STS-120 MCC Status Reports

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The MCC Status Reports issued by NASA are similar to the Shuttle Processing Status Reports except that they are updates on a mission in progress rather than shuttle ground activities.

MCC status reports for previous mission can be found here: STS-121, STS-115, STS-116, STS-117 & STS-118.

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10.23.07

Noon CDT, Oct. 23, 2007

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-01

STS-120 MCC Status Report #01

HOUSTON -- The Space Shuttle Discovery raced into space this morning with an on-time launch at 10:38 CDT. Onboard are seven crewmembers led by veteran astronaut Pam Melroy. Discovery's crew will join the International Space Station’s Expedition 16 crew Thursday morning.

Melroy, Pilot George Zamka and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Scott Parazynski, Paolo Nespoli and Dan Tani began unstowing equipment and checking systems after reaching orbit.

On the way to the space station, Discovery’s crew will oversee a complete checkout of orbiter systems, including the robotic arm which will see extensive use throughout the mission beginning on Wednesday when it will be used to inspect the thermal protection system of the shuttle.

Discovery and its crew will arrive at the station at about 7:30 a.m. CDT Thursday and Tani will swap places with astronaut Clay Anderson. Anderson will come home aboard Discovery after serving 4 ½ months as a station flight engineer.

The launch of Discovery on its 34th mission begins a flight that will see the space station grow in size and capability with the addition of the first U.S. pressurized module since the Quest Airlock was delivered in 2001. The Harmony module, also known as Node 2, will add 2,600 cubic feet of living and working space to the complex. It will serve as the permanent docking port for international laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The shuttle astronauts are set to go to bed about 4:30 p.m. CDT today and awaken at 12:38 a.m. CDT Wednesday to begin their first full day in space.

As Discovery launched, the station crew, commanded by astronaut Peggy Whitson, watched live via a laptop computer as they sailed 218 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #01

Edited February 8, 2008 by Waspie_Dwarf

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10.23.07

5 p.m. CDT, Oct. 23, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-02


STS-120 MCC Status Report #02

HOUSTON -- The Space Shuttle Discovery is headed to the International Space Station, carrying the Harmony module, destined to become the first expansion of the orbiting complex's living and working space since 2001.

The addition of Harmony, a connector module also known as Node 2, will set the stage for the arrival of new research laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on future shuttle missions.

Following a flawless launch today, the seven crew members aboard Discovery opened the shuttle’s payload bay doors, successfully deployed the Ku-Band antenna that provides high-rate communications and television, and checked out the shuttle's robotic arm. They also transmitted video and photographs of the shuttle's external tank to the ground for standard post-launch analysis by engineers.

Discovery is commanded by veteran astronaut Pam Melroy. The pilot is George Zamka and mission specialists include Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Scott Parazynski, Dan Tani and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency. The crew will awaken at 12:38 a.m. Wednesday to begin their first full day in space.

On Wednesday, the crew will perform a close inspection of Discovery’s heat shield using the shuttle’s robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. They also will check the spacesuits that will be used for spacewalks during the mission and install a centerline camera in the shuttle docking hatch that is used to help align the vehicle for docking.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #02

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10.24.07

1 a.m. CDT, Oct. 24, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-03


STS-120 MCC Status Report #03

HOUSTON – The astronauts on board Space Shuttle Discovery have begun their first full day in space on a two-week mission to set the stage for delivery of new laboratory modules from two more of the International Space Station’s partner agencies.

The main payload on STS-120 is a connecting node, named Harmony. It will expand the pressurized volume in ISS to approximately 18,000 square feet and provide the docking ports for labs furnished by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Those components are due to arrive on orbit late this year and early next.

This morning’s wakeup song, “Lord of the Dance,” performed by John Langstaff, was played for Commander Pam Melroy at 12:39 a.m. CDT.

Today Melroy and her crewmates, Pilot George Zamka and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Scott Parazynski, Dan Tani and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency will perform an inspection of Discovery’s heat shield using the shuttle’s robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. They’ll also check out the tools they need for Thursday’s rendezvous and docking to the station and install a centerline camera in the shuttle’s orbiter docking system. Spacewalkers Parazynski, Wheelock and Tani will prepare spacesuits that will be worn during the five spacewalks planned during ten days of docked operations.

The International Space Station’s Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Clay Anderson started their day at midnight. Today they will set up spacesuits already in the station’s Quest airlock, and conduct a leak check of the Pressurized Mating Adapter where Discovery will dock to the station Thursday morning at 7:35 a.m. CDT.

Anderson, now in the 138th day of his flight, will spend time exercising to prepare himself to experience the pull of gravity again when he returns to Earth with the shuttle crew. Tani will stay onboard to work with Whitson and Malenchenko to put Harmony in its permanent location on the front of the Destiny laboratory so the next mission, targeted to launch in early December, can deliver the European laboratory module Columbus.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Wednesday evening or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #03

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10.24.07

5 p.m. CDT, Oct. 24, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-04


STS-120 MCC Status Report #04

HOUSTON – The seven-member crew of STS-120 on board Space Shuttle Discovery is ready for tomorrow’s rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station, planned for 7:33 a.m. CDT.

Commander Pam Melroy and her crewmates today completed a five-hour inspection of Discovery’s heat shield using the shuttle’s robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System.

During today’s initial look at Space Shuttle Discovery’s heat shield, mission managers received no reports of visible damage. However, engineers on the ground will add today’s three-dimensional sensor images to imagery and accelerometer data collected at launch and during the climb to orbit and continue their analysis. The images gathered during tomorrow’s back flip will help verify the heat shield’s condition.

Also today, Melroy and the rest of the crew, Pilot George Zamka and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Scott Parazynski, Dan Tani and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency installed the centerline camera that will be used during docking, extended the outer ring of the Orbiter Docking System, and checked the tools that will be used during rendezvous.

