June 2007 - Sarex (INACTIVE) - mailman.amsat.org

Crew Closes Payload Doors; Mission Control Eyes Weather
by Arthur Rowe 21 Jun '07

21 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crew Closes Payload Doors; Mission Control Eyes Weather* The STS-117 crew closed space shuttle Atlantis’ payload bay doors this morning in preparation for a landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Landing, which is slated for 1:55 p.m. EDT, will mark the end of a successful mission to the International Space Station. If flight controllers give STS-117 the go-ahead to land on Orbit 202, Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault will fire Atlantis’ thrusters at 12:50 p.m. to begin the descent to Florida. Meanwhile at the Mission Control Center in Houston, flight controllers and forecasters with the Spaceflight Meteorology Group continue to monitor weather conditions at and around the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Florida spaceport. The main concern is thunderstorms in the area. Chief Astronaut Steve Lindsey is providing additional weather information as he flies an aircraft in the vicinity of the landing facility. A second landing opportunity is available today on Orbit 203 if flight controllers choose to pass on the first. It calls for a 2:25 p.m. deorbit burn and a 3:30 p.m. touchdown in Florida. Opportunities are available Friday in Florida and at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Atlantis launched June 8 and arrived at the station June 10. While at the orbital outpost, the crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment and conducted four spacewalks to activate it. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116. If Atlantis lands on the first opportunity, Williams’ spaceflight will end at 193 days, 16 hours and 8 minutes. STS-117 is the 118th shuttle mission and 21st mission to visit the space station. The next mission, STS-118, is slated to launch in August.

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Shuttle Astronauts Prepare for Return to Earth
by Arthur Rowe 21 Jun '07

21 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Shuttle Astronauts Prepare for Return to Earth* STS-117 crewImage above: The STS-117 crew members aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis talk with reporters. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html During its scheduled final full day in space, the STS-117 crew prepared for landing. Two opportunities are available on Thursday for Space Shuttle Atlantis to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Wednesday’s preparations included stowing equipment and checking out systems that will be used to deorbit Atlantis and begin the descent to Earth. Also, the seven crew members took time out of their schedules to talk with reporters from NBC News, ABC News and CNN Live. The first landing opportunity available is on Orbit 202, which calls for the deorbit burn to occur 12:50 p.m. EDT Thursday with a 1755 UTC touchdown. The final opportunity of the day is on the next orbit. It begins with the deorbit burn at 2:25 p.m. and ends with a 3:30 p.m. landing. Weather forecasts call for a possibility of thunder showers in the area. Flight controllers and forecasters with the Spaceflight Meteorology Group will continue to monitor the weather at Kennedy. The STS-117 crew members are returning home from a construction mission to the International Space Station. They installed the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment and conducted four spacewalks to activate it. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.

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STS-117 Leaves Station With New Truss, Crew Member
by Arthur Rowe 21 Jun '07

21 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *STS-117 Leaves Station With New Truss, Crew Member* s117e08045 -- The International Space StationImage above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT. Image credit: NASA; TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html When the STS-117 crew members undocked space shuttle Atlantis at 10:42 a.m. EDT Tuesday, they left the International Space Station bigger and more powerful than it was when they arrived. Atlantis also delivered a new Expedition 15 crew member to the orbital outpost. Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The S3/S4 is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. The S3/S4 arrays increase the station’s power generation capabilities. The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (P6) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew. The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the International Space Station is STS-118 in August.

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ISS & STS-117 Pictures and Video
by A.J. Farmer (AJ3U) 21 Jun '07

21 Jun '07

Amazing pictures and video of the ISS and STS-117 - from a ground station! http://www.tracking-station.de/images/images.html -- A.J. Farmer, AJ3U http://www.aj3u.com

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Beautiful visual pass
by Glenn Graf 21 Jun '07

21 Jun '07

Beautiful visual pass over FN42 (Boston MA area) of Shuttle and ISS. Near 90 deg. pass clearly visible though partly cloudy skies. 6/21 01:21 UTC Glenn - KB1GUE _________________________________________________________________ Get a preview of Live Earth, the hottest event this summer - only on MSN http://liveearth.msn.com?source=msntaglineliveearthhm

