their relative
separation. Earlier the STS-124 and Expedition 17 crews concluded almost nine days of
cooperative work onboard the shuttle and station.
Photo Credit: NASA

The Expedition 17 crew members returned to their regular maintenance, science and exercise activities aboard the International Space Station after Wednesday’s undocking of space shuttle Discovery.

Discovery and the STS-124 crew delivered the second component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM). The tour bus-sized JPM was attached to the left side of the Harmony connecting node by shuttle and station crew members during a series of three spacewalks.

Discovery also brought with it a new Expedition 17 crew member, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff. Chamitoff took the place of Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who is returning to Earth as a member of the Discovery crew.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Shifts Into Science, Spacewalk Preps


Image above: Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff talks with KPIX-TV in San Francisco.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 17 crew members aboard the International Space Station worked on science activities and spacewalk preparations Tuesday.

The three crew members awoke around 5:30 a.m. EDT, about 3½ hours later than normal, as they continue to adjust their schedules for a pair of spacewalks. The first spacewalk is set for the afternoon of July 10.

During that excursion, Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko will inspect their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, checking the five locks that attach the return module to the propulsion module, and retrieve a suspect pyrotechnic bolt for inspection by engineers on the ground.

To prepare for that spacewalk, Volkov and Kononenko gathered spacewalk equipment and tools and configured an onboard simulator, tagging up with specialists in Russia as needed.

Meanwhile Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff, working with the Columbus Control Center in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, performed troubleshooting on the European Space Agency’s Fluid Science Laboratory. This laboratory provides a central location to safely perform fluid physics experiments onboard the station, giving insight into the physics of fluids in space.

Later, Chamitoff took a break from his activities to participate in an interview with KPIX-TV in San Francisco.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Shifts Into Science, Spacewalk Preps


Image above: Santorini Volcano, Greece, is featured in this image photographed by an
Expedition 17 crew member on April 19, 2008.
Photo Credit: NASA

The Expedition 17 crew members continued their spacewalk preparations aboard the International Space Station Wednesday.

For the second straight day, the three crew members awoke around 5:30 a.m. EDT, about 3½ hours later than normal, as they continue to adjust their schedules for a pair of spacewalks.

The first spacewalk is set for the afternoon of July 10 when Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko will inspect their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, checking the five locks that attach the return module to the propulsion module. They also will retrieve a suspect pyrotechnic bolt for inspection by engineers on the ground.

Volkov and Kononenko will conduct a second spacewalk on July 15. During that excursion, the two cosmonauts will install experiments and attach rendezvous equipment to the hull of the Zvezda service module. They gathered equipment and tools and reviewed procedures Wednesday to prepare for this spacewalk.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff spent most of the day in the Kibo laboratory module, setting up and calibrating high data rate relay box equipment as the commissioning of the new module continues.

The crew members also completed their daily physical exercise routines to counteract the effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness in space.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Busy Week of Spacewalk Preparations For Crew


Image above: Flight Engineers Oleg Kononenko and Greg Chamitoff reconfigure power
cables on a spacesuit aboard the International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Spacewalk training activities and preparations continue for the Expedition 17 crew members aboard the International Space Station.

The three crew members participated in meetings with specialists on Earth and conducted reviews and checks of the systems and procedures that will be used during upcoming spacewalks.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko are scheduled to embark on the first of two spacewalks July 10.

During that spacewalk, the cosmonauts will inspect their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, checking the attachment of the return module to the propulsion module. They also will retrieve a suspect pyrotechnic bolt for inspection by engineers on the ground.

Volkov and Kononenko are scheduled to conduct a second spacewalk on July 15. During that excursion, they will install experiments and attach rendezvous equipment to the hull of the Zvezda service module.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff reviewed procedures that would be employed in the unlikely event that the Pirs docking compartment airlock fails to repressurize after either of the spacewalks.

The crew members took a break from their activities to participate in an interview with KGPE-TV in Fresno, Calif.

The crew members also completed a variety of station maintenance tasks and performed their daily physical exercise routines to counteract the effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness in space.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Continues Spacewalk Preparations


Image above: light Engineer Oleg Kononenko conducts spacewalk training exercises aboard
the International Space Station on June 26, 2008.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 17 crew kicked off a busy week aboard the International Space Station with more spacewalk preparations.

The crew members participated in meetings with specialists on Earth and prepared cameras along with other tools and equipment that will be used during two upcoming spacewalks.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko will wear their Orlan spacesuits Tuesday to perform a full dress rehearsal to check their systems and communications gear to prepare for the first Expedition 17 spacewalk.