Tomorrow, Melroy will perform the rendezvous pitch maneuver, an orbiter back-flip just 600 feet below the space station that will allow Expedition 16 crew members Clay Anderson and Yuri Malenchenko to take detailed photographs of the orbiter’s underside.

The STS-120 crew is on a two-week mission that will set the stage for delivery of new research laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency in the upcoming assembly missions. During the mission, the crew will install the Harmony module, a connecting port and passageway for the new laboratories, in a temporary location.

The crew will also relocate the Port 6 (P6) truss segment and solar arrays to the end of the Port 5 truss and then redeploy and reactivate the P6 arrays, increasing the station’s capacity to generate power.

On board the space station, Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Malenchenko and Anderson readied the station for the arrival of Discovery’s crew by conducting a leak check of Pressurized Mating Adapter-2, Discovery’s docking point, and set up spacesuits already in the station’s Quest airlock.

Anderson, now in the 139th day of his flight, charged the batteries, formatted memory the cards, and configured the 400 and 800 milimeter lenses on the cameras that will be used during tomorrow’s orbiter maneuver. Anderson and Malenchenko also did a practice run of the photo shoot.

Anderson will return to Earth aboard Discovery. Tani will stay on the station to work with Whitson and Malenchenko to put Harmony in its permanent location on the front of the Destiny laboratory. The next shuttle mission, targeted to launch in early December, will deliver the European laboratory module Columbus.

Discovery’s crew went to sleep at 4:38 p.m. and will awaken at 12:38 a.m.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Thursday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #04

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10.25.07

1 a.m. CDT, Oct. 25, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-05


STS-120 MCC Status Report #05

HOUSTON – A new crew member and a new module are only hours away from arriving at the International Space Station. Space Shuttle Discovery is due to dock to the station at 7:33 a.m. CDT to begin 10 days of docked operations.

Today’s wakeup song at 12:39 a.m. CDT was “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest for astronaut Dan Tani. He should go to sleep tonight as a flight engineer on the space station Expedition 16 crew. The official exchange of Tani for Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, who arrived at the station in June, is to occur within the first few hours after docking. The transfer becomes official with the installation of Tani’s customized seat liner in the Soyuz.

Commander Pam Melroy and her shuttle crewmates begin rendezvous operations shortly before 2:00 a.m. CDT. At 6:32 a.m., at a range of 600 feet below the station, she’ll command Discovery to perform a back flip so Anderson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko can photograph the thermal tiles on the shuttle’s belly. Those digital images will be sent to Mission Control so specialists can look for evidence of any damage.

After docking at 7:33 a.m. and hatch opening two hours later, the crew members start moving spacewalking equipment into the Quest airlock to prepare for the first excursion on Friday. Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will go outside to prepare the Harmony module to be grappled by the station’s robotic arm, lifted from Discovery’s payload bay, and installed on the port side of Unity.

Harmony, which will be permanently installed on the front of the Destiny laboratory after the shuttle departs, provides docking ports for laboratory modules from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Those components are due on orbit late this year and early next year.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Thursday evening or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #05

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10.25.07

5:30 p.m. CDT, Oct. 25, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-06


STS-120 MCC Status Report #06

HOUSTON – Two female commanders made space history today as they greeted one another with smiles and hugs in the International Space Station’s Destiny laboratory after a flawless rendezvous and docking.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson warmly welcomed the Space Shuttle Discovery crew at 9:39 a.m. CDT when STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and her construction crew floated into the station, joining forces for a mission that is setting the stage for rapid-fire expansion of the international outpost.

The shuttle and space station docked at 7:40 a.m. over the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of North Carolina. Prior to docking, Melroy flew Discovery through an orbital back flip while about 600 feet below the space station, allowing Expedition 16 Flight Engineers Clay Anderson and Yuri Malenchenko to take a series of high-resolution photographs of the orbiter’s heat shield.

Just before bedtime, the combined crew was informed that based on early analysis, mission managers are anticipating no need for a focused inspection of Discovery’s heat shield while it is docked to the station. A final decision is expected to be made tomorrow after the images from the rendezvous pitch maneuver are considered.

On board the station, the official exchange of Anderson for his replacement on Expedition 16 took place at 11:12 a.m. with the installation of Dan Tani’s customized seat liner in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that would return him to Earth in an emergency. Anderson will return home with the STS-120 crew.

Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will spend tonight "camped out" inside the Quest airlock with air pressure lowered to help purge nitrogen from their bodies in preparation tomorrow’s spacewalk, the first of five planned for this mission. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 5:28 a.m. CDT Friday.

During the spacewalk, Parazynski and Wheelock will go outside to assist with the installation of the Harmony module. The Italian-built hub will be grappled by the station’s robotic arm, lifted from Discovery’s payload bay, and installed in a temporary location on port side of Unity. The spacewalkers also will retrieve a broken S-band antenna for return to Earth and disconnect the utility connections between the station’s first solar array and the station’s truss. The Port 6 solar array section will be moved to its final assembly location on a spacewalk later in the mission.

Parazynski, a veteran of four spaceflights, will serve as the lead on four of the five spacewalks. Wheelock is making his first spacewalk tomorrow. Inside the space station, Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, Tani and Anderson will operate the station’s robotic arm for unberthing and installation of Harmony and antenna retrieval during the spacewalk.

The Expedition 16 crew will use Canadarm2 to move and install Harmony to its permanent location on the front of the Destiny laboratory after the shuttle departs. The new addition will increase the living and working space inside the station by more than 2,600 cubic feet and provide docking ports for laboratory modules from the European and Japanese space agencies. Those components are due on orbit late this year and early next year.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Friday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #06

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10.26.07

1 a.m. CDT, Oct. 26, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-07


STS-120 MCC Status Report #07

HOUSTON – Delivery of Harmony highlights the day as the crews of Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station prepare for the first of a record five spacewalks planned for a single shuttle assembly mission.