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Crew Gets Ready for Thursday Landing
by Arthur Rowe 20 Jun '07

20 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crew Gets Ready for Thursday Landing* The seven STS-117 astronauts are preparing for their return home. They are stowing equipment and checking out Space Shuttle Atlantis’ systems. Atlantis is scheduled to touch down Thursday at 1:55 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. A second landing opportunity for KSC is available at 3:30 p.m. EDT. Weather forecasts Thursday afternoon call for a possibility of thunder showers in the area. This morning, Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault test fired Atlantis' reaction control jets in preparation for the deorbit burn that will begin the descent to Florida. The burn for the first landing opportunity is slated to take place at 12:50 p.m. Thursday. At 3:03 p.m. today, crew members will talk with reporters from NBC News, ABC News and CNN Live. The interviews will be aired live on NASA TV. Atlantis left the International Space Station on Tuesday. During its stay at the station, which began June 10, the STS-117 crew continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment. The crew installed the truss June 11 and conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of a solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.

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Auction: STS-9 (First Amateur radio on space) QSL card
by Francisco Costa, CT1EAT 19 Jun '07

19 Jun '07

Dear SAREX Fans I have a QSL from Owen K. Garriott (W5LFL), the first radioamateur who operate from space, during STS-9 mission (28 Nov-8 Dec 1983). The card was issued to a SWL report from G4KIC. It's in good condition despite the cover photos lost some colour (looks like the card got too much sun on it). Please see photos at http://ct1eatsale.no.sapo.pt/ The bidder name/call and value will be shown on web page. (I will update as time permits). I will acept bids, in EURO currency, until 00.00 UTC 25 June 2007. (time of last email received) The highest bidder will donate the amount for an AMSAT/ARISS project (his/her choice), and I will send the card for free via registered airmail. Please send your bids to ct1eat(a)amsat.org Thanks for your attention. See you on P3E or Eagle. 73 F.Costa, CT1EAT www.qsl.net/ct1eat

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Space Shuttle Atlantis Set to Land Thursday in Florida
by Arthur Rowe 19 Jun '07

19 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468 > June 19, 2007 > > Katherine Trinidad > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-3749 > > George Diller > Kennedy Space Center, Fla. > 321-867-2468 > > > SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS SET TO LAND THURSDAY IN FLORIDA -- CORRECTED DATE > > CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - On Thursday, June 21, the space shuttle > Atlantis is scheduled to complete a 13-day mission to the > International Space Station with a landing in Florida. The STS-117 > mission increased the station's power capability and delivered a new > station crew member. > > NASA flight directors will evaluate weather conditions at NASA's > Kennedy Space Center, Fla., before permitting Atlantis to return to > Earth. Thursday's landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 1:54 p.m. > and 3:29 p.m. EDT. The backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force > Base, Calif., and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be > considered on Thursday. > > Two hours after landing, NASA officials will hold a briefing to > discuss the STS-117 mission. The participants are: > - NASA Associate Administrator Rex Geveden > - NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier > - NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach > > After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo initial physical > examinations and meet with their families. Some crew members are > expected to hold a news conference six hours after returning to > Earth. > > > If weather prevents a Kennedy landing Thursday, NASA will activate > backup landing sites for Friday. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center > at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., has limited facilities available > to previously accredited journalists. For further information, call > Dryden Public Affairs Office at 661-276-3449. > > If White Sands Space Harbor is called up for strong consideration as a > shuttle landing site, media desiring credentials to cover a landing > there should contact the White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs > Office at 505-678-1134. Journalists with STS-117 mission badges from > NASA will be issued credentials. > > For the latest information on the STS-117 mission, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle > > > -end- > > > > To subscribe to the list, send a message to: > hqnews-subscribe(a)mediaservices.nasa.gov > To remove your address from the list, send a message to: > hqnews-unsubscribe(a)mediaservices.nasa.gov > >