The two cosmonauts are scheduled to leave the Pirs docking compartment Thursday at 2:21 p.m. EDT. During the excursion, they will inspect their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, checking the attachment of the return module to the propulsion module. They also will retrieve a suspect pyrotechnic bolt for inspection by engineers on the ground.

Volkov and Kononenko will conduct a second spacewalk on July 15 to retrieve an experiment and install another, and attach a docking target on the Zvezda service module.

In addition to the spacewalk preparations, the crew members also completed a variety of station maintenance tasks and performed their daily physical exercise routines to counteract the effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness in space.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Conducts Spacewalk Dress Rehearsal


Image above: The International Space Station flies over Hurricane Bertha on Tuesday.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 17 crew of the International Space Station worked Tuesday towards completing preparations for a pair of spacewalks. They donned their spacesuits for a dry run and inspected hatch seals.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko put on their Orlan spacesuits in a full dress rehearsal of Thursday’s spacewalk. The two cosmonauts tested their ability to move around and the status of the suits’ communication gear and other systems.

Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff inspected the hatch seals of the station’s labs and checked out the communication equipment in the docked Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft. During the spacewalks, the station’s hatches will be sealed and Chamitoff will remain in the Soyuz as a contingency in the unlikely event that the spacewalkers are unable to repressurize the Pirs docking compartment and must use the Soyuz to move to another docking port to re-enter the station.

Volkov and Kononenko are set to exit the station Thursday at about 2:20 p.m. EDT. During the 6-hour excursion, they will inspect the Soyuz, checking the attachment of the return module to the propulsion module. They also will retrieve a suspect pyrotechnic bolt for inspection by engineers on the ground.

If time permits, the spacewalkers will install a docking target on the Zvezda service module. Otherwise, they will complete that task on a second spacewalk on July 15. On that spacewalk they also will retrieve an experiment from the station’s exterior and install another.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Spacewalk to Retrieve Soyuz Pyro Bolt

07.08.08

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko will inspect and retrieve an explosive bolt from their Soyuz TMA-12 during a July 10 spacewalk. The bolt will be returned to Earth for examination.

The spacewalk comes in the wake of two consecutive ballistic entries by the previous Soyuz spacecraft, entries that resulted in high-G rides for the crews and landings hundreds of miles short of the planned recovery area. Russian engineers say they have evidence that failed explosive bolts that help separate two modules likely are responsible.

Scheduled to begin about 2:20 p.m. EDT, the spacewalk should last about six hours and focus on the area between the Soyuz return and propulsion modules.

Volkov and Kononenko will leave the Pirs docking compartment and move to the Strela hand-powered crane mounted nearby. Volkov, wearing the red-striped Orlan spacesuit and designated EV1, and Kononenko will mount a foot restraint on the end of Strela.

Kononenko, EV2 in the blue-striped suit, will get into the foot restraint and Volkov will maneuver him to the Soyuz, docked to the Earth-facing port on Pirs.

After installing covers to protect nearby thrusters, Kononenko will cut and secure insulation and inspect and photograph the area. Then Volkov will move along the Strela to join Kononenko, who will install a handrail on the Soyuz and a cover to protect fluid lines.

Volkov will cut a wire tie between adjacent pyrotechnic bolts in the suspect position and demate an electrical connector. Next he will unscrew and retrieve the pyro bolt and stow it in a protective cylindrical case. He'll reinstall the insulation cover, and remove the thruster covers, taking photos after each step.

Kononenko and Volkov will move back to the Strela controls and both will maneuver the crane back to its stowage position on Pirs. They'll stow a bag with the blast-proof container holding the pyro bolt back in the airlock.

If time permits, they'll install a docking target on the space-facing side of the Zvezda service module. It will help with the docking of a Russian mini-research module atop Zvezda. The module will be delivered on a future mission.

The cosmonauts will return to Pirs, enter the airlock and close the hatch.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff will remain in the Soyuz during the spacewalk, part of contingency preparations for the unlikely event the Pirs airlock cannot be repressurized.

Volkov and Kononenko will conduct another spacewalk July 15 to outfit the Russian segment's exterior, install one scientific experiment and retrieve another.

Source: NASA - Space Station - Expeditions

Station Crew Completes Spacewalk Preparations


Image above: Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff works inside the International
Space Station’s Kibo Laboratory.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 17 crew aboard the International Space Station completed preparations Wednesday for Thursday’s spacewalk by Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko.

The two spacewalkers will inspect their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, remove one of the 10 pyrotechnic separation bolts at the interface of two sections of the spacecraft and, if time permits, install a docking target on the Zvezda module for the future arrival of a new Russian module. The spacewalk will begin at about 2:20 p.m. EDT.

The crew conducted a final review of the spacewalk timeline with Russian specialists at the Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow, and deactivated some systems in preparation for putting the station into "caretaker" status during the excursion. The crew members also closed several hatches on the orbital outpost. More hatches are scheduled for closure Thursday morning.