The day began at 12:39 a.m. CDT with the wakeup song “Rocket Man” by Elton John, played for Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock on the day he performs the first spacewalk of his career.

Wheelock and Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski exit the Quest airlock at 5:28 a.m. for a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk. They will retrieve an S-band antenna assembly from the Z1 truss and pack it in the shuttle payload bay for return to Earth for refurbishment, disconnect umbilicals running between the P6 and Z1 trusses to facilitate the demating of P6 later in the flight, and prepare the connecting node Harmony for removal from the payload bay.

After the spacewalkers unplug Harmony from shuttle power, the station’s Canadarm2 will grapple it, lift it from Discovery’s payload bay, and install it on the port side of the station’s Unity node. Leak checks between the two modules will continue the rest of the day and overnight before the astronauts enter Harmony for the first time Saturday.

Harmony will be relocated to the front of the Destiny laboratory after the shuttle departs. It will provide the docking ports for laboratory modules from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that are to arrive late this year and early next year.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Friday evening or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #07

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10.26.07

4:30 p.m. CDT, Oct. 26, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-08


STS-120 MCC Status Report #08

HOUSTON – It proved to be a perfect day for a spacewalk.

In just over six hours, STS-120 Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock installed the Harmony module in its temporary location on the International Space Station, readied the P6 truss for its relocation on Sunday, retrieved a failed radio communications antenna and snapped shut a window cover on Harmony that opened during launch on the space shuttle.

The astronauts plan to enter Harmony for the first time at 8:03 a.m. Saturday after Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson open the hatches. The station’s newest pressurized module adds 2,666 cubic feet of volume, increasing the station’s living space by nearly 20 percent (from 15,000 to 17,666 cubic feet).

Mission managers today determined a focused inspection of Discovery’s heat shield is not necessary Saturday following detailed review of the imagery gathered over the last two days. The Mission Management Team declared the shuttle’s Thermal Protection System is cleared for reentry. A routine final inspection focusing on the wing leading edges is planned for late in the mission.

Station managers also decided to add a 360-degree visual inspection of the station’s starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) during the second spacewalk on Sunday. The SARJ has shown increased friction for the past month and a half. Though the increase is not constant and averages less than a tenth of an amp, managers decided to add the inspection because the spacewalkers will be near the joint.

During the spacewalk, astronauts will remove the multi-layer insulation covers on the joint to better see the swing bolts beneath and document their inspection with photographs.

Parazynski and Wheelock began the spacewalk at 5:02 a.m. and wrapped up at 11:16. First, the two removed and stowed the S-band Antenna Structural Assembly which is being returned to Earth on Discovery. Next, they secured a Payload and Data Grapple Fixture onto Harmony that could not be in place during launch, removed contamination covers and disconnected the power cables linking Harmony to Discovery.

Once the spacewalker’s preparations were complete, Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Clay Anderson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani used the station’s robotic arm to remove Harmony from the payload bay and move it to its position on the port side of Unity. Nespoli coordinated spacewalk activities.

Harmony will be relocated to the front of the Destiny laboratory after the shuttle departs. It will provide the docking ports for laboratory modules from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that are to arrive late this year and early next year. Outfitting of the station’s newest module will continue throughout the mission.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Saturday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #08 Edited October 26, 2007 by Waspie_Dwarf

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10.27.07

1 a.m. CDT, Oct. 27, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-09


STS-120 MCC Status Report #09

HOUSTON – Today is the grand opening of the International Space Station’s newest module, a connecting node that will host new laboratory complexes from around the world.

The day began with an Italian wakeup song at 12:39 a.m. “Bellissime Stelle” (Beautiful Stars) by Andrea Bocelli was played for European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli of Italy, the country where the new node, Harmony, was built.

This morning Nespoli, a member of the crew on Space Shuttle Discovery, will work with Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson to outfit the vestibule between Harmony and the Unity module, to which it was installed yesterday during the first spacewalk of the mission. They are scheduled to open the hatch into Harmony at 7:58 a.m. CDT, and the crewmembers will get to enter the module for the first time. They will install a ventilation line to circulate the air and begin setup operations.

Harmony will be relocated to the front of the Destiny laboratory after the shuttle departs, and provide the docking ports for laboratory modules from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that are to arrive later this year and early next year.

This morning shuttle Commander Pam Melroy, Pilot George Zamka, and Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Doug Wheelock will use the shuttle and station robotic arms to return the Orbiter Boom Sensor System to the starboard payload bay sill. Plans for a focused inspection of Discovery’s thermal protection system were cancelled by mission managers after a thorough review of detailed imagery yielded no evidence of damage that required more examination.

Additional time was added for today’s review of the updated plans for the second spacewalk of the mission, which takes place Sunday morning. In a newly-added task, space station Flight Engineer Dan Tani will visually inspect the truss’ starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. He will look for possible causes of increased friction in that joint that has been detected for the past month and a half during its rotation for solar array positioning.

Tani also will spend time with astronaut Clay Anderson, his predecessor on Expedition 16, to get acclimated to life on the space station. This afternoon at 1:03 p.m. Anderson will join Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko plus shuttle astronauts Melroy, Zamka, Wilson and Wheelock in the new Harmony node to discuss the mission in interviews with CBS News, FOX News, and WHAM-TV of Rochester, New York, Melroy’s hometown.

At 2:23 p.m. Tani and his spacewalking partner, Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski, will begin their overnight campout pre-breathe inside the Quest airlock as they get prepared for their spacewalk starting at 4:58 a.m. Sunday.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Saturday afternoon or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #09 Edited October 27, 2007 by Waspie_Dwarf

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10.27.07

2 p.m. CDT, Oct. 27, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-10


STS-120 MCC Status Report #10

HOUSTON – Astronauts at the International Space Station now have a little more room to float around in – 2,666 cubic feet more, to be exact.

The hatch of Node 2 – or Harmony, as the module was named by school children – was opened at 7:24 a.m. CDT today. Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli – who is from Italy, where the module was built – were the first to enter, and took advantage of the opportunity to remark on the appropriateness of its name.