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Atlantis Undocks From Space Station
by Arthur Rowe 19 Jun '07

19 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Atlantis Undocks From Space Station* Space Shuttle Atlantis fly-aroundImage above: This is a view of the Space Shuttle Atlantis as it performs a fly-around of the space station. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html STS-117’s constructive stay at the International Space Station came to a close today when space shuttle Atlantis undocked. The two spacecraft parted ways at 1441 UTC as they flew over the Coral Sea northeast of Australia. After Pilot Lee Archambault backed the orbiter 450 feet from the station, he performed a full fly-around to allow crew members to collect video and imagery of the station and its newly expanded solar wings. He then completed the final separation engine burn at 1628 UTC0 Later in the day, Archambault and Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson will use the shuttle robot arm and the 50-foot long Orbiter Boom Sensor System to conduct a late inspection of the thermal protection system. The crew will spend Wednesday preparing for landing. Atlantis’ first landing opportunity is at 1754 UTC Thursday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. During its stay at the station, which began June 10, the STS-117 crew continued the on-orbit construction of the station with the installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment. The crew installed the truss June 11 and conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.

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Double Spaceship Sightings
by Arthur Rowe 19 Jun '07

19 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > Space Weather News for June 19, 2007 > http://spaceweather.com > > On Tuesday morning, June 19th, space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station. On Tuesday night, the pair will fly in tandem over many US towns and cities including Detroit, Washington DC, San Francisco and Denver. Typical flybys take place shortly after sunset, with the pair first appearing in the northwest (look for the Big Dipper) and soaring overhead from there. The space shuttle appears first, followed by the ISS. Both spacecraft are bright and easy to see with the naked eye. Double flybys continue on Wednesday night, June 20th, before Atlantis returns to Earth on Thursday, June 21st. > > When should you look? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE (http://spaceweatherphone.com) to receive email and telephone alerts when the ISS is about to fly over your hometown, or check Heavens Above (http://heavens-above.com) for worldwide flyby timetables. > > If a friend sent you this alert and you would like to subscribe, click here: http://spaceweather.com/services/ > > To unsubscribe click here: http://www.spaceweather2.com/u?id=833781F&n=T&l=spaceweather > or send a blank email to leave-spaceweather-833781F(a)www.spaceweather2.com > BOSTON AREA PASSES: TUES: 19 JUNE - 7:22 PM,8:57 PM, 10:32 PM WED: 20 JUNE - 7:43 PM,9:18 PM, 1054 PM

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Russian Navigation Computer Passes Test
by Arthur Rowe 19 Jun '07

19 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Russian Navigation Computer Passes Test* Flight controllers in Moscow conducted a test to check the ability of the Russian segment’s terminal computer to fire thrusters and maintain attitude of the International Space Station. Russian and U.S. mission managers gave the computer a passing grade. U.S. managers then gave the STS-117 crew approval to undock space shuttle Atlantis on Tuesday. The Russian navigation computers provide one method of backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. The station’s control moment gyroscopes are the complex’s primary attitude control system. The shuttle’s propulsion system also provides a backup attitude control system for the complex. *STS-117 Stay at Station Coming to a Close* STS-117’s stay at the International Space Station is winding down. Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the station at 10:42 a.m. EDT Tuesday, leaving the station with a new truss segment and crew member. Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after space shuttle Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (PS) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew. The S3/S4 is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds. Its solar arrays will increase the station’s power-generation capabilities. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. + Read more about Expedition 15 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.ht…> + View crew daily timelines <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html>

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STS-117, Expedition 15 Close Hatches; Atlantis to Undock Tuesday
by Arthur Rowe 19 Jun '07

19 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468 STS-117, Expedition 15 Close Hatches; Atlantis to Undock Tuesday The STS-117 crew bid farewell Monday to the Expedition 15 crew before the hatches closed at 2251 UTC between Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station. Attention now turns to Atlantis’ undocking from the station 1442 UTC. Tuesday. The STS-117 crew members are wrapping up a stay in which they continued the on-orbit construction of the station with the installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment. The crew installed the truss June 11 and conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out –of-position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116. Before Atlantis begins the journey home, Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Archambault will perform a fly-around to allow crew member collect video and imagery of the station and its newly expanded solar wings. Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 1754 UTC Thursday.

