December 2006 - Sarex (INACTIVE)

STS-116 Launch Contingency Support
by Arthur Rowe 20 Dec '06

20 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *NORAD Launch Support* Six F-15s from the U.S. Air Force, enforcing FAA established TFR with center point being NASA KSC 39B Launch Contingency Support USNORTHCOM provides a variety of support throughout launch, on-orbit and landing. In cooperation with NASA, U.S. Strategic Command and the DoD Manned Space Flight Support Office (DDMS), USNORTHCOM has developed plans to locate and retrieve the astronauts if they have a pad or launch emergency, are forced to bailout of the shuttle, or have to return for landing. Numerous Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aircraft and Coast Guard ships are pre-positioned or on standby to quickly launch to conduct search and rescue operations. For STS-116, the following DOD and DHS assets are supporting the mission: 20 US Air Force/Air National Guard Para rescue personnel (308th Rescue Squadron (RQS), Moody Air Force Base, Ga.; 103rd RQS, Gabreski, NY) 4 HH-60s (301st RQS, Patrick AFB) 1 US Air Force Reserve/US Air National Guard HC-130 (39th RQS (AFRC), Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.; and 1 Air National Guard HC-130 (102nd RQS, F.S. Gabreski Airport N.Y.) 1 KC-130 (Marine Corps Air Group 49, Stewart ANGB, N.Y.) 6 Army HH-60s (Fort Irwin, CA) 5 Air Force UH-1/OH58s (White Sands Missile Range, NM) */The United States Navy’s Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Center at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., and Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Center and Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va., and the United States Air Force’s Rescue Coordination Center will also be in direct support to Commander, U.S. Northern Command./* *Launch Abort Sites (LAS) and East Coast Launch Abort Landing Sites (ECALS)* Additionally U.S. military units at the following Shuttle Launch Abort Sites are on alert to support an emergency landing during the launch phase for STS-116. These bases lie near the intended flight path for STS-116: Atlantic City International Airport, N.J. Oceana Naval Air Station, Va. Dover Air Force Base, Del. Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass. F. S. Gabreski Airport, N.Y. Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. *DOD Augmented/Emergency Landing Sites * If the shuttle experiences an on-orbit emergency and has to land immediately, NASA has established several civilian and military landing sites around the world. US military personnel at the following locations are prepared to support an emergency landing of the shuttle: *Augmented Sites:* While the Primary Landing Site is Kennedy Space Center, Fla., alternate DoD Augmented Landing Sites Edwards AFB, Calif., Holloman AFB and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., can be quickly readied to support a shuttle landing with an on-scene commander, fire/crash/rescue forces, and medical evacuation capabilities. *Emergency Landing Sites*: These locations are strategically located around the world in the flight path of STS-116. They have runways long enough for the shuttle and have compatible navigation aids. The following Emergency Landing Sites are located within the United States: Atlantic City International Airport, N.J. (ECALS) MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. (ECALS) Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. McDill Air Force Base, Fla. China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, Calif. Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho Dover Air Force Base, Del. (ECALS) Oceana Naval Air Station, Va. (ECALS) Dyess Air Force Base, Texas Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass. (ECALS) Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H. (ECALS) Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. F.S. Gabreski Airport, N.Y. (ECALS) The emergency recovery sites only have the minimum number of people needed to assist the astronauts, and will respond to a shuttle landing as they would for any large aircraft emergency landing. *Alternate Landing Sites* The shuttle is expected to return to Kennedy Space Center on or about 12 days after launch and DoD support will be provided from Patrick AFB, Fla., Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., Kennedy Space Center, Fla. and USNORTHCOM Headquarters at Peterson AFB, Colo. However, alternate landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Holloman AFB/White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., can be quickly readied to support a shuttle landing. * *

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Discovery's return awaits word on weather
by Arthur Rowe 20 Dec '06

20 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Discovery's return awaits word on weather <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/4414550.html>—After an emotional farewell ceremony Tuesday, astronauts aboard the shuttle Discovery pulled away from the international space station and headed into the homestretch of its heavy-duty assembly mission. Discovery's crew of seven astronauts will try to land Friday. Weather will determine where and when. READ STORY <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/4414550.html> FOR THE REST OF THE STORY GO TO: http://www.chron.com/news/space/

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+ NASA Home > Mission Sections > Space Shuttle >
by Arthur Rowe 20 Dec '06

20 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 <http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/164885main_PostLaunch_NC_1209.pdf>TO VIEW PICTURES OF WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MISSION-GO TO http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/index.html *STS-116 Briefing Materials* Dec. 17, 2006: + Mission Status Briefing <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/msb_1…> Dec. 15, 2006: + Mission Status Briefing <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/msb_1…> Dec. 14, 2006: + Mission Status Briefing <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/msb_1…> Dec. 13, 2006: + Mission Status Briefing <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/msb_1…> Dec. 12, 2006: + Mission Status Briefing <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/msb_1…> Dec. 11, 2006: + Mission Status Briefing <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/msb_1…>

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #21
by Arthur Rowe 20 Dec '06