“We think Harmony is a very good name for this module,” Whitson said, “because it represents the culmination of a lot of international partner work and will allow international partner modules to be added on.”

Crew members spent part of today hooking Harmony systems up for use. Rick LaBrode, lead shuttle flight director, said it was going well.

“It’s beautiful,” LaBrode said. “Bright, shiny. The report from the crew is that it’s as clean as can be. Perfect shape.”

The module won’t be ready for full use while space shuttle Discovery is at the station. It’s been installed in a temporary location because the shuttle’s docking port is currently situated at its final location. The station crew will move the docking port and Harmony, and finish bringing all of its systems online after the shuttle leaves.

After the module’s ventilation system was up and running, some crew members were able to take time out from their work for interviews with a few television stations. They answered questions on subjects ranging from the challenges of the missions to the historic significance of having Whitson, the first female commander of the station, in space at the same time as Pam Melroy, the second female commander for the shuttle.

“We hope to see a woman leading a mission to Mars someday,” Melroy said.

The other major tasks for the day centered around preparations for the mission’s second spacewalk on Sunday. Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski and the station’s newly arrived flight engineer, Daniel Tani, are scheduled to leave the station at 4:58 a.m. They’ll finish disconnecting the Port 6, or P6, truss segment from the top of the station, where it was installed temporarily in 2000, and help direct robotic arm operators as they move the solar array section to its permanent home on the end of the port truss.

In addition, mission managers also have asked Tani to take a look at a rotary joint used to rotate solar arrays on the starboard side of the truss. The joint has been showing some increased friction lately, and mission managers hope Tani may be able to identify the cause.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Sunday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #10

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10.28.07

12:30 a.m. CDT, Oct. 28, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-11


STS-120 MCC Status Report #11

HOUSTON – The second of a record five spacewalks on one space shuttle visit to the International Space Station begins this morning, and it will end with a major station element en route to a new location.

Today’s wakeup song at 12:09 a.m. CDT, “What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong, was played for Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski on the day he makes his second spacewalk of the mission. He and Flight Engineer Dan Tani spent the night camped out in the Quest airlock to purge nitrogen from their bloodstreams to help prevent them from experiencing decompression sickness.

While the spacewalkers suit up, mission specialists Stephanie Wilson and Doug Wheelock will maneuver the station’s robot arm to grapple the P6 truss element, now secured atop the Z1 truss. When Parazynski and Tani exit the station at 4:58 a.m. CDT they will head for the intersection of the P6 and Z1 to disconnect the last umbilicals and bolts holding the two components together.

When they finish there the spacewalkers will move to separate jobs. Parazynski will go to the new Harmony node, installed on the Unity node Friday, to install handholds and other equipment. Tani will move to the starboard truss for two inspections. He will look for sharp edges on handrails on the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid cart and then move to the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint to look for the cause of increased friction that has been observed recently when that joint is rotated.

At the same time, Wilson and Wheelock will use Candaram2 to lift P6 off of the Z1 truss, the first step in its move to the far port end of the station’s truss structure. The 45-foot-long truss will remain on the arm tonight and will be handed over to the shuttle robot arm Monday. This allows the station arm atop its mobile operating base to move along the truss railway closer to the P6 outboard installation point and then P6 will be handed back to Canadarm2 for installation Tuesday during the mission’s third spacewalk.

Late in today’s spacewalk Parazynski and Tani meet up again to install a new grapple fixture on Harmony, a fixture that the station arm will use next month to remove Harmony from Unity and install it at the front of the Destiny laboratory. At that location Harmony will provide docking ports for the European and Japanese laboratory modules scheduled to arrive later this year and early next year.

Today’s spacewalk, the fifth of Parazynski’s career and the second for Tani, is scheduled to end at 11:38 a.m. CDT.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Sunday afternoon or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #11 Edited October 28, 2007 by Waspie_Dwarf

[Waspie_Dwarf]

10.28.07

4 p.m. CDT, Oct. 28, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-12


STS-120 MCC Status Report #12

HOUSTON – Astronauts Scott Parazynski and Dan Tani successfully completed all major tasks during STS-120's second spacewalk, the 17th this year and the 94th dedicated to the International Space Station's assembly and maintenance.

During the 6 hour and 33 minute spacewalk, Parazynski and Tani teamed to disconnect cables from the Port 6 (P6) truss, allowing it to be removed from the Z1 truss. Once completed, Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Doug Wheelock used the station’s robotic arm to move the P6 and park it overnight. The space walk began at 4:32 a.m. CDT and ended at 11:05 a.m. CDT.

Tani also visually inspected the station’s starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint and gathered samples of “shavings” he found under the joint’s Multi-Layer Insulation covers. The task was added so engineers could gather additional information on possible causes of increased friction detected for the past month and a half as the joint rotated for solar array positioning.

Mission managers today decided to limit the use of the rotary joint as they continue to assess the anomaly. Managers also determined Discovery’s Thermal Protection System is cleared for reentry.

In addition to detaching the P6 truss, the spacewalkers outfitted the Harmony module, mated the power and data grapple fixture and reconfigured connectors on the starboard 1 (S1) truss that will allow the radiator on S1 to be deployed from the ground later.

Tomorrow, Wilson, Wheelock and Mission Specialist Clay Anderson will handoff the P6 element to the shuttle robotic arm, operated by Mission Specialists George Zamka and Commander Pam Melroy. The station’s arm will then be move down along the truss railway closer to the P6 outboard installation point and the P6 will be handed back to Canadarm2 for installation in its new location on P5 during the mission’s third spacewalk.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Monday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #12

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10.29.07

12:30 a.m. CDT, Oct. 29, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-13


STS-120 MCC Status Report #13
HOUSTON – With two successful spacewalks completed in three days, the crews on Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station have some time to relax today while also completing a big handoff and getting prepared for another EVA on Tuesday.