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Flight Controllers Test Russian Computers;
by Arthur Rowe 18 Jun '07

18 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Flight Controllers Test Russian Computers; Management to Discuss Results* S117-E-07686 --- STS-117 and Expedition 15 crewmembers gather for a group portraitImage above: The STS-117 and Expedition 15 crewmembers gather for a group portrait during a joint crew press conference in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Atlantis was docked with the station. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html Russian and U.S. flight controllers this morning tested the ability of Russian navigation computers to handle attitude control of the International Space Station. If the flight controllers and mission managers like what they saw, space shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew will undock from the International Space Station and begin the journey home on Tuesday. The STS-117 Mission Management Team is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the results of the test and an announcement of the decision about undocking is expected shortly after the meeting concludes. The STS-117 crew is scheduled to bid farewell today to the Expedition 15 crew before the hatches close at 6:23 p.m. between Atlantis and the station. Atlantis is slated to undock at 10:42 a.m. Tuesday. STS-117 arrived at the station June 10, delivering the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment to the station. The crew installed the truss June 11 and conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of a solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.

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Atlantis Departure Date Depends on Computer Test
by Arthur Rowe 18 Jun '07

18 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Russian flight controllers will fire thrusters today to test the operation of the navigation computers that went offline last week. If the flight controllers and mission managers like what they see, space shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew will undock from the International Space Station and begin the journey home on Tuesday. The test is set for 1428 UTC The STS-117 crew is scheduled to bid farewell today to the Expedition 15 crew before the hatches close at 2223 UTC between Atlantis and the station. Atlantis is slated to undock at 1441 UTC Tuesday. STS-117 arrived at the station June 10, delivering the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment to the station. The crew installed the truss June 11 and conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.

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STS-117 Astronauts Conclude Fourth Spacewalk
by Arthur Rowe 18 Jun '07

18 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 STS-117’s final spacewalk came to an end at 2254 utc. During the 6-hour, 29-minute orbital stroll, Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson performed tasks to activate the International Space Station’s new truss segment and completed work that will help future spacewalkers. Forrester and Swanson began the excursion at 1645 utc. and quickly went to work preparing the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment for operation. The S3/S4 was installed onto the station on June 11. Most of the S3/S4 work centered on activating the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ), which will allow the S3/S4 arrays to track the Sun. Early in the spacewalk, Forrester verified the installation of the Drive Lock Assembly 2, one of two mechanisms that will drive rotation of the SARJ, while Swanson installed a TV camera and its support structure. Then, the duo removed the final launch restraints on the SARJ before removing a keel pin and drag link to clear the path for the station’s mobile transporter. The get-ahead tasks included the installation of a computer network cable onto the Unity module and the removal of a Global Positioning System antenna. The two astronauts also finished the installation of a piece of debris shielding on the Destiny laboratory. Mission Specialist Jim Reilly coordinated the spacewalk and Pilot Lee Archambault operated the robot arm. Forrester and Swanson conducted STS-117’s second spacewalk. Reilly and Mission Specialist Danny Olivas conducted the other two. Today’s spacewalk is the 87th devoted to station assembly and maintenance. Attention now turns to Atlantis' departure and the events leading up to undocking. The STS-117 crew is scheduled to exit the station Monday before the hatches close at 2223 utc. Atlantis is slated to undock at 1441 utc. Tuesday. However, mission managers may decide to add a day of docked operations for STS-117 if the Russian navigation computers do not perform adequately during test of Russian attitude control capabilities Monday morning at 1428 utc.