20 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 NASA NEWS 7 p.m. CST Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.19.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-21 STS-116 MCC Status Report #21 Crews aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station bid one another farewell at 4:10 p.m. CST today, wrapping up eight days of docked operations. Staying behind on the newly rewired space station were Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams, and departing with Discovery’s crew was Thomas Reiter, a European Space Agency astronaut on his way home after a six-month space voyage. Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin rang the ship’s bell in Navy fashion and saluted the shuttle and crew as they departed. “From the crew of Discovery – we wish you smooth sailing – thank you for the hard work, and we hope you enjoy the new electrical system on the station,” STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky radioed back from a distance of 650 feet during a half-lap fly-around. Pilot Bill Oefelein was at the controls for the fly-around, which gave Discovery’s crew a look at its handiwork, a new P5 spacer truss segment and a fully retracted P6 solar array wing. During 7 days, 23 hours and 58 minutes of docked operations, the combined crew installed the newest piece of the station’s backbone and completely rewired the station’s power grid over the course of four spacewalks. Before the hatches closed at 1:42 p.m., Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham and her cargo team had transferred more than two tons of food, water and equipment for use by the Expedition 14 crew and its newest member. They also filled Discovery’s pressurized cargo carrier with equipment and experiment samples returning to Earth. Discovery fired its orbital maneuvering system engines to finish separation from the station at 6:12 p.m., bound for a landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:56 p.m. Friday, weather permitting. On Wednesday, Polansky, Oefelein and Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick will use the shuttle’s robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System to inspect Discovery’s heat shield for damage from orbiting debris or micrometeoroids. Spacewalkers Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang will work with Higginbotham and Reiter to stow equipment and supplies used during the mission in preparation for landing. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Wednesday morning or earlier if events warrant. - end -

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NASA's Landing Blog - Mission STS-116
by Arthur Rowe 20 Dec '06

20 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 LANDING COVERAGE NASA's Landing Blog - Mission STS-116 *NASA's landing blog will begin live coverage at 2 p.m. EST on Dec. 22, 2006. * *Did you know? * Unlike space shuttle launches for which a "go" for liftoff can be given within minutes of changing weather conditions during the launch window, the landing site must be chosen more than an hour before touchdown, when the deorbit burn takes place. A switch in sites usually can be made up to 90 minutes prior to landing. The orbiter touches down on the surface of the Shuttle Landing Facility at a speed of 213 to 226 mph. Its initial landing approach is a glide slope of 20 degrees, more than six times steeper than the 3-degree slope of a typical commercial jet airliner as it approaches landing. *The Shuttle Landing Facility* At 15,000 feet long and 300 feet wide, the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center is larger than most commercial runways. For comparison, consider this: the longest runway at Los Angeles International Airport is 12,091 feet long and 150 feet wide -- 2,909 feet shorter and 150 feet narrower than the Shuttle Landing Facility. Although it is used by military and civilian cargo carriers, astronaut T-38 trainers, shuttle training aircraft and helicopters, the facility was specifically designed for end-of-mission shuttle orbiter landings. The Shuttle Landing Facility consists of a single landing strip that is considered two runways, depending on approach. If approaching from the northwest, landing will be on Runway 15; from the southeast, landing will be on Runway 33. With more than 330 native and migratory bird species at Kennedy, birds present a special hazard to landing orbiters. Selective grass-cutting, pyrotechnic and noise-making devices may be used to discourage birds around the facility. When the space shuttle clears the launch tower moments after liftoff, control is officially handed from Kennedy to Johnson Space Center in Houston, which maintains control of on-orbit activities and landing operations. Orbiter responsibility is handed from Johnson back to Kennedy after vehicle cool-down and crew departure, typically about an hour after touchdown. Immediately following landing, 20 to 30 specially-designed Kennedy vehicles and units report to the runway. Their activities include safing the orbiter, assisting in crew departure and towing the vehicle to processing facilities.

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Space Shuttle Mission STS-116
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

*Space Shuttle Mission STS-116* *Orbiter*: Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…> *Mission*: Space Station Assembly Building 12A.1 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/mission_ov…> *Payload*: P5 Integrated Truss Segment <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html> *Launch Date*: Dec. 9, 2006 *Launch Time*: 8:47 p.m. EST *Launch Pad*: 39B <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/launch-complex39-toc.html> *Landing Date*: Dec. 22, 2006 *Landing Time*: 3:56 p.m. EST (2056 UTC) *Mission Duration*: 12 days, 19 hours, 9 minutes

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STS-116 Leaves New Truss Segment, Crew Member With
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 The STS-116 crew’s stay at the International Space Station came to an end Tuesday when Space Shuttle Discovery undocked at 5:10 p.m. EST. During its eight-day visit, the STS-116 crew added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system. The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6. Astronaut Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday, Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter will return to Earth with STS-116. Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews have also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that will return to Earth with STS-116. STS-117 is scheduled to visit the station in March. For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html>

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STS-116 Nears End of Busy Stay at Station
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 STS-116 Nears End of Busy Stay at Station ISS014-E-08936 --- Full moon Image above: This view of a full moon was photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember onboard the International Space Station. Earth's horizon and airglow is visible at left. Image credit: NASA The STS-116 crew’s stay at the International Space Station is winding down. Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew are slated to leave Tuesday to conclude an eight-day stay in which STS-116 added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system. Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station at 5:09 p.m. EST Tuesday. The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6. The P5’s installation is not the only change that the station has undergone since Space Shuttle Discovery docked last week. Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday, Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter will return to Earth with STS-116. Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews have worked together to transfer 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews have also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that will return to Earth with STS-116. For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more

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Hatches Close, Discovery Prepares for Undocking
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Hatches Close, Discovery Prepares for UndockingSAREX STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews gather for photo Image above: The STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews gather for a group photo before saying their final farewells. Image Credit: NASA The STS-116 crew bid farewell to the International Space Station’s Expedition 14 crew before entering Space Shuttle Discovery. The hatches closed between the two vehicles at 2:42 p.m. EST. Attention now turns to undocking at 5:09 p.m.est The two crews will conduct leak checks before Discovery undocks. After the two vehicles unlink, Pilot Bill Oefelein will guide the shuttle through a partial fly-around of the space station before firing shuttle jets to begin the journey home. Discovery is scheduled to land at 3:56 p.m. Friday at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. STS-116 is wrapping up an eight-day stay at the station. The crew continued the on-orbit construction of the station with the addition of the P5 spacer truss segment during the first of four spacewalks. The next two spacewalks were devoted to the rewiring of the station’s power system, leaving it in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was added to allow the crew to retract solar arrays that had folded improperly. Discovery also delivered a new crew member and more than two tons of equipment and supplies to the station. Almost two tons of items no longer needed on the station will return to Earth with STS-116. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page. + Read more