This morning’s wakeup music at 11:39 p.m., “One by One” by Wynton Marsalis, was played for Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, one of the robot arm operators for this morning’s hand off of the P6 truss element between the shuttle and station robot arms.

P6, which was removed from the station during Sunday’s spacewalk, spent the night in a parked position in the grip of Canadarm2, which is based on the station’s Mobile Base System. At 2:08 a.m. CDT Wilson and Pilot George Zamka will fly the shuttle robot arm to grapple P6. Mission Specialist Clay Anderson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani will command the station arm to let go and then they will position the arm for a ride across the station’s truss.

At 4:23 a.m. the Mobile Transporter will begin a 90-minute transit to work site 8, the last stop on the port end of the station’s truss. Once the railcar locks down there, Anderson and Tani will reach out with Canadarm2 and take P6 back from the shuttle arm. It will be held there overnight and then installed on the port end of the truss during the mission’s third spacewalk Tuesday morning.

In between the two handoffs the crews are scheduled for off duty time. After lunch Tani and space station Commander Peggy Whitson will begin outfitting the avionics rack in the Harmony node while Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli helps spacewalkers Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock prepare the airlock for the next spacewalk.

At 12:43 p.m. shuttle Commander Pam Melroy, Wilson and Anderson will join Whitson, Tani and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko in the Harmony node to talk about the progress of the flight with ABC News, NBC News and CNN News.

The station and space shuttle flight control teams and mission managers are discussing options following the discovery by Tani during yesterday’s spacewalk of particulate matter (of unknown composition) inside the station’s starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. That joint has been experiencing increased friction during rotation for the past month and a half. Station managers have decided to limit the use of the SARJ while the situation is assessed.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Monday afternoon or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #13

[Waspie_Dwarf]

10.29.07

5 p.m. CDT, Oct. 29, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-14


STS-120 MCC Status Report #14

HOUSTON – As crew members aboard the International Space Station and space shuttle Discovery prepared for the third spacewalk, they learned that the shuttle will spend an extra day in space, with landing now scheduled for just after 4 a.m. Nov. 7.

After analyzing photos of debris found inside the station’s starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, mission managers today decided to devote the mission’s fourth spacewalk Thursday to further inspection of the joint. That spacewalk originally was dedicated to testing of a shuttle tile repair dispensing “gun,” which has been deferred to a future shuttle mission.

The additional docked day has been inserted between the fourth and fifth spacewalks and provides for some crew off-duty time, along with ample equipment preparation and turnaround for the fifth spacewalk, scheduled for Saturday. Mission flight planners now are working detailed timelines to reflect the decision by the Mission Management Team. Discovery now is scheduled to undock from the station on Nov. 5 and land a week from Wednesday completing the STS-120 mission.

As a precursor to the additional rotary joint inspection spacewalk, Tuesday’s spacewalk by Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will include a short task to inspect the port rotary joint to provide comparison data to station managers who will spend the night developing procedures for the fourth spacewalk. All other tasks for the third spacewalk remain as trained with the focus being on installation of the P6 truss to its permanent location outboard of the port truss.

Today the crew completed final preparations for the P6 truss installation and continued outfitting and activation of avionics and systems racks inside the Harmony Node. Despite the shutdown of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly in the U.S. Destiny laboratory, work continues as normal with no interruption to operations with other means of carbon dioxide scrubbing equipment on board.

The crew day ended with Parazynski and Wheelock beginning their routine overnight “campout” in the Quest airlock. They plan to begin the spacewalk at about 4:28 a.m. Tuesday following a wakeup call from Mission Control late tonight about 11:30.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Tuesday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #14

[Waspie_Dwarf]

10.30.07

12:45 a.m. CDT, Oct. 30, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-15


STS-120 MCC Status Report #15

HOUSTON – Astronauts Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock today install the International Space Station’s P6 truss in its final location. A new task was also added to this third spacewalk of the mission to provide comparison data of the station’s two solar array rotary joints. The spacewalk is set to begin at 3:53 a.m. CDT.

Today’s wakeup music at 11:38 p.m., “Malaguena Salerosa” by Chingon, was played for Pilot George Zamka, who will be operating the shuttle robotic arm.

After analyzing photos of debris found inside the station’s starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, mission managers decided Parazynski should take time near the end of the spacewalk to inspect the port rotary joint to provide a comparison. The joints rotate the solar arrays to track the sun for electrical power generation. Parazynski will take photographs and samples of any debris he finds for evaluation.

Managers today also decided to devote the mission’s fourth spacewalk on Thursday to additional inspection of the starboard joint. That joint has been experiencing increased friction during rotation for the past month and a half and station managers have limited its use while the situation is assessed.

The fourth spacewalk originally was to test a shuttle tile repair dispensing “gun” known as the T-RAD. That test has been deferred to a future shuttle mission.

During today’s spacewalk, Parazynski and Wheelock will work at the end of the port truss to help station robotic arm operators attach the P6 to its new location on P5. The two will provide verbal cues to Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Dan Tani and Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson as they align the truss.

Once the 17.5 ton truss is in place, Wheelock will secure it with the mechanical capture claw so the two can install the bolts that will permanently hold it and then attach its power source.

Next, the spacewalkers will remove thermal shrouds on P6 and configure the P6 radiator for deployment by ground controllers. Wheelock will also install a spare main bus switching unit on a station storage platform.

Following the spacewalk the giant solar array wings on P6 will be redeployed so they can begin gathering sunlight for power again.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Tuesday afternoon or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #15

[Waspie_Dwarf]

10.30.07

5 p.m. CDT, Oct. 30, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-16


STS-120 MCC Status Report #16

HOUSTON – The crew of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station executed a flawless spacewalk today, but ran into some unexpected issues afterward.

Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock left the space station at 4:45 a.m. to begin what would be a 7 hour, 8 minute excursion to complete all of their scheduled tasks and a few get-ahead items for future spacewalks.