In addition to helping his crewmates prepare for Thursday’s work outside the station, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff participated in an amateur radio session with the National Agriculture Museum in Ottawa.

All three crew members performed their regular exercise routines, which help minimize the effects of long-duration exposure to the microgravity environment of space.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Spacewalk to Retrieve Soyuz Pyro Bolt


Image above: A video camera on the International Space Station captured this image of
Hurricane Bertha on Thursday morning.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko will inspect and retrieve an explosive bolt from their Soyuz TMA-12 during today's spacewalk. The bolt will be returned to Earth for examination.

The spacewalk comes in the wake of two consecutive ballistic entries by the previous Soyuz spacecraft, entries that resulted in high-G rides for the crews and landings hundreds of miles short of the planned recovery area. Russian engineers say they have evidence that failed explosive bolts that help separate two modules likely are responsible.

Scheduled to begin about 2:20 p.m. EDT, the spacewalk should last about six hours and focus on the area between the Soyuz return and propulsion modules.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Soyuz Inspection Spacewalk Under Way


Image above: A view of Expedition 17 Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg
Kononenko as they conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko began a spacewalk at 2:48 p.m. EDT Thursday to inspect and retrieve an explosive bolt from their Soyuz TMA-12. The bolt will be returned to Earth for examination.

The spacewalk comes in the wake of two consecutive ballistic entries by the previous Soyuz spacecraft, entries that resulted in high-G rides for the crews and landings hundreds of miles short of the planned recovery area. Russian engineers say they have evidence that failed explosive bolts that help separate two modules likely are responsible.

The spacewalk is expected to last about six hours. It focuses on the area between the Soyuz return and propulsion modules.

Volkov and Kononenko leave the Pirs docking compartment and move to the Strela hand-powered crane mounted nearby. Volkov, wearing the red-striped Orlan spacesuit and designated EV1, and Kononenko mount a foot restraint on the end of Strela.

Kononenko, EV2 in the blue-striped suit, gets into the foot restraint and Volkov maneuvers him to the Soyuz, docked to the Earth-facing port on Pirs.

After installing covers to protect nearby thrusters, Kononenko cuts and secures insulation and inspects and photographs the area. Then Volkov moves along the Strela to join Kononenko, who installs a handrail on the Soyuz and a cover to protect fluid lines.

Volkov cuts a wire tie between adjacent pyrotechnic bolts in the suspect position and demates an electrical connector. Next he unscrews and retrieves the pyro bolt and stows it in a protective cylindrical case. He reinstalls the insulation cover and removes the thruster covers, taking photos after each step.

Kononenko and Volkov move back to the Strela controls and both maneuver the crane back to its stowage position on Pirs. They stow a bag with the blast-proof container holding the pyro bolt in the airlock.

If time permits, they install a docking target on the space-facing side of the Zvezda service module. It will help with the docking of a Russian mini-research module atop Zvezda. The module will be delivered on a future mission.

The cosmonauts return to Pirs, enter the airlock and close the hatch.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff remains in the Soyuz during the spacewalk, part of contingency preparations for the unlikely event the Pirs airlock cannot be repressurized.

Volkov and Kononenko will conduct another spacewalk July 15 to outfit the Russian segment's exterior and install a scientific experiment and retrieve another.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Soyuz Inspection Spacewalk Under Way


Image above: A view of Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko as he conducts a
spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko began a spacewalk at 2:48 p.m. EDT Thursday to inspect and retrieve an explosive bolt from their Soyuz TMA-12. The bolt will be returned to Earth for examination.

The spacewalk comes in the wake of two consecutive ballistic entries by the previous Soyuz spacecraft, entries that resulted in high-G rides for the crews and landings hundreds of miles short of the planned recovery area. Russian engineers say they have evidence that failed explosive bolts that help separate two modules likely are responsible.

The spacewalk is expected to last about six hours. It focuses on the area between the Soyuz return and propulsion modules.

Volkov and Kononenko leave the Pirs docking compartment and move to the Strela hand-powered crane mounted nearby. Volkov, wearing the red-striped Orlan spacesuit and designated EV1, and Kononenko mount a foot restraint on the end of Strela.

Kononenko, EV2 in the blue-striped suit, gets into the foot restraint and Volkov maneuvers him to the Soyuz, docked to the Earth-facing port on Pirs.

After installing covers to protect nearby thrusters, Kononenko cuts and secures insulation and inspects and photographs the area. Then Volkov moves along the Strela to join Kononenko, who installs a handrail on the Soyuz and a cover to protect fluid lines.