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #20
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC 8:30 a.m. CST Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.19.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-20 STS-116 MCC Status Report #20 Space Shuttle Discovery astronauts will leave the orbiting laboratory today after four successful spacewalks, delivery and installation of a new segment of the International Space Station’s main truss and reconfiguring the station’s power system. During their eight days docked to the station, the shuttle crew also dropped off more than two tons of additional equipment and supplies and a new station crew member. After some final equipment transfers between the two spacecraft, Discovery crew members will bid their station colleagues farewell. Hatch closing is scheduled for 12:57 p.m. CST. Undocking is to occur at 4:09 p.m.(5:09 EST - 1009 UTC) With Pilot Bill Oefelein at the controls, Discovery will slowly move away from the station. A partial fly-around of the station will give the crew a look at the orbiting laboratory, with its new P5 spacer truss segment and the port wing of the P6 solar array fully retracted and firmly secured in its retention box. Discovery will begin its departure from the area at about 6 p.m. The crew is to begin its scheduled sleep period at 10:47 p.m. Landing is scheduled for 2:56 p.m. CST Friday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Highlights of docked operations include the four spacewalks. Mission Specialist Bob Curbeam participated in all of them, giving him the record for the number of spacewalks during a single shuttle mission. He teamed up with Sunita Williams, the new station crewmember for the third spacewalk, and with Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang for the other three. The first spacewalk was for the P5 truss segment installation, the second and third focused on the power reconfiguration, and the fourth was dedicated to completing retraction of the port solar wing of the P6 truss. The P6 arrays were deployed in late 2000. On Wednesday almost half the port wing was retracted, leaving 17 bays out. Saturday spacewalkers Curbeam and Williams helped retract six more bays. In a dramatic Monday spacewalk, Curbeam and Fuglesang helped complete the retraction. Discovery crewmembers -- Commander Mark Polansky, Oefelein and Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Curbeam, Fuglesang, Joan Higginbotham and Thomas Reiter, the European Space Agency astronaut from Germany who will be coming home after about six months in space -- were awakened at 7:47 a.m. CST to “The Zamboni Song,” performed by the Gear Daddies. The song, dedicated to the entire crew, was requested by the training team who sent a message to Oefelein saying they had arranged for him to fly the shuttle half a lap around the station. Aboard the station, Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Williams got their wakeup tone at 8:17 a.m. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Tuesday afternoon or earlier if events warrant.

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Bill Oefelein's STS-116 Mission Blog
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 IN THEIR OWN WORDS Bill Oefelein's STS-116 Mission Blog /Astronaut Bill Oefelein takes time to answer student questions and provide his thoughts about his training and STS-116 space shuttle mission./ *Dec. 16, 2006* -- Hi. First Blog from Space. As you may be able to imagine, we have been pretty busy. I don't have a lot of spare time, but let me share a few thoughts and try to answer some of your questions. First, the launch was 10 times more exciting than I thought!! The sights and sounds and sensations were, literally, out of this world! Space is fun! I quickly adapted to the zero gravity and have had no problems eating or sleeping. It's fun to eat "upside down" and sleep on the ceiling. The sights are incredible. Whenever I can, I try to take a peek out the window. There is always something to see. We've seen thunderstorms, city lights, the Northern Lights, rivers, jungles, deserts, oceans, and so much more. It is quite an experience. Mainly, though, we have been very busy re-wiring the space station, adding a new piece of hardware to the ISS truss, and transferring a lot of gear. The days are long, but we have a great crew and we work well together. Unfortunately, I don't have time to answer all of your questions, but let me answer a few: *Questions from Dillingham Elementary 5th Graders:* /Christopher: Do astronauts use any robots to help them in space?/ Yes. We have two robotic arms up here. I have operated the one on Discovery. /Sean: How do you get air to the ISS?/ We bring the air up on the Space Shuttle or Russian Progress re-supply ships. /Kenny : Do you have to be in the military to be an astronaut?/ No. In fact, most astronauts are not military. /What happens if the astronauts get sick on the ISS?/ We have medicines and equipment, much like a paramedic, to take care of sicknesses and injuries. /How do they take a shower if they are going to be up on the ISS for so long?/ We can't take showers. We take sponge baths with a wash cloth, a towel, soap and water. We just have to make sure our soap doesn't float away. /How can we identify the ISS in the night sky from earth?/ The ISS will look like a bright star, quickly going across the sky. However, Alaska is far enough north that the ISS will not fly directly over it. Even with that, we are high enough that when we get close to Alaska, we can sneak peeks at the very southern part of the state. /Conner: How does zero gravity affect your body during long missions?/ It makes you lose bone density and muscle mass unless you exercise a lot. /What happens if there is a leak in the ISS?/ We have procedures to take care of most emergencies we may come across and have received a lot of training and practiced many times in the event an emergency may arise. Thanks for the great questions. I hope to have time later in the mission to write again. In the mean time, study hard and enjoy your upcoming Christmas break. And enjoy the snow for me. I don't get as much as I like these days. Your friend - Bill

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On-Orbit Station Construction Continues
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 The STS-116 crew’s stay at the International Space Station is winding down. Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew are slated to leave Tuesday to conclude an eight-day stay in which STS-118 added a new truss segment to the station, delivered a new crew member and rewired the orbital outpost’s power system. Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station at 5:09 p.m. EST Tuesday. The STS-116 crew conducted three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss segment and rewire the station’s power system. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. The rewiring activities put the station’s power system in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was conducted to assist in the retraction of the troublesome port solar array on the P6. The P5’s installation is not the only change that the station has undergone since Space Shuttle Discovery docked last week. Sunita Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday, Dec. 12. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15. Reiter will return to Earth with STS-116. Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews have worked together to transfer Discovery 4,292 pounds of supplies and equipment delivered to the station by Discovery. The two crews have also transferred 3,725 pounds of cargo that will return to Earth with STS-116.