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Spacewalkers Complete S3/S4 Work
by Arthur Rowe 17 Jun '07

17 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Spacewalkers Complete S3/S4 Work, Press Ahead With Other Tasks STS-117 spacewalk Image above: Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson check the Drive Lock Assembly 2 on the S3/S4 truss segment of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson completed their spacewalking tasks to activate the International Space Station’s new truss segment. They are now focusing on other work related to the assembly of the station. Forrester and Swanson began the excursion at 1625 UTC and quickly went to work preparing the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment for operation. The S3/S4 was installed onto the station on June 11. Most of the S3/S4 work centered on activating the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ), which will allow the S3/S4 arrays to track the Sun. Early in the spacewalk, Forrester verified the installation of the Drive Lock Assembly 2, one of two mechanisms that will drive rotation of the SARJ, and Swanson installed a TV camera. Then, the duo removed the final launch restraints on the SARJ before removing a keel pin and drag link to clear the path for the station’s mobile transporter. The remaining tasks for the spacewalkers include the installation a computer network cable onto the Unity module and the removal of a Global Positioning System antenna. The duo is also slated to complete the installation of a piece of debris shielding on the Destiny laboratory. Mission Specialist Jim Reilly is coordinating the spacewalk, and Pilot Lee Archambault is operating the robot arm. Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov is working with Reilly as he trains for upcoming spacewalks by the station crew in which he will serve as coordinator. The spacewalk is slated to conclude about 2230 UTC. Forrester and Swanson conducted STS-117’s second spacewalk. Reilly and Mission Specialist Danny Olivas conducted the other two. Today’s excursion is the 88th spacewalk devoted to station assembly and maintenance.

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Russian Navigation Computers in Stable Condition
by Arthur Rowe 17 Jun '07

17 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Russian Navigation Computers in Stable Condition* The Russian computers aboard the International Space Station are back in near normal, stable operation. Two of three channels of each computer are operating. A third channel is believed to be functioning well, but currently in standby. The Mission Control Center in Moscow has restarted all Russian systems except the Elektron oxygen generation system, which has been powered but not yet started. Flight controllers are planning to test Russian thrusters on Monday as they maneuver the station and Space Shuttle Atlantis to a water dump attitude. The Russian navigation computers provide one method of backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. The station’s control moment gyroscopes are the complex’s primary attitude control system. The shuttle’s propulsion system also provides a backup attitude control system for the complex.

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Astronaut Suni Williams Sets the Record Straight, and Long
by Arthur Rowe 17 Jun '07

17 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Astronaut Suni Williams Sets the Record Straight, and Long 06.16.07 ISS015-E-08337 : Sunita Williams with exercise device Call it a great leap forward for women in space. TO VIEW IMAGES GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/s_willia… After six years of people, three of whom have been women, living in space aboard the International Space Station, the female time-in-space endurance record set 11 years ago has been broken. And it was broken in a single flight. Image to right: Astronaut Sunita L. Williams, Expedition 15 flight engineer, wearing squat harness pads, poses for a photo while using the Interim Resistive Exercise Device (IRED) equipment in the Unity node of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams set a new record this morning at 12:47 CDT for the longest duration spaceflight by a woman. At that time, Williams surpassed Shannon Lucid’s mark of 188 days, 4 hours set in 1996. Williams began her record-setting flight when she launched with the crew of STS-116 in December 2006. The Massachusetts native remained onboard the station as a member of the Expedition 14 crew and then joined the Expedition 15 crew in April. Her spaceflight will come to a close when she returns to Earth aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis with the STS-117 crew. Although this is only her first spaceflight, Williams also became the record-holder for most hours outside a spacecraft by a female by completing four spacewalks during Expedition 15 with a total time of 29 hours, 17 minutes. ISS014-E-09992 : Sunita Williams conducts spacewalk “It was very exciting to watch her spacewalks and to watch her accumulate more spacewalk time than any other female in the universe,” said Lucid, who set the previous female space duration record while flying aboard the Russian Mir Space Station. “These [long-term] flights are providing the needed confidence so that some day in the near future we can depart low-Earth orbit and head on out to Mars.” Image to left: Astronaut Sunita Williams participates in the STS-116 mission's third planned spacewalk. Credit: NASA During her stay on orbit, Williams has worked with experiments across a wide variety of fields, including human life sciences, physical sciences and Earth observation as well as education and technology demonstrations. Some of these experiments give scientists critical insight into the effects of weightlessness on our bodies while others show ways to prevent effects we already know about like muscle and bone loss. In addition to rigorous exercise, Williams also collected and stored her blood while in space to add to an ongoing study on nutrition, another key element of living in space for long stretches of time. The results of this study may impact nutritional requirements and food systems developed for future ventures in space. “Her mission has been critically important to our overall space program,” said NASA Astronaut Eileen Collins, another female pioneer in spaceflight. Collins became the first woman to command a spaceflight mission during the STS-93 mission on Space Shuttle Columbia. “She truly is a space marathoner who shows young women everywhere that there's a place in the space program for them.” If her stay in space concludes as scheduled, with her return on Atlantis on June 21, Williams will have flown a total of 194 days in space.