Volkov cuts a wire tie between adjacent pyrotechnic bolts in the suspect position and demates an electrical connector. Next he unscrews and retrieves the pyro bolt and stows it in a protective cylindrical case. He reinstalls the insulation cover and removes the thruster covers, taking photos after each step.

Kononenko and Volkov move back to the Strela controls and both maneuver the crane back to its stowage position on Pirs. They stow a bag with the blast-proof container holding the pyro bolt in the airlock.

If time permits, they install a docking target on the space-facing side of the Zvezda service module. It will help with the docking of a Russian mini-research module atop Zvezda. The module will be delivered on a future mission.

The cosmonauts return to Pirs, enter the airlock and close the hatch.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff remains in the Soyuz during the spacewalk, part of contingency preparations for the unlikely event the Pirs airlock cannot be repressurized.

Volkov and Kononenko will conduct another spacewalk July 15 to outfit the Russian segment's exterior and install a scientific experiment and retrieve another.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Spacewalkers Retrieve Soyuz Pyro Bolt


Image above: A view of Expedition 17 Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg
Kononenko as they conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko wrapped up a 6-hour, 18-minute spacewalk at 9:06 p.m. EDT Thursday. They inspected their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft and retrieved a pyro bolt from it.

The spacewalk comes in the wake of ballistic entries by the two most recent Soyuz spacecraft, entries that while safe resulted in high-G rides for the crews and landings hundreds of miles short of the planned recovery area. Russian engineers say they have evidence that failed explosive bolts that help separate two modules likely are responsible.

The spacewalk, the 113th for assembly and maintenance of the station, focused on the area between the Soyuz return and propulsion modules.

Volkov and Kononenko left the Pirs docking compartment and moved to the Strela hand-powered crane mounted nearby. Volkov, wearing the red-striped Orlan spacesuit and designated EV1 or lead spacewalker, and Kononenko mounted a foot restraint on the end of Strela.

Kononenko, EV2 in the blue-striped suit, was unable to secure himself to the foot restraint, so he tethered himself to Strela and held on. Volkov maneuvered him to the Soyuz docked to the Earth-facing port on Pirs.

After taking photos and installing covers to protect nearby thrusters, Kononenko cut and secured insulation and inspected the area behind it. Then Volkov moved along the Strela to join Kononenko.

They demated electrical connectors and cut a wire tie between adjacent pyro bolts in the suspect position. Volkov unscrewed and retrieved one of the pyro bolts there. With help from Kononenko he stowed it in a protective blast-proof cylindrical case. The spacewalkers installed a thermal blanket over their work area and took photos of the site.

Kononenko and Volkov moved back to the Strela controls and maneuvered the crane back to its stowage position on Pirs. They stowed a bag with the container holding the pyro bolt in the airlock. It will be returned to Earth for examination.

Installation of a docking target, a get-ahead task on this spacewalk, will be scheduled for the Tuesday spacewalk.

The cosmonauts returned to Pirs, entered the airlock and closed the hatch.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff remained in the Soyuz during the spacewalk, part of the contingency plan for the unlikely event the Pirs airlock could not be repressurized. Otherwise he would not have had access to the station's lifeboat through a depressurized Pirs.

Volkov and Kononenko will conduct another spacewalk July 15 to outfit the Russian segment's exterior, install one scientific experiment and retrieve another.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Suiting Up

Attired in his Russian Orlan spacesuit, Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Expedition 17 flight engineer, prepared for the July 10 spacewalk. During the full dress rehearsal "dry run" that took place on July 8, Kononenko and fellow cosmonaut Commander Sergei Volkov tested translation capability and the status of the suits' communications gear and other systems while in the Pirs Docking Compartment of the International Space Station.

During the 6-hour, 18-minute spacewalk, they inspected their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft and retrieved a pyro bolt from it.

Image Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

Spacewalkers Relax and Prepare for July 15 Spacewalk


Image above: A spacewalker rides a Russian crane, called the Strela, from the Pirs airlock to
inspect the Soyuz vehicle and retrieve a pyrotechnic bolt.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Cosmonauts Sergei Volkov, station commander, and Oleg Kononenko, flight engineer, completed their mission’s first spacewalk Thursday, July 10. They spent 6 hours, 18 minutes inspecting their docked Soyuz vehicle and retrieving a pyrotechnic bolt for inspection later back on Earth.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff occupied the Soyuz vehicle during the spacewalk as a precaution in the unlikely event the spacewalkers would have to enter if the Pirs airlock failed to repressurize.

