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

IT'S KD5PLA IN FOR KD5PLB on the iss
by Arthur Rowe 09 Jun '07

09 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 THE FOLLOWING IS FROM THE ARRL WEEKLY LETTER ==> IT'S KD5PLA IN FOR KD5PLB ON INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION NASA has given the go-ahead for the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis Friday, June 8. The STS-117 mission will carry US astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, to the International Space Station to succeed Suni Williams, KD5PLB, as ISS Expedition 15 Flight Engineer. Anderson will join Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Flight Engineer Dr Oleg Kotov. Williams will return to Earth aboard the Atlantis. She arrived on the ISS last December and has been among the most active ISS crew members on Amateur Radio. NASA originally planned the astro-swap for the STS-118 shuttle mission, now targeted for an August launch. Atlantis Commander Rick Sturckow and his six crewmates will spend 11 days in space and take part in three spacewalks. Work planned for this mission will increase the ISS's power capability in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space agencies. Joining Sturckow and Anderson on STS-117 will be Pilot Lee Archambault and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John "Danny" Olivas and Jim Reilly.

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NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Begins Mission to the Space Station
by Arthur Rowe 09 Jun '07

09 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > June 8, 2007 > > John Yembrick > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-0602 > > Tracy Young > Kennedy Space Center, Fla. > 321-867-2468 > > > > NASA'S SHUTTLE ATLANTIS BEGINS MISSION TO THE SPACE STATION > > CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Atlantis and its > seven-member crew lifted off Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center > at 7:38 p.m. EDT to continue construction of the International Space > Station. > > Shortly before launch, on behalf of the entire crew, Atlantis' > Commander Rick Sturckow thanked the teams that help make this launch > possible, and then added, "See you in a couple of weeks." > > During the 11-day mission, designated STS-117, the crew will add a new > structural component to the station, deploy a new set of solar arrays > and retract an existing array. Similar construction work was > conducted on the previous two shuttle missions. > > The mission will deliver and install the 17.5 ton S3/S4 truss > segments. This latest addition to the station's backbone will extend > the right side of the truss and includes a new set of solar arrays. > When unfolded, the 240-foot arrays provide additional power to the > station in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from > the European and Japanese space agencies. The crew also will retract > a solar array to allow for the rotation of the new arrays to track > the sun. > > The station's newest resident also is traveling aboard Atlantis. > Astronaut Clayton Anderson will join the Expedition 15 crew. Sunita > Williams, who has been aboard the station since December, will return > to Earth with the Atlantis crew. Anderson is scheduled to return to > Earth on space shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission in October. > > Atlantis' crew is Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and mission > specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John "Danny" Olivas, > Jim Reilly and Anderson. > > Atlantis originally was targeted for launch in March, but a hail storm > damaged foam insulation on the shuttle's external fuel tank and > forced managers to roll the spacecraft off the pad to make repairs. > > For the latest information about the STS-117 mission and its crew, > visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle > > > -end- > > > > > >

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Expedition 15 Awaits Arrival of Atlantis,
by Arthur Rowe 09 Jun '07

09 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Expedition 15 Awaits Arrival of Atlantis, New Crew Member* Space Shuttle Atlantis is pictured separating from its external tank moments after reaching orbitImage above: Space Shuttle Atlantis is pictured separating from its external tank moments after reaching orbit. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html With the successful launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis, the stage is set for changes at the International Space Station and for its crew. Atlantis blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.’s Launch Pad 39A at 7:38 p.m. EDT Friday to begin a two-day chase of the station. The STS-117 mission will continue the on-orbit construction of the station with the delivery and installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segments. Also traveling with STS-117 is a new Expedition 15 crew member, astronaut Clayton Anderson, who will replace Flight Engineer Suni Williams. At launch time, the station was flying above the southern Indian Ocean southwest of Australia. + Read the most recent information about the STS-117 mission <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html> Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov and Williams will make final preparations for STS-117’s arrival. Docking is set for 3:36 p.m. Sunday. Anderson and Williams are scheduled to switch crews later that day. The addition of the S3/S4 to the station is scheduled for Monday. The segment contains a new set of solar arrays that will increase the station's power-generation capabilities. The STS-117 crew will use the station and shuttle robotic arms and conduct spacewalks to install and activate the truss. Three spacewalks are scheduled for STS-117’s stay. Atlantis is slated to undock from the station on June 17, the day after Williams breaks the record for the longest spaceflight ever by a woman. The record, 188 days and 4 hours, is currently held by NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid. + 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 IN ORBIT
by Arthur Rowe 08 Jun '07