They were able to install the port 6 – or P6 – truss segment with its set of solar arrays to its permanent home and install a spare main bus switching unit on a stowage platform for future use if needed.

Additionally, Parazynski took a look at the port Solar Alpha Rotary Joint to gather comparison data for the starboard rotary joint, which has been experiencing increased friction over the past month and a half. Parazynski described the joint as being “pristine,” unlike its starboard counterpart, which was found to have some debris inside the joint during a similar inspection on the mission’s second space walk.

As the spacewalk ended, the P6 solar arrays were deployed with one experiencing a tear in a blanket as it reached the 80 percent deployed point. The crew immediately halted the deploy as engineers in Mission Control began a detailed forensics analysis to determine what the next steps would entail.

The current configuration is safe and there is no urgency to solve the problem immediately allowing station managers and engineers plenty of time to understand the problem before taking any action. The other half of the array deployed perfectly with no issues.

Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini said the array is currently producing almost as much power as it would be expected to if fully unfurled – just 3 percent less than normal.

“This will take time and needs to be worked,” Suffredini said. “But my personal opinion is we’ve got the time to work this issue, so we can be methodical about it. And we will.”

After reentering the station, Wheelock noticed a small hole in the outer layer of his right glove thumb. Further analysis will dictate the options as he prepares to join Parazynski on the fourth spacewalk Thursday.

The crew is scheduled to spend Wednesday transferring cargo from the shuttle to the station and preparing for the mission’s fourth spacewalk. They will also participate in a news conference, scheduled for 6:48 a.m.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Wednesday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #16

[Waspie_Dwarf]

10.31.07

12:15 a.m. CDT, Oct. 31, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-17


STS-120 MCC Status Report #17

HOUSTON – Crew members on space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station will spend today preparing for a spacewalk designed to learn more about the joint that rotates the starboard side solar arrays.

The wakeup song, “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu” by Domenico Modugno, was played at 11:38 p.m. CDT Tuesday for Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli, who’s scheduled to receive a congratulatory phone call from the president of Italy at 3:13 a.m. today. The song’s title translates as “In the blue (sky), painted blue;” it is widely known as “Volare.”

Today spacewalkers Scott Parazynski, Doug Wheelock, and spacewalk coordinator Nespoli will review newly written procedures for tomorrow’s fourth spacewalk, devoted to examination of the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. They’ll also reconfigure a spacesuit for Parazynski to wear in place of one that was having issues with cooling. Wheelock will use a backup pair of gloves for Thursday’s spacewalk in place of a pair that was damaged during EVA 3.

The starboard SARJ has experienced a slight increase in friction during rotation the past month and a half, and metal shavings were found inside the joint during Sunday’s spacewalk. During Thursday’s spacewalk, the astronauts will remove the covers from the SARJ, inspect the interior, take samples of debris if any is found and look for clues to the root cause of the friction.

Meanwhile, specialists in Houston are working on their next steps to complete deployment of one of the two solar array wings on the P6 truss. That truss was successfully installed on the P5 element during yesterday’s EVA. One of the two solar array wings on P6 was completely deployed, but the other suffered a tear in a solar blanket that prompted a halt to the deploy operations.

International Space Station program officials say the current configuration is safe and note that the array is producing more than 95 percent of the power it would generate if it were fully deployed.

Today station Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani will work inside the new Harmony module, deploying the Zero Gravity Stowage Rack and removing the anti-vibration mount launch bracket from the common cabin air assembly.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Wednesday afternoon or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #17

[Waspie_Dwarf]

10.31.07

5 p.m. CDT, Oct. 31, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-18


STS-120 MCC Status Report #18

HOUSTON – Space shuttle Discovery astronauts will have an extra day to prepare for their mission’s fourth spacewalk, as the International Space Station Program has changed its priority from inspection of a rotary joint to repair of a solar array.

The spacewalk, planned for Thursday, now has been moved to Friday, or possibly Saturday if extra time is needed for preparation.

The array was left partially deployed on Tuesday, when damage was noted during its deployment. It is currently providing power, but to ensure that the array receives no further damage, it needs to be fully extended.

Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini said finding a way to do so is the priority for the remainder of the mission and plans for possible solutions are already in the works.

“We give this team a little time to start thinking about creative solutions, and it doesn’t take them long to blow you away with what they come up with,” he said.

The inspection of the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint planned for Thursday will be put off until a later date. The mission’s fifth spacewalk – which had been planned for Saturday – will be performed by the station crew after the shuttle leaves. If the spacewalkers are able to repair the array on Friday, the STS-120 crew of Discovery will then begin preparations for its return to Earth next Wednesday. If they are unable to fix the problem, another spacewalk may be added pending further discussion by station and shuttle management.

The crew spent part of today preparing for the spacewalk they would have taken on Thursday, which will put them ahead of schedule for preparations for Friday’s spacewalk. They also participated in a news conference with reporters from the United States, Italy and Russia.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Thursday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #18

[Waspie_Dwarf]

11.01.07

2:30 a.m. CDT, Nov. 1, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-19


STS-120 MCC Status Report #19

HOUSTON – Space Shuttle Discovery’s astronauts today will assemble and configure tools to repair a torn solar array blanket on the International Space Station’s port truss during the mission’s fourth spacewalk, now scheduled for Saturday.

Wednesday, mission managers decided the astronauts would not inspect the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint during the spacewalk, changing the priority to mending the torn array. Managers believe the potential exists for further damage to the partially deployed array if the blanket is torn further.

Early Thursday, crewmembers were told the spacewalk would be postponed until Saturday, to give mission managers and engineers additional time to plan the repair activities.

The wakeup song for the eventful day was, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by Robert John. It was played at 11:08 p.m. CDT Wednesday. The song was chosen by the crew’s training team.

The array is currently providing power, but to ensure that the array receives no further damage it needs to be fully extended. NASA engineers have been working around the clock examining the issue and preparing the plan for the spacewalk.