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Spacewalkers Fold Solar Array
by Arthur Rowe 19 Dec '06

19 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Spacewalkers Fold Solar Array* I The STS-116 crew folded the port solar array on the International Space Station’s P6 truss during the mission's fourth spacewalk. The 6-hour, 38 minute excursion by Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang concluded at 8:38 p.m. EST. Curbeam and Fuglesang freed up the array for retraction with several techniques -- pulling guide wires, flipping grommets, and pushing panel hinges. The spacewalkers also shook the solar array panel. The final bay was folded about 6:54 p.m. EST. One of the guide wires looped out of the proper configuration during the folding process and the spacewalkers tightened it before commands were sent to latch the arrays. Another objective of today’s spacewalk, which was STS-116’s fourth, was to collect information that could prove useful when the opposite side of the array is retracted during the STS-117 mission in March. The start of the spacewalk at 2 p.m. was a historic moment for Curbeam, who became the first astronaut to conduct four spacewalks during a single mission. This was Fuglesang’s third. Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams conducted one. Pilot Bill Oefelein coordinated the spacewalk activities. Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham and Williams were at the controls of the station’s robot arm, Canadarm2. Attention now turns to Discovery’s departure. Discovery is scheduled to undock at 5:09 p.m. Tuesday, ending STS-116’s eight-day stay at the station. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page. + Read more <http://www.nasa.gov/station>

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #18
by Arthur Rowe 18 Dec '06

18 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 10 a.m. CST Monday, Dec. 18, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.18.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-18 STS-116 MCC Status Report #18 Discovery and International Space Station crew members will conduct their fourth spacewalk of the week today, an excursion aimed at freeing a snagged, partially retracted station solar array so it will fully fold properly. Astronaut Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang, a European Space Agency astronaut from Sweden, will venture outside the station at 1:12 p.m. CST. It will be Curbeam's fourth spacewalk of the mission, more than any astronaut has performed during a single shuttle flight, and it will be Fuglesang's third. Using a variety of specially prepared, tape-insulated tools, they will work to complete the retraction of the port solar array wing of the station's P6 truss. Curbeam and Fuglesang spent the night in the station's Quest airlock in a procedure called a "campout." The air pressure in the compartment was reduced to 10.2 pounds per square inch to assist in purging nitrogen from their bodies, a measure that helps prevent decompression sickness. The shuttle crew was awakened at 8:17 a.m. CST to the song “Good Vibrations,” performed by the Beach Boys. The song was played for the entire crew in honor of the vibrations the spacewalkers may create today to attempt to free the balky solar panels. As part of the suite of potential activities they have on hand to assist with folding the array, Curbeam and Fuglesang will shake the solar blankets by pushing on the boxes into which they fold. If needed, the spacewalk could last as long as six and a half hours. Curbeam will be on the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm during the spacewalk. He will be equipped to work on two problems believed to be experienced by the array. One is the apparent jamming of the guide wires in the grommets designed to guide them. The other is some backward, balky folding of hinges between solar panels that has been seen during attempts at retraction. As those issues are dealt with by the spacewalkers, crew members inside will send commands to further fold the array. Fuglesang will be on the P6 truss. He will push the blanket boxes into which the arrays fold to shake the wing. He also will take pictures, including some of the P6 starboard solar wing. That wing is to be retracted on the next shuttle flight to the station. The photos taken by Fuglesang will assist in the planning of that task. Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Suni Williams and Discovery Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham will operate the station’s robotic arm during the spacewalk. Pilot Bill Oefelein will serve as the spacewalk coordinator, or intravehicular officer, inside the spacecraft. The transfer of equipment and supplies between the shuttle and station will continue today as well. Almost all of the 4,292 pounds brought up aboard Discovery has been moved to the station, and the loading of 3,725 pounds of gear in those areas for return to Earth is nearing completion as well. Discovery's undocking from the station is now planned for 4:09 p.m. on Tuesday. Discovery is planned to land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 2:56 p.m. on Friday. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Monday evening, or earlier if events warrant.

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #17
by Arthur Rowe 18 Dec '06

18 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 7 p.m. CST Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.17.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-17 STS-116 MCC Status Report #17 Flight controllers today put the finishing touches on plans for the fourth spacewalk recently added to the mission. On board the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station astronauts finished transferring the bulk of supplies between the two spacecraft. Monday’s spacewalk is set to begin at 1:12 p.m. as veteran spacewalkers Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang go out to continue attempts to retract a solar array wing. The team has allotted six hours and 30 minutes for the spacewalk, but hopes to have the work completed in about four hours and 30 minutes. Plans call for Curbeam to work from the end of the station’s Canadarm2 to reach specific areas of the solar array. Today the arm was moved atop its mobile platform into position on the truss railway to support the spacewalk. From the arm, Curbeam can use Kapton tape-insulated tools, including a scraper, needle-nose pliers and an extended bail puller to free up the array for retraction. The techniques designed to fix the array include lightly pulling on guide wires along the length of the panels, flipping grommets that the wires may be hung up on and gently pushing on hinges in the panels to allow them to fold up. Fuglesang will work from the truss to assist Curbeam and shake the solar array, as was done in Saturday’s spacewalk, if needed. He will also take photographs of the solar array wing on the other side of the truss to document its configuration before its retraction on the next joint shuttle and station mission. After the crewmembers work on the array and change its configuration they will move clear as the crew inside the shuttle and station complex attempts to retract the array one bay at a time. Astronauts Sunita Williams and Joan Higginbotham will operate the station’s robotic arm during the spacewalk. Pilot Bill Oefelein will serve as the spacewalk coordinator. In other activities, transfer of equipment and supplies between the spacecraft is almost complete. Crewmembers and flight controllers planned for the last bit of transfer to include tools and equipment remaining after the final spacewalk. That work is set to be completed before Discovery undocks from the station Tuesday afternoon. Shuttle Commander Mark Polansky and astronauts Nicholas Patrick, Curbeam, Oefelein and Higginbotham participated in media interviews at 6:27 p.m. This evening, the crew has time to review the spacewalk plans before Fuglesang and Curbeam enter the Quest airlock for their third overnight campout together. Lowering the pressure of the airlock to 10.2 psi is part of a process to avoid any possibility of the two spacewalkers developing decompression sickness in the relatively low pressure of their spacesuits. The suits are pressurized to a little less than 5 psi. The crew goes to bed at 12:17 a.m. Monday and will awaken at 8:17 a.m. for another spacewalk day. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Monday morning or earlier if events warrant. - end -