After relaxing a bit Friday, Volkov and Kononenko will prepare their Russian Orlan spacesuits and tools for a second spacewalk on Tuesday, July 15. During the 5.5-hour spacewalk, the spacewalkers will remove and install science experiments, as well as install rendezvous equipment for an upcoming Russian mission. That mission scheduled for next summer will see an automated docking of a Russian airlock compartment module.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Relaxes Before Second Spacewalk


Image above: In this image taken Friday, Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff
(right) works inside the International Space Station’s Destiny Laboratory as Commander
Sergei Volkov moves past.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Soaring high above the Earth, the Expedition 17 crew members aboard the International Space Station spent some time Monday relaxing before their second spacewalk, which is slated for about 1:10 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The crew also reviewed the spacewalk timeline and closed hatches on the station in preparation for the excursion.

During the spacewalk, Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko will install docking equipment on the zenith port of the Zvezda Service Module in preparation for the arrival of the new Russian Mini-Research Module-2 next year. They also will install a science experiment on Zvezda's hull and retrieve another experiment mounted on the module last year.

Throughout the weekend, the crew members prepared for the spacewalk by recharging their Orlan suit batteries, swapping out other suit components and reviewing timelines with Russian specialists at the Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Spacewalk to Outfit Station's Exterior Under Way

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko began a spacewalk to install one experiment and retrieve another at 1:08 p.m. EDT Tuesday. It is their second spacewalk in less than a week.

They also continue to outfit the station's exterior, including the installation of a docking target on the Zvezda service module. It will help with the docking of a Russian mini research module on the space-facing side of Zvezda. That module will be launched next year.

The spacewalk, in Russian Orlan suits from the Pirs docking compartment, is expected to last about 5.5 hours.

Volkov, the lead spacewalker or EV1, is wearing the suit with red stripes. Kononenko, EV2, wears the blue-striped suit.

After leaving Pirs and setting up, the first task is the docking target. Kononenko uses the boom of the Strela hand-powered crane, operated by Volkov, to move to the area at the front of Zvezda, the transfer compartment, to install the docking target.

Next they retract Strela and use an installed spacewalkers' ladder to move to the small-diameter section of Zvezda. There they inspect bolt holes to be used to place an antenna adapter, part of the Kurs automated docking system. A Kurs antenna to be installed there later will be used for the first time next year.

After moving back to Strela, they move a foot restraint from its boom to the exterior of Zvezda. They return to Pirs, get an experiment called Vsplesk and move with it to the large-diameter section of Zvezda.

There they install the experiment, which monitors seismic effects using high-energy particle streams in the near-Earth environment. Then they install cabling.

Finally, they move to the Biorisk experiment, installed by Expedition 15 spacewalkers on Zvezda, and free it from its mountings. The experiment studies the effects of the space environment on microorganisms.

With Biorisk and a tool carrier they move down the spacewalkers' ladder and to Pirs. The closing of its hatch marks the official end of the spacewalk.

As he did last week, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff remains in the Soyuz during the spacewalk. That is part of contingency preparations for the unlikely event the Pirs airlock cannot be repressurized.

The July 10 spacewalk by Volkov and Kononenko focused on inspection of their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft and retrieval of an explosive bolt, one of 10 that help separate the spacecraft's return module from its propulsion module. The bolt will be returned to Earth for examination.

Failure of those two modules to separate on time during re-entry on the most recent two Soyuz returns resulted in ballistic entries. Those steeper-than-normal entries, while safe, resulted in high-G rides for Soyuz occupants and landings several hundred miles short of the planned area.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Spacewalk to Outfit Station's Exterior Under Way


Image above: Commander Sergei Volkov (top) operates the Strela hand-powered crane
to position Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko during Tuesday's spacewalk.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

nternational Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko began a spacewalk to install one experiment and retrieve another at 1:08 p.m. EDT today. It is their second spacewalk in less than a week.

They also continue to outfit the station's exterior, including the installation of a docking target on the Zvezda service module. It will help with the docking of a Russian mini research module on the space-facing side of Zvezda. That module will be launched next year.

The spacewalk, in Russian Orlan suits from the Pirs docking compartment, is expected to last about 5.5 hours.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Russian Spacewalkers Outfit Station's Exterior


Image above: Commander Sergei Volkov (top) operates the Strela hand-powered crane
to position Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko during Tuesday's spacewalk.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

International Space Station Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko wound up a 5-hour, 54-minute spacewalk at 7:02 p.m. EDT Tuesday after installing one experiment and retrieving another.

In this spacewalk, their second in less than a week, they also continued to outfit the station's exterior, including the installation of a docking target on the Zvezda service module. It will help with the docking of a Russian mini research module on the space-facing side of Zvezda. That module will be launched next year.