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The Expedition 15 and STS-117 crews
by Arthur Rowe 17 Jun '07

17 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468 *Crews Prep for Sunday Spacewalk; Shuttle Heat Shield Cleared* Crew News Conference Image above: The Expedition 15 and STS-117 crews participate in a crew news conference with reporters on Earth. Image credit: NASA TV . TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html Shuttle and Expedition 15 crew members prepared for STS-117’s fourth spacewalk and held a news conference Saturday. They also learned that flight controllers cleared Space Shuttle Atlantis’ heat shield for landing.

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Mission Control Clears Shuttle Heat Shield
by Arthur Rowe 16 Jun '07

16 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Mission Control Clears Shuttle Heat Shield; Williams Sets Spaceflight Record* Image above: Astronaut Sunita L. Williams, STS-117 mission specialist, uses a computer in the Unity node of the International Space Station during flight day five activities while Space Shuttle Atlantis was docked with the station. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html The Mission Control Center in Houston told the STS-117 crew today that space shuttle Atlantis’ thermal protection system is cleared for re-entry. The astronauts got the good news about 11:20 a.m. EDT while they were transferring cargo between Atlantis and the International Space Station. The heat shield was cleared after STS-117 Mission Specialist Danny Olivas repaired a protruding thermal blanket on one of Atlantis’ orbital maneuvering system pods during Friday’s spacewalk. Atlantis is scheduled to leave the station on Tuesday and land Thursday. Early this morning, Mission Specialist Suni Williams set the record for the longest-duration single spaceflight by a woman. Williams passed the previous record of 188 days, 4 hours at 1:47 a.m. as STS-117 and Expedition 15 crew members slept aboard Atlantis and the station. Williams began her spaceflight in December when she traveled to the station with STS-116. She served six months as a space station crew member. The previous record was set by Shannon Lucid on a mission to the Russian Mir space station in 1996. + Read more about Williams' record-setting spaceflight <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/s_willia…> In addition to cargo transfers, today’s schedule includes spacewalk preparations and a news conference. The crews will get ready for STS-117’s fourth spacewalk by preparing tools and spacesuits that will be used by Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson. They will also review procedures for the spacewalk, which was added to the schedule after STS-117 arrived at the station. The excursion is set to begin at 12:53 p.m. Sunday. The traditional joint news conference is scheduled to begin at 7:43 tonight and will air live on NASA TV. *Navigation Computers Up, Troubleshooting Continues* International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini said things are going well with the efforts to bring Russian navigation computers back up to full operation aboard the International Space Station. “Currently, they have all six computers up while we do some additional troubleshooting to understand the environment and how it affects the computers,” he said. “The bottom line is it appears to everyone that the command and control type computers are functioning just fine.” Friday, Russian flight controllers and the station crew were able to power-up two lanes of the Russian central computer and two lanes of the terminal computer by using a jumper cable to bypass a faulty secondary power switch. Flight controllers began sending commands overnight to restart some systems. The central computer is now communicating with the U.S. command and control computer, and the terminal computer is communicating with U.S. navigation computers. The Russian navigation computers provide backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. For now, the station’s control moment gyroscopes are handling attitude control, with the shuttle’s propulsion system providing backup. *STS-117 Mission* + The Crew <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html> + The Mission <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_ov…> + The Integrated Truss Structure <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html>