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-12-18 07:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 18 Dec '06

18 Dec '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-12-18 07:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: The times listed below are subject to last minute changes due to continuing Shuttle EVA operations. Thunmanskolan, Knivsta, Sweden via telebridge VK4KHZ Contact was successful Sun 2006-12-17 18:19 UTC via VK4KHZ (***) Kashiwabara Community Center, Sayama, Japan, direct via 8J1K Contact is a go for Wed 2006-12-27 12:22 UTC During Expedition 14, ARISS expects to have one ARISS school contact per month rather than approximately one per week. It is also anticipated that there many not be many general contacts. STS-116 12A.1 Launch (Polansky, Oefelein, Curbeam, Higginbotham, Patrick KD5PKY, Christer Fuglesang KE5CGR/SA0AFS, Suni Williams KD5PLB up) On orbit and docked Total number of ARISS school contacts is 259. (***) QSL information may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.html http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS ***************************************************************************** The schedule page has been updated as of 2006-12-18 07:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2006-11-20 22:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… tf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf ***************************************************************************** There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40 meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio. ***************************************************************************** Expedition 13/14 on orbit: Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 on orbit: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT Expedition 14/15 on orbit: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #16
by Arthur Rowe 17 Dec '06

17 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 9:30 a.m. CST Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.17.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-16 STS-116 MCC Status Report #16 Astronauts will spend much of today getting ready for a fourth spacewalk during Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station. On Saturday, Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam and Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams finished rewiring the International Space Station during a 7-hour, 31-minute spacewalk. After planned tasks had been completed smoothly and ahead of schedule, they also shook a balky solar array wing in hopes of completing its retraction. That helped gain some ground – the wing is about 65 percent retracted, compared to less than 50 percent before the spacewalk. About 11 bays remain deployed, compared to about 17 before. Managers decided Saturday afternoon to add that fourth spacewalk to Discovery’s visit to the station. This one will be done by Curbeam, who participated in all three of the previous spacewalks, and Christer Fuglesang, a spacewalker on the first two. While Curbeam and Williams were still outside Saturday, mission managers decided to add the spacewalk, scheduled to start at 12:47 p.m. CST on Monday, and to add a day to Discovery’s stay at the station. Today the station’s Canadarm2 will be moved into position to support the Monday spacewalk. Discovery’s arm will be used to provide camera views. Discovery crew members will reconfigure spacesuits and transfer them to the station’s Quest airlock. At 8:02 p.m., Discovery and station crews will hold a procedure review for the spacewalk. Curbeam and Fuglesang will begin an overnight “campout” in the airlock, its pressure reduced to 10.2 psi. The crew goes to bed at 12:17 a.m. Monday. The campout is part of a process to avoid any possibility of the two spacewalkers developing decompression sickness in the relatively low pressure of their spacesuits. The suits are pressurized to a little less than 5 psi. In other activities, transfer of equipment and supplies between the spacecraft is about 70 percent complete. Crewmembers and flight controllers believe it should be mostly finished after today’s work. Shuttle crewmembers Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein and Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Curbeam, Fuglesang, Joan Higginbotham and Thomas Reiter, were awakened at 8:17 a.m. CST to the “Beautiful Blue Danube" performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The music was for Fuglesang. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Sunday evening, or earlier if events warrant. - end -

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #15
by Arthur Rowe 17 Dec '06

17 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 NASA NEWS 9:30 p.m. CST Saturday, Dec. 16, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.16.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-15 STS-116 MCC Status Report #15 During a spacewalk partially choreographed as it happened, STS-116 Astronauts Bob Curbeam and Sunita Williams finished rewiring the International Space Station and shook loose a balky solar array so their crewmates inside could retract it almost two-thirds of the way. By finishing the electrical work, the spacewalkers set the stage for installation of more solar arrays and science modules, including those being supplied by international partners. For a second time, flight controllers shut down about half of the station’s systems, including some lights, communication gear, ventilation fans and back-up computers as the third spacewalk of Discovery’s mission began at 1:25 p.m. CST. Curbeam and Williams finished their rewiring tasks at nearly the same time posted by Curbeam and Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang on Thursday. By 3:18 p.m., controllers were powering up the second half of the station’s new power grid and cooling systems. The spacewalkers also installed a robotic arm grapple fixture and positioned three bundles of Russian debris shield panels outside the Zvezda service module before moving on to their P6 solar array panel 4B retraction work. The debris panels will be installed on a future spacewalk. Then, using maneuvers dubbed the “Beamer Shake” and the “Suni Shake,” the spacewalkers tackled grommets and guide wires that have been preventing a full retraction of the array since Wednesday. Curbeam and Williams stationed themselves on opposite sides of the array and took turns shaking the array blanket box while the crew inside the station reeled in the array one bay at a time. Curbeam shook the blanket 19 times, and Williams shook it 13 times. The crew inside the station, coordinating with flight controllers on the ground, initiated eight retraction cycles. As a result of their combined efforts, the array is now 65 percent retracted, with only 11 bays still deployed. The 7 hour, 31 minute spacewalk concluded at 8:56 p.m. In the midst of the excursion, Mission Control informed the crew that managers had decided to extend Discovery’s mission one day to allow a fourth spacewalk. Curbeam and Fuglesang will venture outside Monday in an attempt to complete retraction of the array and collect additional information that could prove useful when the opposite side of the array is retracted on the next shuttle mission, STS-117, in March. The extended flight plan preserves a late inspection of Discovery’s heat shield after it undocks from the station. Discovery is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center on Friday afternoon. Discovery’s crew is scheduled to go to sleep at 12:17 a.m. Sunday, and will awaken at 8:17 a.m. for a day devoted to cargo transfers and spacewalk preparations. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Sunday morning or earlier if events warrant. - end -