The spacewalk was in Russian Orlan suits from the Pirs docking compartment. Volkov, the lead spacewalker or EV1, wore the suit with red stripes. Kononenko, EV2, wore the blue-striped suit.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Light-Duty Day for Crew After Successful Spacewalk


Image above: Commander Sergei Volkov (right) and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko conduct
a spacewalk on July 15, 2008.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

Following a successful spacewalk Tuesday, the Expedition 17 crew members aboard the International Space Station had a light-duty work day Wednesday.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko recharged the batteries for their Russian Orlan suits and stowed spacewalking tools and equipment.

The cosmonauts also reconfigured laptops and conducted a debriefing with Russian spacewalk specialists on Earth.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff reopened the hatches to the Columbus and Kibo modules.

Tuesday’s 5-hour, 54-minute spacewalk was Volkov and Kononenko’s second in less than a week. They continued to outfit the station's exterior as they retrieved and installed experiments and added a docking target on the Zvezda service module. The target will help with the docking of a Russian mini research module on the space-facing side of Zvezda. That module will be launched next year.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Light-Duty Day for Crew After Successful Spacewalk


Image above: Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff works in the Columbus module aboard the
International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 17 crew members continued their focus on post-spacewalk maintenance duties aboard the International Space Station Thursday.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko conducted maintenance and cleaning procedures on their Orlan spacesuits and batteries. They also continued to stow equipment and participated in a debriefing with Russian spacewalk specialists on Earth.

The crew members took a break from their activities to participate in a radio conference with space agency representatives attending the Heads of Agency meeting at European Space Agency headquarters in Paris, France.

Throughout the day, the crew members completed a variety of routine station maintenance tasks and inspections. They also performed their daily physical exercise routines to counteract the effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness in space.

Source: NASA - Space Station

The press release is reproduced below:

David Mould/Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600/1979
david.r.mould@nasa.gov, michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 08-178

Heads of Agency International Space Station Joint Statement

PARIS -- The heads of the International Space Station (ISS) agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States met at European Space Agency (ESA) Headquarters in Paris on July 17, 2008, to review ISS cooperation. As part of their discussions, they noted the significantly expanded capability that the ISS now provides for on-orbit research and technology development activities and as an engineering test bed for flight systems and operations that are critical to future space exploration initiatives. These activities improve the quality of life on Earth by expanding the frontiers of human knowledge.


In Paris, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin is
joined at the 2008 meeting of the International
Space Station Heads of Agency by Guy Bujold,
Canadian Space Agency president; Jean-Jacques
Dordain, European Space Agency director-general;
Anatolii N. Perminov, Russian Federal Space
Agency head; and Keiji Tachikawa, Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency president.
Credit: ESA/S. Corvaja
› View Full Resolution

The Heads of Agency also noted the Partners' significant accomplishments since their last meeting in January 2007, including the delivery of Node 2 (Harmony), two new laboratories (the ESA Columbus Module and the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo), and Dextre, Canada's two-armed special purpose dexterous manipulator. In addition to the completion of six challenging ISS assembly missions with the U.S. Space Shuttle, the Heads of Agency recognized the maiden flight of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle, the establishment of the global ISS ground operation control center network with the addition of new European and Japanese ISS operations centers and the successful flights of Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles. The Partners emphasized the critical importance of expanded operations of Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles for ISS total crew transportation, rescue and cargo delivery.

The Heads of Agency reviewed current ISS development, configuration and operations activities across the partnership. They considered implementing plans to maximize the benefits from the increase to a six-person crew in 2009 and discussed efforts to ensure that essential space transportation capabilities (both crew and cargo) will be available across the partnership for the life of the program. The Partners acknowledged the need for the additional Russian modules to be provided in 2009 and 2010 that will maximize six-person ISS operations and utilization.

The Heads of Agency discussed their respective ongoing activities to enhance upmass and downmass transportation capabilities required for a robust utilization of the ISS and for preparing capabilities for the future. These include Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicle in the next year, the U.S. Commercial Orbital Transportation Services and the U.S. Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle; together with the current operational vehicles, the U.S. Shuttle (up to 2010), Russian Soyuz and Progress, and ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle. These capabilities will respond to the ISS operations and utilization requirements. They also noted new initiatives such as the ESA plan for an Automated Transfer Vehicle-Advanced Return Vehicle system for downmass from the ISS and the Russia-ESA joint preparatory activities on an advanced Crew Space Transportation System. The Heads of Agency expressed their interest in making these capacities available for the benefit of the whole partnership and can provide sustainability of the ISS and prepare for future exploration endeavors.

As the partnership moves closer to completion of ISS assembly, the Heads of Agency reaffirmed their common interest in utilizing the space station to its full capacity for a period meaningful for stakeholders and users. The Partners noted that a continuation of operations beyond 2015 would not be precluded by any significant technical challenges. Recognizing the substantial programmatic benefits to continued ISS operations and utilization beyond the current planning horizon, the Heads of Agency committed to work with their respective governments to assess support for such a goal.