08 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 WE HAD LIFT OFF AS SCHEDULED AT 7:38pm EDT. EVERYTHING WENT ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE Within 10 minutes, the shuttle will be in orbit around the Earth. Within 24 hours Atlantis will undergo the rendezvous pitch maneuver and thermal protection system tile inspection. By flight day 3, Atlantis will be ready to dock with the International Space Station.

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Hatch Closed and Secured
by Arthur Rowe 08 Jun '07

08 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Hatch Closed and Secured* *Launch Time: * 7:38 p.m. EDT Closeout crewImage above: At Launch Pad 39A, the closeout crew seals the hatch of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Image credit: NASA + View Launch Day Photo Gallery <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/multimedia…> TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html *06.08.07 - 6:00 p.m. EDT* In the White Room, the closeout crew wished the STS-117 crew good luck and best wishes as they secured Atlantis' hatch for launch. The astronauts are now going through final checks inside the orbiter to prepare for their journey to the International Space Station. When Atlantis lifts off from Launch Pad 39A, it will be the first launch from that launch pad in over 4 years. *Follow the live countdown coverage in progress:* + NASA TV <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html> + Launch Blog <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/launch/ind…>

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Astronauts at the Pad
by Arthur Rowe 08 Jun '07

08 Jun '07

SUBMIOTTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Astronauts at the Pad * *Launch Time: * 7:38 p.m. EDT Image above: One by one, the STS-117 astronauts are strapped in for launch. Image credit: NASA + View Launch Day Photo Gallery <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/multimedia…> TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html *06.08.07 - 4:45 p.m. EDT* The STS-117 crew is at Launch Pad 39A. A short elevator ride to the 195-foot level takes the astronauts to the White Room where one by one each crewmember is assisted by NASA's closeout crew as they prepare to board the shuttle. Their flight suits are checked and an orange glow stick is tucked into the pocket of each suit for safety. Commander Sturckow was first to be secured in his seat, followed by pilot Lee Archambault on the flight deck. As rest of the crew members are seated and strapped in, Sturckow began powering up the orbiter's general purpose computer for flight. *Follow the live countdown coverage in progress:* + NASA TV <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html> + Launch Blog <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/launch/ind…> *Mission and Crew* Mission STS-117 is the Space Shuttle Program's 21st mission to the International Space Station. Rick Sturckow will command the mission and Lee Archambault will serve as Atlantis' pilot. Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, James Reilly, Steven Swanson, John Olivas and Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson round out the crew to deliver the S3/S4 starboard truss segments, batteries and another pair of solar arrays to the space station. Anderson will replace Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams on station and Williams will return to Earth aboard Atlantis.

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Launch Preparations Continue
by Arthur Rowe 08 Jun '07

08 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Launch Preparations Continue* *Launch Time: * 7:38 p.m. EDT Image above: The Final Inspection Team, or Ice Team, inspects the external tank at Launch Pad 39A. Image credit: NASA + View Launch Day Photo Gallery <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/multimedia…> TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html *06.08.07 - 3:00 p.m. EDT* The Final Inspection Team -- also known as the "Ice Team" -- is at the launch pad inspecting the space shuttle's exterior. The team will spend about two hours checking the external tank to make sure it is in good condition and free of ice and debris. There is an 80 percent chance of favorable weather at launch time this evening. The loading of Atlantis' external tank with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen began at 9:55 a.m. The "topping off" of propellants into the tank will continue until launch. All systems onboard the space shuttle are functioning normally and ready for liftoff. *Follow the live countdown coverage in progress:* + NASA TV <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html> + Launch Blog <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/launch/ind…> *Mission and Crew* Mission STS-117 is the Space Shuttle Program's 21st mission to the International Space Station. Rick Sturckow will command the mission and Lee Archambault will serve as Atlantis' pilot. Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, James Reilly, Steven Swanson, John Olivas and Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson round out the crew to deliver the S3/S4 starboard truss segments, batteries and another pair of solar arrays to the space station. Anderson will replace Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams on station and Williams will return to Earth aboard Atlantis. *Launch + 1 hour - Post-launch News Conference * - Rex Geveden, NASA associate administrator - Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations - John Shannon, chairman, Mission Management Team - Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director + NASA TV <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html> *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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-08 15:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 08 Jun '07