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #14
by Arthur Rowe 16 Dec '06

16 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 10 a.m. CST Saturday, Dec. 16, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.16.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-14 STS-116 MCC Status Report #14 The third spacewalk of Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station is scheduled to begin at 1:37 p.m. CST to complete the rewiring of the orbiting laboratory’s power system. Discovery Mission Specialist Bob Curbeam and station Flight Engineer Sunita Williams will venture outside to finish the job started on Thursday’s spacewalk. Station flight controllers will begin commanding about half of the station's systems to power down at about 10:52 a.m. CST. After Mission Control has cut the power on the two station electrical channels that are the subject of today's work, channels 1 and 4, the spacewalkers will rewire them. Completing that task will put the station power system in its permanent configuration, ready for more solar arrays and laboratories to be added in 2007. Curbeam and Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang, a European Space Agency astronaut from Sweden, completed a rewiring job on the other two station power channels, channels 2 and 3, during a spacewalk on Thursday. Additional tasks for today’s spacewalk include relocating debris shield panels from the station’s interior to a storage point outside. The panels, designed to increase the protection of the station's Zvezda living quarters module, will be installed during a later spacewalk by the station crew. Curbeam and Williams also will install a robotic arm grapple fixture. Today's spacewalk is planned to be completed at 7:47 p.m. CST, but can go longer if needed. If time allows after all originally planned tasks are completed during the excursion, one or both of the spacewalkers will move up the P6 truss atop the station to the base of its partially retracted port solar wing. From that point, they will push on a blanket box into which the array has been folding to attempt to jiggle apparently misaligned guide wires and grommets into place. The result may allow additional retraction of the array. Meanwhile, managers are continuing to evaluate a possible fourth spacewalk that would take place on Monday to attempt to fully retract the array. However, no decision has been made regarding whether that spacewalk will be pursued. To prepare for that possibility, the spacewalkers today may bring several tools inside the station that would need to be prepared with insulating tape for use on a fourth spacewalk. The transfer of equipment and supplies between the two spacecraft continues. Late Friday, the crews were slightly ahead of the transfer schedule. Inside the station today, station Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin will replace a component of the orbiting laboratory’s carbon dioxide removal system to restore it to full operation. The orientation of the shuttle and station is again being controlled by the station's control moment gyroscopes. Small shuttle thrusters had been controlling the orientation of the spacecraft since Friday, when an initial attempt to switch to gyroscope control was not successful. A second attempt Saturday worked. Flight controllers believe the difficulty was due to increased atmospheric drag resulting from recent solar activity. Shuttle crew members Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein and Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Curbeam, Fuglesang, Joan Higginbotham and Thomas Reiter, along with Williams in the airlock campout, were awakened at 8:52 a.m. CST to composer Aaron Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The music was played for Patrick. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Saturday evening or earlier if events warrant. - end -

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Preflight Interview: Suni Williams-NEXT ISS CREW MEMBER
by Arthur Rowe 16 Dec '06

16 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Preflight Interview: Suni Williams 08.09.06 *Q: There are hundreds of thousands of pilots and scientists out there in the world, but there are only about 100 American astronauts. What made you want to try to become an astronaut and be one of those people that flies in space?* FOR THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW GO TO: nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition14/exp14_interview_wil…

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #12
by Arthur Rowe 16 Dec '06

16 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 9:30 a.m. CST Friday, Dec. 15, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.15.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-12 STS-116 MCC Status Report #12 With half the International Space Station’s electrical system rewired, the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery gets half a day off today before they finish the job during a third spacewalk set for Saturday. Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang rewired channels 2 and 3 of the station’s power system in a five-hour spacewalk Thursday. A similar task will be done with the two remaining station power channels, channels 1 and 4, on Saturday. However, for Saturday's spacewalk, Curbeam will be joined by International Space Station Flight Engineer Suni Williams for the outside work while Fuglesang will coordinate activities inside the spacecraft. Once the third spacewalk is complete, power will be fully online from the station’s P4 Truss solar array wings, which were installed in September. At that point, the station's power system will be ready for additional expansion with more arrays and new laboratories to be delivered next year. Discovery Commander Mark Polansky and his crew—Pilot Bill Oefelein and Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick, Joan Higginbotham, Thomas Reiter, Curbeam and Fuglesang—were awakened at about 8:52 a.m. CST to the song "Low Rider," performed by War, and played for Oefelein. Discovery and the station are in good condition. Discovery is currently maintaining the orientation of both the station and shuttle using the shuttle steering jets, a function it began performing during preparations for the spacewalk on Thursday. Control of the station's orientation was transferred to Discovery on Thursday as part of the normal preparations of the station's power system for the rewiring job. The station usually uses its own control moment gyroscopes to maintain its orientation, without having to use fuel. Originally, control of the station's orientation was to be transferred back to those gyroscopes late Thursday after the spacewalk tasks were completed and station systems powered up. However, problems were experienced as that transfer was attempted. Flight controllers believe the problems were due to a higher than usual amount of atmospheric drag currently experienced by the station due to recent solar activity. They may attempt to transfer control of orientation back to the station again today, although the shuttle thrusters can be used if needed for that purpose through the rest of the mission. If necessary, the station has thrusters that can be used for orientation control as well. During the first half of their day, the astronauts will transfer supplies and equipment between the station and shuttle. At 1:07 p.m. the two European Space Agency astronauts, Fuglesang of Sweden and Reiter of Germany, will participate in a VIP call from Swedish dignitaries. At 2:47 p.m. all 10 astronauts and cosmonauts on the shuttle/station complex will conduct a news conference with reporters in the U.S. and Europe. The shuttle crew members will be off duty the last half of the day. Station Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are scheduled for interviews with KNX Radio, Los Angeles, and National Public Radio at 4:27 p.m. CST. Engineers investigating the difficulties with fully retracting the port-side solar array wing of the station's P6 Truss believe a guide wire may be snagged in a swiveling grommet on one of the array's panels. The snag could be keeping the panels from folding up completely. The array remains almost halfway retracted as it has been since Wednesday. Early this morning, station flight controllers commanded the array through a series of "wiggle" tests, swiveling the wing 10 degrees at a time repeatedly to see if that would help the situation. They are continuing to evaluate the results of those tests and to investigate options for further work with the array, including the potential to add a spacewalk to latter part of this mission. Options also may include some additional troubleshooting commanding that could be performed with the array during the crew's day today. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Friday evening or earlier if events warrant.

