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>
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
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
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.
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
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.
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>
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.
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 -