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Williams Sets Spaceflight Record;
by Arthur Rowe 16 Jun '07

16 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Williams Sets Spaceflight Record; Spacewalk Preps, News Conference on Tap Today * S117-E-07052 --- Sunita Williams uses a computer in the Unity node Image above: Astronaut Sunita L. Williams, STS-117 mission specialist, uses a computer in the Unity node of the International Space Station during flight day five activities while Space Shuttle Atlantis was docked with the station. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html Early this morning, Mission Specialist Suni Williams set the record for the longest-duration single spaceflight by a woman. The workday schedule for Williams and her crewmates is filled with cargo transfers, spacewalk preparations and the Joint Crew News Conference. Williams passed the previous record of 188 days, 4 hours at 1:47 a.m. EDT as the STS-117 and Expedition 15 crew members slept aboard space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station. Williams began her spaceflight in December when she traveled to the station with STS-116. She served six months as a space station crew member. The previous record was set by Shannon Lucid on a mission to the Russian Mir space station and had stood since 1996. The crews will get ready for STS-117’s fourth spacewalk by preparing tools and spacesuits that will be used by Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson. They will also review procedures for the spacewalk, which was added to the schedule after the STS-117 crew arrived at the station. The excursion is set to begin at 1653 UTC Sunday. The crews will transfer cargo between Atlantis and the station before holding the news conference at 7:43 tonight. The conference will be aired live on NASA TV. *Russian Flight Controllers Send Commands to Computers* Efforts to bring the Russian navigation computers back to full operation will continue today. Friday, Russian flight controllers and the station crew were able to power-up two lanes of the Russian Central Computer and two lanes of the Terminal Computer by using a jumper cable to bypass a faulty secondary power switch. Flight controllers began sending commands overnight to restart some systems. The Central Computer is now communicating with the U.S. command and control computer, and the Terminal Computer is communicating with U.S. navigation computers. The plan calls for more system restarts today. The Russian navigation computers provide backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. For now, the station’s control moment gyroscopes are handling attitude control, with the shuttle’s propulsion system providing backup. *STS-117 Mission* + The Crew <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html> + The Mission <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_ov…> + The Integrated Truss Structure <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html>

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Navigation Computers Troubleshooting Efforts Continue
by Arthur Rowe 15 Jun '07

15 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468 *Navigation Computers Troubleshooting Efforts Continue* This afternoon, the crew inside the International Space Station was able to power-up two lanes of the Russian Central Computer and two lanes of the Terminal Computer by using a jumper cable to bypass a faulty secondary power switch. The current plan is to allow the computers to operate overnight and analyze the data Saturday morning. Earlier in the day, International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini told reporters Russian and U.S. flight controllers and engineers are focusing on efforts for recovering the computers and options to maintain attitude control until the problem is resolved. “I think we’re in good shape,” Suffredini said. “We still have a lot of options to go through to recover these machines. We’ve got a talented group of people to look at attitude control.” The navigation computers provide backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. For now, the station’s control moment gyroscopes are handling attitude control, with the shuttle’s propulsion system providing backup. *Crews Work Together on Station, Shuttle* The S3/S4 truss and solar array viewed from the shuttle The Expedition 15 and STS-117 crews continue to conduct joint operations aboard the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Atlantis. Throughout the week, the two crews have been activating the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment that was attached to the station on Monday. The STS-117 crew has conducted two spacewalks to prepare the new segment for activation and to retract arrays on the Port 6 (P6) truss. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew. The S3/S4, which is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds, contains a new set of solar arrays that will increase the station’s power-generation capabilities. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. In addition to a new truss segment, NASA Astronaut Clayton Anderson joined the Expedition 15 crew on Sunday, replacing Flight Engineer Suni Williams. Anderson arrived at the station as a member of Space Shuttle Atlantis’ crew. Atlantis docked to the station on Sunday. Williams spent six months as an Expedition crew member. STS-117 arrived at the station June 10 and is scheduled to undock June 19. + Read more about Expedition 15 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.ht…> + View crew daily timelines <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html>