The leading theory is that one of the three guide wires on the array snagged on one of the grommets that it feeds through, starting the tear. Spacewalkers Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will attempt to remove the snag and transfer the loads carried by the broken hinge by installing straps that the crew will build today.

The crew also will study the spacewalk procedures delivered today and reconfigure a right-hand spare spacesuit glove to better fit Wheelock.

During the spacewalk, Parazynski will be working from the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) grappled by Canadarm2, while Wheelock provides clearance and visual perspective for the robotic arm operator maneuvering Parazynski.

Robotic arm operations to prepare include setting up the station arm for mission control to move the Mobile Transporter from worksite 8, near the P6 segment, to worksite 3, near the center of the station. The OBSS is in better reach of Canadarm2 from worksite 3.

With the spacewalk now planned for Saturday, the schedule still includes the return of Discovery to Earth next Wednesday.

The mission’s fifth spacewalk – which had been planned for Saturday – will be done by the station crew after the shuttle leaves.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Thursday evening or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #19

[Waspie_Dwarf]

11.01.07

4 p.m. CDT, Nov. 1, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-20


STS-120 MCC Status Report #20

HOUSTON – The space shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crews spent the day putting together tools and making preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk to repair a torn solar array.

Using strips of aluminum, a hole punch, bolt connector and 66 feet of wire, astronauts constructed solar array hinge stabilizers that should allow them to take the pressure off of the damaged hinges on the solar array. The contraption will work similarly to a cufflink, with the wire fed through a hole on the solar array and the strip of aluminum supporting it from below.

Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski will make the repair while suspended from a boom attached to the space station’s robotic arm, and Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock will assist from the station’s truss. Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Dan Tani will be operating the station’s robotic arm from the robotic work station inside the Destiny laboratory.

Assuming that the plans can be completed before the crew wakes up at 12:08 a.m. Friday, the spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 5:28 a.m. Saturday. The crew will continue to work on the tools and procedures throughout Friday.

While the ground continued efforts to plan for Saturday’s spacewalk, the crew completed the initial outfitting of the Harmony node. It will remain at its temporary home on the Unity module until later this month when it will be permanently relocated to Destiny. It will serve as the docking port for future science laboratories supplied by the European Space Agency and Japan.

In the midst of all the activity, the two crews were able to take a few minutes out of their work to talk with former President George H.W. Bush as he and his wife Barbara visited the Johnson Space Center and Mission Control.

“We're so very proud of what you're doing,” he told the astronauts.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Friday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #20

[Waspie_Dwarf]

11.02.07

2 a.m. CDT, Nov. 2, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-21


STS-120 MCC Status Report #21

HOUSTON – The space shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crews today will focus on reviewing spacewalk procedures and unberthing the shuttle’s Orbiter Boom Sensor System for Saturday’s spacewalk to repair a torn solar array.

The crews were awakened this morning at 12:08 with the song “World” by Five for Fighting for Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock, who will be performing his third spacewalk on Saturday. Wheelock dedicated the song to the ground support team.

Mission managers decided Wednesday it was important that the station’s P6 solar array be stabilized to prevent further tearing. Engineers have been working around the clock to prepare procedures for the robotic operations, tool configuration and the spacewalk.

During the early hours, ground controllers will move the station’s mobile transporter from the end of the port truss to the truss’ center. From there, Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Dan Tani will then use the station’s robotic arm to grapple the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The boom will be handed to the shuttle robotic arm for the night and the mobile transporter will then return to the end of the port truss.

On Saturday, the boom will be transferred back to the station’s arm to allow Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski to reach the torn 4B solar array panel. Parazynski will install five solar array hinge stabilizers, also known as cufflinks, to steady the array. Wheelock will assist from the station’s truss.

Inside the Harmony node, Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Mission Specialist Clay Anderson will install a computer router that will be used once the module is moved to its permanent location at the end of the Destiny laboratory. Yesterday, the crew completed the initial outfitting of Harmony.

The STS-120 crew has completed all of the major objectives for this mission, including installing Harmony in a temporary location at the end of the Unity node, relocating the P6 truss from the zenith side of the station to the end of the port truss, and installing a spare main bus switching unit on a storage platform for later use.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Friday afternoon or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #21

[Waspie_Dwarf]

11.02.07

5 p.m. CDT, Nov. 2, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-22


STS-120 MCC Status Report #22

HOUSTON – Space shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crew members today finished preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk to repair a torn solar array. The mission’s fourth spacewalk is set to begin about 5:30 a.m.

The astronauts spent the day positioning the station’s mobile transporter and robotic arm at the end of the truss where it will serve as a base and “cherry picker” providing ample reach for the work to free a snag in a solar array panel.

As Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock studied detailed plans for the spacewalk, other crew members assisted by insulating tools with Kapton tape to protect against any electrical currents.

Late in the crew day, the crew reviewed the procedures with Mission Control prior to going to bed. Parazynski and Wheelock will spend the night in the Quest airlock to prepare for the spacewalk focusing on the solar array repair.

As with other spacewalks during the mission, Saturday’s could begin early depending entirely on the crew’s final preparations that begin shortly after waking up at 12:38 a.m. Saturday.

The 6½ -hour spacewalk begins with Parazynski riding the robotic arm up to the damaged area of the array. He will be secured in a foot restraint on the end of the Orbiter Boom and Sensor System – the extension to the shuttle robot arm used for inspection of the orbiter’s thermal protection system.

Though this will be the first operational use of the OBSS to reach a worksite, the task was demonstrated during a spacewalk on the STS-121 mission in July 2006 to prove the boom could provide a stable environment for this type of work.

As Parazynski installs homemade stabilizers and releases the snag suspected of causing the tear in the array panel, Wheelock will assist from the base of the solar array. The distance from the station’s center is about 165 feet out on the truss and approximately 90 feet up to the damaged site.