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Crews Hold News Conference, Prepare for Spacewalk
by Arthur Rowe 16 Dec '06

16 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crews Hold News Conference, Prepare for Spacewalk* Image above: STS-116 and Expedition 14 crew members participate in a joint news conference. Image Credit: NASA TV TO VIEW PICTURE OF BOTH CREWS GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html The STS-116 and the Expedition 14 crews took a break from today’s cargo transfers to hold a joint news conference. Other activities include preparations for STS-116’s third spacewalk. All 10 shuttle and station crew members gathered this afternoon in the U.S. Destiny Laboratory to field questions from U.S. and European media. STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky answered a question about commanding a mission with five first-time space travelers. “It has been pretty fantastic,” he said. “They are just doing great.” The crews will enjoy a few hours of light duty before wrapping up the day with preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk by STS-116 Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam and Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams. The preparations include a review of the timeline and the overnight campout in the Quest airlock. Curbeam and Williams will complete the rewiring of the station power systems during the spacewalk slated to begin at 2:37 p.m. EST Saturday. Earlier today, STS-116 Mission Specialists Thomas Reiter and Christer Fuglesang had a discussion with Swedish dignitaries. Fuglesang is the first Swede to fly in space. At 5:20 p.m., Expedition 14 Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin talked with KNX Radio, Los Angeles, and National Public Radio. Flight controllers have conducted several types of tests in their efforts to find a way to fold the partially retracted solar array on the P6 truss. During the overnight hours, they commanded the array through a series of "wiggle" tests, swiveling the wing 10 degrees at a time repeatedly to see if that would help the situation. Then about 1 p.m. EST, they collected data on array movement while Reiter exercised on station equipment. Flight controllers continue to analyze the problem and may ask for more tests later today. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page. + Read more <http://www.nasa.gov/station>

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-12-15 19:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 15 Dec '06

15 Dec '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-12-15 19:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: The times listed below are subject to last minute changes due to continuing Shuttle EVA operations. Thunmanskolan, Knivsta, Sweden via telebridge VK4KHZ Contact is a go for Sun 2006-12-17 18:19 UTC via VK4KHZ Contact is to have live simulcast via IRLP, Echolink, and webcast. (***) Kashiwabara Community Center, Sayama, Japan, direct via 8J1K Contact is a go for Wed 2006-12-27 12:22 UTC During Expedition 14, ARISS expects to have one ARISS school contact per month rather than approximately one per week. It is also anticipated that there many not be many general contacts. STS-116 12A.1 Launch (Polansky, Oefelein, Curbeam, Higginbotham, Patrick KD5PKY, Christer Fuglesang KE5CGR, Suni Williams KD5PLB up) On orbit and docked. Total number of ARISS school contacts is 258. QSL information may be found at: http://www.arrl.org/ARISS/arissfaq.html http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm#QSL's ISS callsigns: DP0ISS, NA1SS, RS0ISS ***************************************************************************** The schedule page has been updated as of 2006-12-15 19:00 UTC. Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2006-11-20 22:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correctio… tf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf ***************************************************************************** There has been a rumor that the ISS was having direct contacts on the 40 meter band. There is no HF radio equipment on board and available yet. The HF antenna is mounted. Sometimes WA3NAN will retransmit shuttle audio. ***************************************************************************** Expedition 13/14 on orbit: Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 on orbit: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT Expedition 14 future: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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ARISS Event - Thunmanskolan, Knivsta, Sweden contact, Sun (Dec 17) at 18:19 UTC
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 15 Dec '06