For the latest about the International Space Station, visit the Internet at:


Source: NASA Press Release 08-178

Crew Reconfigures Station for Post-Spacewalk Activities


Image above: Sergei Volkov works outside the Pirs docking compartment during the second
spacewalk of Expedition 17.
Photo Credit: NASA

Cosmonauts Sergei Volkov, station commander, and Oleg Kononenko, flight engineer, performed two spacewalks in less than a week. They outfitted Russian station components and inspected their docked Soyuz vehicle. The spacewalkers also retrieved a Soyuz separation bolt for analysis on the ground.

The Soyuz vehicle was readied as a lifeboat in case the Pirs docking compartment failed to repressurize after completing the spacewalks. Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff occupied the Soyuz during the spacewalks. The Soyuz has now been reconfigured to its normal state.

A docked Progress cargo craft will be deactivated and will repressurize the station’s atmosphere. The Progress was prepared for an undocking during the spacewalks in the unlikely event Volkov and Kononenko were forced to enter their Soyuz, undock and redock at another port.

The cosmonauts spoke with the Russian lead spacewalk officer on the ground about their activities. They are also completing recharging the Orlan spacesuit batteries.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Begins New Week of Science, Maintenance


Image above: Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff works inside the International
Space Station’s Kibo Laboratory.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 17 crew members began another busy week of science and maintenance aboard the orbiting International Space Station Monday.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff performed troubleshooting procedures on a problem that occurred over the weekend with the Main Experiment Computer that records scientific data. He also worked on ongoing power issues with the European Space Agency’s Solar Monitoring Observatory, or SOLAR, experiment. SOLAR, which is mounted on the outside of the Columbus laboratory, is currently switched off while the outcome of this troubleshooting is determined.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko worked to restore the Pirs Docking Compartment to its normal operating configuration after last week’s spacewalk. Volkov also activated the Elektron oxygen-generation system following routine maintenance.

All three crew members performed their regular exercise routines, which help combat the effects of long-term exposure to the microgravity environment of space.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Returns to Full Science Activity


Image above: Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff works inside the International
Space Station’s Columbus Laboratory.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The crew of the orbiting International Space Station returned to a full complement of science experiment activity Tuesday.

Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff continued working with the Main Experiment Computer, or MEC, after a problem that occurred with the machine over the weekend. The MEC records scientific data.

Assisted by Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko, Commander Sergei Volkov participated in the Cardiology - Lower Body Negative Pressure experiment, which is a study of cardiac activity and blood flow in the space environment.

Kononenko also performed preventive maintenance on the Zvezda service module’s ventilation system.

The Automated Transfer Vehicle “Jules Verne” is scheduled to perform a reboost of the station Wednesday about 12:15 p.m. EDT. The reboost is the second in a series of four such maneuvers, which will place the complex at the correct altitude for the launches this fall of the Progress 30 cargo ship and the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft carrying the Expedition 18 crew.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Reboosted; Crew Continues Kibo Outfitting


Image above: Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff works inside the International
Space Station’s Kibo Laboratory.
Photo Credit: NASA TV

The engines of the “Jules Verne" Automated Transfer Vehicle fired for 20 minutes and 37 seconds at 12:18 p.m. EDT Wednesday to reboost the International Space Station.

The reboost was the second in a series of four such maneuvers, placing the complex at the correct altitude for the Sept. 10 launch of the Progress 30 cargo ship and the Oct. 12 launch of the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft carrying the Expedition 18 crew.

Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff continued the outfitting of the Kibo module, making minor adjustments to internal cameras and reconfiguring experimentation equipment.

Also, the Solar Monitoring Observatory (SOLAR) experiment was recovered Wednesday. SOLAR is a sun observation experiment which is attached to the forward end of the Columbus module. It had been inoperable for several weeks due to a power problem.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Conducts Science and Maintenance Duties


Image above: Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff smiles for a photo near a chess board in the
Harmony node of the International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA

The Expedition 17 crew members continued their focus on science experiments and maintenance duties aboard the International Space Station Thursday.

Crew members replaced one of eight batteries in the Zvezda service module’s power system. They also performed an inspection on the Portable Breathing Apparatus and the station’s fire extinguishers.

The European Space Agency also confirmed the SOLAR experiment, which is mounted on the outside of the Columbus module, is working again. Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff worked earlier in the week to troubleshoot the experiment, which had been experiencing some power issues. It is designed to monitor the sun, and the next window available for the experiment to examine its target begins on July 30.

Later, Chamitoff took a break from his activities to participate in an amateur radio session with students attending the European Space Agency’s Space Camp in Hungary.

Throughout the day, crew members performed their daily physical exercise routines to counteract the effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness in space.