If all goes as planned, the crew inside will then deploy the array half a bay at a time while Parazynski watches for any new complications. The spacewalk is scheduled to wrap up about noon.

The astronauts should then be able to spend Sunday preparing to leave the station with Discovery’s undocking scheduled early Monday morning. Landing is set for just after noon on Wednesday.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Saturday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #22

[Waspie_Dwarf]

11.03.07

2 a.m. CDT, Nov. 3, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-23


STS-120 MCC Status Report #23

HOUSTON – Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock today will work to repair a torn solar array on the farthest end of the International Space Station’s port truss in the fourth spacewalk of the STS-120 mission.

That spacewalk is slated to begin about 5:30 a.m., but could begin as early as 5 a.m. if the crew’s final preparations move quickly as they have for the rest of the mission’s spacewalks.

The crews of Space Shuttle Discovery and the station were awakened this morning at 12:38 with composer John Williams’ theme song from the original “Star Wars“ movie trilogy. The song was played for Parazynski.

Parazynski and Wheelock spent the evening in the Quest airlock at a lower air pressure to get ready for the 6.5-hour spacewalk. Yesterday, the two reviewed the detailed plans for the spacewalk with flight controllers and engineers who have been working around the clock to prepare the plan.

The day will begin with a hand-off of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) from the shuttle’s robotic arm to the station arm. The OBSS is an extension to the shuttle arm used for inspection of the orbiter’s thermal protection system. This will be the first time the OBSS will be used to reach a worksite, which was simulated on STS-121 in July 2006.

Parazynski will take a 45-minute ride on the mated OBSS to the damaged area of the array, estimated to be about 90 feet up from the P6 truss, to repair the tear in the 4B panel of the array. One of his first tasks will be to test the dynamics of the work platform to better understand how it will move as he moves. Once he arrives at the worksite, Parazynski will install homemade stabilizers and release the snag suspected of causing the tear in the array panel. Wheelock will assist from the base of the solar array.

If all goes as planned, the crew inside will then deploy the array half a bay at a time while Parazynski watches for any new complications. The spacewalk is scheduled to wrap up about Noon.

The astronauts should then be able to spend Sunday preparing to leave the station with Discovery’s undocking scheduled early Monday morning. Landing is set for just after Noon on Wednesday.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Saturday evening or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #23

[Waspie_Dwarf]

11.03.07

4 p.m. CDT, Nov. 3, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-24


STS-120 MCC Status Report #24

HOUSTON – With a few pieces of aluminum and a little bit of wire, Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski today repaired a damaged solar array during a spacewalk that lasted 7 hours, 19 minutes.

Parazynski and fellow spacewalker Doug Wheelock left the International Space Station at 5:03 a.m., and spent about an hour and a half riding the station’s robotic arm out to the torn array – about 165 feet down the station’s truss and 90 feet up to the damage.

Once there, Parazynski cut a snagged wire and installed homemade stabilizers designed to strengthen the array’s structure and stability in the vicinity of the damage. Wheelock helped from the truss by keeping an eye on the distance between Parazynski and the array.

They completed the repair just after 10 a.m., and then stood back to watch for complications as flight controllers on the ground finished the deploy, which began on Tuesday. The delicate deploy sequence called for the array mast to be deployed one half bay at a time. Fifteen minutes and 13 computer commands later, the array was fully extended.

“One of the most satisfying days that I’ve ever had in Mission Control,” Derek Hassman, lead station flight director, said of the operation.

Parazynski and Wheelock then made their way back to the station’s airlock, to end the spacewalk at 12:22 p.m.

The array repair became the priority of space shuttle Discovery’s mission on Tuesday, after two tears were noticed during the array’s unfurling. Teams on the ground worked around the clock to develop a plan for the repair, and the crew spent much of the past two days studying and making tools.

With that task behind them, the shuttle’s crew will prepare to leave the station. They’ll complete final transfer work, say their farewells, and close the hatch between the shuttle and the station at 12:43 p.m. CST Sunday.

Monday will be another busy day with undocking scheduled for 4:32 a.m. followed by a fly around of the station and an inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Sunday morning or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #24

[Waspie_Dwarf]

11.04.07

2 a.m. CDT, Nov. 4, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STATUS REPORT: STS-120-25


STS-120 MCC Status Report #25

HOUSTON – The astronauts on space shuttle Discovery got up this morning prepared to complete the final cargo transfers between the two vehicles and bid farewell to the Expedition 16 crew.

Farewells are scheduled to begin at 12:28 p.m. CST, followed by hatch closing at 12:43 p.m. CST.

The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station were awakened before the change from daylight to standard time. The crew was roused at 1:08 a.m. CDT with the song “The Presence of the Lord,” written by gospel musician Kurt Carr, originally recorded by Byron Cage. Cage’s rendition was played for Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson.

After the transfers are complete the two crews will enjoy some well-deserved time off before they bid farewell. The most important transfer from station to shuttle is the return of astronaut Clay Anderson. Anderson, who joined the station’s Expedition 15 crew in June, is being replaced by Dan Tani, who arrived at the station with the STS-120 crew.

Yesterday, Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski repaired a damaged solar array during a spacewalk that lasted 7 hours, 19 minutes. Fellow spacewalker Doug Wheelock helped from the truss by keeping an eye on the distance between Parazynski and the array.

The repair was completed at just after 10 a.m. Friday and then the crew deployed the P6 array to its full extension. The array repair became the priority of space shuttle Discovery’s mission on Tuesday after two tears were noticed during the array’s unfurling.

The spacewalk was the 4th of the STS-120 mission and the 96th in support of station assembly and maintenance.

Monday will be another busy day with undocking scheduled for 4:32 a.m. CST followed by a fly around of the station and an inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield. Landing is set for just after noon on Wednesday.

The next STS-120 status report will be issued Sunday evening or earlier if events warrant.

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Source: NASA - STS-120 MCC Status Report #25