15 Dec '06

An International Space Station Expedition 14 ARISS school contact with a visiting shuttle crewmember has been planned with students at Thunmanskolan, Knivsta, Sweden on Sunday 20 Nov. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 18:19 UTC. The contact will be a telebridge between stations NA1SS and VK4KHZ . The contact should be audible to anyone in eastern portions of Australia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. Additional listening options are listed below. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in Swedish. IRLP - Connect to the IRLP reflector 9010. You may also connect via the IRLP Discovery website at http://www.discoveryreflector.ca/listen.htm. EchoLink - The audio from this contact will be available on the EchoLink *AMSAT* (node 101 377) and the *JK1ZRW* (node 277 208) conference rooms. Please connect to the *JK1ZRW* server to keep the load light on the *AMSAT* server. This will ensure good audio quality for all listeners. _________________________________ AUDIO STREAMING AND AUDIO REPLAY PARTICIPANT INFORMATION: To join the event: URL: https://e-meetings.mci.com CONFERENCE NUMBER: 2897689 PASSCODE: SPACE STATIO To access the Audio Replay of this call, all parties can: 1. Go to the URL listed above. 2. Choose Audio Streaming under Join Events. 3. Enter the conference number and passcode. (Note that if this is a recurring event, multiple dates may be listed.) Replays are available for 30 days after the live event._________________________________ Thunmanskolan is, with a student number of about 600, the largest school in the municipality of Knivsta and encompasses grades 5 to 9. The school has been in existence since 1964. Students have access to computer rooms. These are used as a complement to the different taught subject like French, English, history etc. Thunmanskolan was the first school in Sweden with a Bulletin Board System (BBS) and they had their internet website up and running 2 years before Uppsala City Hall started their website. The students mostly come from typical middle-class areas and the community is located between two big cities i.e. the University City Uppsala, and the capital city Stockholm. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Hur äter man i rymden och kan maten åka upp när den är svald på grund av tyngdlösheten? (How do you eat in space and can the food come back up after it is swallowed because of weightlessness?) 2. Kan fåglar flyga i tyngdlöshet? (Can birds fly in weightlessness?) 3. Hur hanterar ni avfall? Tar ni med det tillbaka till jorden eller hamnar en del i rymden? (How do you handle garbage? Do you bring it back to Earth or does part of it end up in space?) 4. Måste du alltid ha din rymddräkt på? (Do you always have to wear you space suit?) 5. Vilken är din starkaste upplevelse än så länge? (What has made the biggest impression on you so far?) 6. Varifrån får ni syret i rymdstationen? (Where from do you get the oxygen in the space station?) 7. Hur ser stjärnorna ut däruppe? Är det annorlunda än på jorden? (What do stars look like up there? Is it different than on earth?) 8. Är det sant att ni ser små ljusblixtar i ögonen från kosmisk strålning? (Is it true that you see small light flashes in you eyes from cosmic radiation?) 9. Vilken slag "personlig sak" tog du med dig? (What kind of personal thing did you bring with you?) 10. Hur definierar ni tiden i rymden? (How do you define time in space?) 11. Vad skulle du göra om du på en rymdpromenad åkte iväg från rymdstationen? (What would you do if, during a space walk, you floated away from the space station?) 12. Blir man starkare i tyngdlöshet och hur sover man i tyngdlöshet? (Do you get stronger in weightlessness and how does one sleep?) 13. Fick du lock för öronen och blev du åksjuk när raketen tog er genom atmosfären? (Did you get a pressure increase in your ears and did you become air sick when the rocket took you through the atmosphere?) 14. Vilken sorts bränsle har ni i raketen och hur mycket går det åt? (What type of fuel do you have for the rocket and how much do you burn?) 15. Varför blev du astronaut? (Why did you become an astronaut?) 16. Vad tänkte du när raketen startade? (What were you thinking when the rocket started?) 17. Vad är du mest orolig för som kan inträffa under er resa? (What is your greatest concern during your journey?) 18. Over!Jag heter Sara. Skulle du senare vilja åka längre ut i rymden till månen eller Mars? (Would you later like to travel further away in space to the moon or Mars?) 19. Tror du att det finns intelligent liv i rymden? (Do you think there is intelligent life in space?) 20.Jag heter Linnea. Är du rädd att inte komma tillbaka? (Are you afraid of not coming back?) Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS has not been functioning in the automatic modes properly and may be silent more than usual. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Next planned event(s): Kashiwabara Community Center, Sayama, Japan, direct via 8J1K. Wed 2006-12-27, 12:22 UTC ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from participating countries. ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on the website http://www.rac.ca/ariss (graciously hosted by the Radio Amateurs of Canada). Thank you & 73, Kenneth - N5VHO

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Cargo Transfers, Crew News Conference on Tap Today
by Arthur Rowe 15 Dec '06

15 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Cargo Transfers, Crew News Conference on Tap Today STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews Image above: STS-116 and Expedition 14 crewmembers share a meal in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA After a hectic first six days of its STS-116 mission, Space Shuttle Discovery’s crew will enjoy a lighter schedule today. Cargo transfers, spacewalk preparations and the joint crew news conference are on the schedule today. All 10 station and shuttle crew members will participate in the traditional joint news conference at 3:47 p.m. EST. They will field questions from media from the United States and Europe. The crews will enjoy some off duty time before beginning preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk by STS-116 Mission Specialist Robert Curbeam and Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams. Crew members will review spacewalk procedures at 9:17 tonight. The spacewalkers will continue rewiring station power systems. Discovery continues to maintain the orientation of both the station and shuttle using the shuttle steering jets, a function it began performing during preparations for the spacewalk on Thursday. Originally, control of the station's orientation was to be transferred back to the station's gyroscopes late Thursday after the spacewalk tasks were completed and station systems powered up. However, problems were experienced as that transfer was attempted. Flight controllers believe the problems were due to a higher than usual amount of atmospheric drag currently experienced by the station due to recent solar activity. They may attempt to transfer control of orientation back to the station again today, although the shuttle thrusters can be used if needed for that purpose through the rest of the mission. If necessary, the station has thrusters that can be used for orientation control as well. Engineers investigating the difficulties with fully retracting the port-side solar array wing of the station's P6 Truss believe a guide wire may be snagged in a swiveling grommet on one of the array's panels. The snag could be keeping the panels from folding up completely. The array remains almost halfway retracted as it has been since Wednesday. Early this morning, station flight controllers commanded the array through a series of "wiggle" tests, swiveling the wing 10 degrees at a time repeatedly to see if that would help the situation. They are continuing to evaluate the results of those tests and to investigate options for further work with the array, including the potential to add a spacewalk to latter part of this mission. Options also may include some additional troubleshooting commanding that could be performed with the array during the crew's day today. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page. + Read more <http://www.nasa.gov/station>

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