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Thermal Blanket Repair Complete;
by Arthur Rowe 15 Jun '07

15 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Thermal Blanket Repair Complete; Spacewalkers to Assist Array Folding* STS-117 spacewalker Danny Olivas completed repair work on a thermal blanket that was out of position on space shuttle Atlantis. He and his partner, Mission Specialist Jim Reilly, will assist with the retraction of the Port 6 (P6) solar array before the completion of today’s spacewalk. The orbital stroll began at 1:24 p.m. EDT with the duo tackling separate tasks. Olivas, while attached to the shuttle robot arm, tucked the blanket back into place and then used a medical stapler to secure it to adjacent blankets on Atlantis’ left orbital maneuvering system pod. Meanwhile, Reilly went to work outside the International Space Station with the installation of a hydrogen vent on the Destiny Laboratory. The vent is for a new oxygen generation system. During the second half of the spacewalk, they will be on top of the P6 to assist with the retraction of the starboard solar array. Over a two-day period, the crew has folded about half of the array bays. A future shuttle crew will relocate the P6 to the end of the Port 5 truss. If time allows, Reilly and Olivas will tackle other tasks outside the station. The spacewalk is scheduled to wrap up just before 8 p.m. Mission Specialist Pat Forrester is coordinating today’s spacewalk activities. Pilot Lee Archambault and Mission Specialist Steve Swanson are the robot arm operators. *Navigation Computers Troubleshooting Efforts Continue* This afternoon, the crew inside the International Space Station was able to power-up two lanes of the Russian Central Computer and two lanes of the Terminal Computer by using a jumper cable to bypass a faulty secondary power switch. The current plan is to allow the computers to operate overnight and analyze the data Saturday morning. Earlier in the day, International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini told reporters Russian and U.S. flight controllers and engineers are focusing on efforts for recovering the computers and options to maintain attitude control until the problem is resolved. “I think we’re in good shape,” Suffredini said. “We still have a lot of options to go through to recover these machines. We’ve got a talented group of people to look at attitude control.” The navigation computers provide backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments. For now, the station’s control moment gyroscopes are handling attitude control, with the shuttle’s propulsion system providing backup.

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-15 22:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 15 Jun '07

15 Jun '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-15 22:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: International Congress of Slavic States conference in Sochi, Russia via TBD Successful Thu 2007-06-14 15:32 UTC (***) Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 302. (***) Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 1. 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 2007-06-15 22:00 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 2007-06-15 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 have been rumors in the past indicating 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 14/15 on orbit: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Expedition 15 on orbit: Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI Dr. Oleg Kotov Clayton Anderson KD5PLA Expedition 15 future: Daniel Tani KD5DXE ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

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Thermal Blanket Repair,
by Arthur Rowe 15 Jun '07

15 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Thermal Blanket Repair, Vent Installation on Tap Today* Image above: The partially retracted solar array on the Port 6 truss. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html STS-117 Mission Specialists Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas will tackle separate tasks today when they begin the mission’s third spacewalk. Olivas’ first task of the spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 1738 UTC, is the repair of a thermal blanket that is out of position on space shuttle Atlantis. Working from the end of the Atlantis’ robot arm, he will tuck the blanket back position and then staple it back into position on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Meanwhile, Reilly will install a hydrogen vent on the International Space Station’s Destiny Laboratory. The vent is for a new oxygen generation system. The duo will then go to the top of the station’s Port (P6) truss to assist in the retraction of a solar array. Over a two-day period the crew has folded most of the array bays. A future shuttle crew will relocate the P6 to the end of the Port 5 truss. If time allows, Reilly and Olivas will tackle other tasks outside the station. The spacewalk is scheduled to last 6½ hours. Mission Specialist Pat Forrester will coordinate today’s spacewalk activities. Pilot Lee Archambault and Steve Swanson are the robot arm operators. *STS-117 Mission* + The Crew <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html> + The Mission <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_ov…> + The Integrated Truss Structure <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html>

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