The engines on the European Space Agency’s Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle fired for 20 minutes and 37 seconds Wednesday in the second of a series of four planned reboosts of the station. The reboosts will adjust the station’s orbit to prepare it for the launches this fall of the Progress 30 cargo ship and the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft carrying the Expedition 18 crew.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Crew Wraps Up Busy Work Week, Prepares for Weekend


Image above: The Expedition 17 crew is pictured in the station’s Unity node with Russian
and American spacesuits.
Photo Credit: NASA

Expedition 17 has completed its work week and is spending the weekend doing conferences, exercise, science and maintenance.

Aside from crew off-duty time, normal weekend activities include private family, medical and planning conferences. The crew also works out on the station’s treadmill and resistive exercise devices. Ongoing station science and maintenance activities keep the station residents occupied.

On Wednesday, Europe’s new Automated Transfer Vehicle fired its engines lifting the International Space Station to a higher orbit. Two more orbital reboosts are planned to prepare the station for upcoming dockings with a Progress 30 space freighter and a Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft. The Soyuz will bring the Expedition 18 crew in October.

The SOLAR sun observation experiment attached to the Columbus science module that had lost power for several weeks was finally working again. The European Space Agency reported the experiment had been recovered and was acquiring data.

As part of ongoing readiness activities, station commander Sergei Volkov and flight engineers Oleg Kononenko and Greg Chamitoff performed a drill on Friday to test their responsiveness in the event of a rapid depressurization event.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Science Experiments Kick Off Station Crew's Week


Image above: The Sentinel Volcanic Field in Arizona, with agricultural fields in the upper
right, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 17 crew member on the
International Space Station.
Photo Credit: NASA

As the International Space Station sailed above Earth’s atmosphere, the Expedition 17 crew began a new week of science and maintenance Monday.

Commander Sergei Volkov worked with the Plasma Crystal-3 Plus experiment, which studies dust plasma crystallization processes. In addition, he updated software on one of the station’s laptop computers.

As part of ongoing preparations for the beginning of experiment operations in the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff checked out power switches on the racks in the Japanese module. He also set up the Fluid Science Laboratory in the Columbus module.

This laboratory provides a central location on the orbital outpost to perform experiments that will give insight into the physics of fluids in space, including aqueous foams, emulsions, convection, and fluid motions.

Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko moved rack enclosure panels from the Automated Transfer Vehicle into the Zarya module. Kononenko performed maintenance on the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA) as well. The CGBA provides a temperature-controlled environment for processing a wide variety of biotechnology experiments.

In addition to their regular exercise regimen, all three station crew members participated in routine hearing tests.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Science and Robotics Aboard Station Tuesday


Image above: The International Space Station robotic arm, Canadarm2, is moved into position
Tuesday.
Photo Credit: NASA

Robotics and science experiments took center stage aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday, as the orbital outpost soared 220 miles above the Earth.

Commander Sergei Volkov continued work with the Plasma Crystal-3 Plus experiment, which studies dust plasma crystallization processes. He will wrap up the three-day session with the experiment Wednesday.

Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko supervised the repressurization of the station’s atmosphere from supplies aboard the “Jules Verne” Automated Transfer Vehicle docked to the Zvezda service module.

Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff worked with the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency facility which investigates crystal growth phenomena in microgravity.

All three crew members participated in an emergency Soyuz descent drill with Russian specialists on the ground to maintain contingency proficiency.

Under command from Mission Control in Houston, the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, was moved from one grapple fixture to another to gather data on snares on the arm’s latching end effector. The relocation also sets up the arm for the arrival of the next Progress supply vehicle and the STS-126 shuttle mission in November.

Source: NASA - Space Station

Station Crew Works with Experiments


Image above: Layers of Earth's atmosphere, brightly colored as the sun rises over central Asia,
and polar mesospheric clouds are featured in this Expedition 17 image.
Photo Credit: NASA

Expedition 17 crew members were busy working with an array of science experiments aboard the International Space Station Wednesday.

Commander Sergei Volkov completed a three-day session with the Plasma Crystal-3 Plus experiment, which studies dust plasma crystallization processes.

Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko spent time with the 3D-Space experiment designed to help humans accurately perceive and locate objects in the microgravity environment.

Meanwhile, Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff continued working with the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency facility which investigates crystal growth phenomena in microgravity.

Chamitoff also worked with the Plants-2 experiment that studies the growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions.

Additionally, flight controllers performed more tests on the Canadarm2 to gather data on the snares on the robotic arm’s latching end effector. The snares have exhibited a "stickiness" when closing around a grapple fixture. The end effector is scheduled to be serviced during the STS-126 shuttle mission in November.

Source: NASA - Space Station