08 Jun '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-08 15:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Colegio La Salle, San Bernardo, 9, Palencia E-34002, Spain, telebridge via W6SRJ Successful Fri 2007-06-08 10:55 UTC 33 deg(***) International Congress of Slavic States conference in Sochi, Russia via TBD Thu 2007-06-14 15:32 UTC Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 301. (***) 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 2007-06-08 15:30 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 2007-06-08 15:30 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 14/15 on orbit: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Expedition 15 on orbit: Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI Dr. Oleg Kotov Expedition 15 future: Clayton Anderson KD5PLA 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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STS-117 CREW
by Arthur Rowe 08 Jun '07

08 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *STS-117* STS-117 crew portrait Image above: The crew of STS-117 pose for their official portrait. From left: Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton C. Anderson, mission specialists James Reilly II, Steven Swanson, Commander Frederick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and mission specialists Patrick Forrester and John D. Olivas. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html Frederick Sturckow, a Marine colonel, will command STS-117. The mission will deliver the second and third starboard truss segments (S3/S4) and another pair of solar arrays to the space station. Pilot Lee Archambault, an Air Force colonel, joins Sturckow in the Shuttle’s cockpit. Mission specialists James Reilly II, Ph.D., Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, Ph.D., and John D. Olivas, Ph.D., round out the crew. STS-117 is the 21st shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita L. Williams will return to Earth from the space station aboard shuttle mission STS-117. That flight will carry Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton C. Anderson to the station. He will return home aboard Discovery on mission STS-120.

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STS-117 Launch Day
by Arthur Rowe 08 Jun '07

08 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Launch Date:* June 8 *Launch Time: * 7:38 p.m. EDT Image above: At Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility, Mission STS-117 Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault are ready to begin practice flights in the shuttle training aircraft. In flight, the aircraft duplicates the unpowered orbiter's descent for landing on a runway. Photo credit: NASA/KSC TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html + View High-res Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170421main_sta.main.jpg> *06.07.07 - 10:30 a.m. EDT* At this morning's Countdown Status Briefing, NASA Test Director Steve Payne reported that after many months of hard work Atlantis is ready to launch. External tank inspections are in process and there are no issues being tracked. Upon completion of all checks and inspections the access platforms will be retracted. The xenon lights will be lit, brightly illuminating the space shuttle, which can be seen from miles away. "We're ready to fly tomorrow," said Payne. Roy Worthy, external tank and solid rocket booster vehicle manager, described the multitude of repairs performed on the external tank and thanked the hundreds of workers who labored days on end to complete the task. STS-117 Payload Manager, Robbie Ashley, reported that the payload was loaded into the orbiter's payload bay this week and everything is ready and secured for launch. Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer said there is now only a 20-percent chance that weather would affect the launch. A high pressure ridge has entered the area and although the typical Florida afternoon storms may develop, they should be west of Kennedy Space Center and not an issue at launch time. The forecast for tomorrow morning is for light winds and a zero percent chance of weather prohibiting the loading of propellants into the external tank. Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault have been practicing landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft and the entire crew is making final preparations for tomorrow's liftoff. Transfer of the hydrogen and oxygen reactants were completed this morning. These reactants will be used by Atlantis to generate power during the mission. The umbilical unit was secured once the loading was accomplished. The launch pad's rotating service structure is scheduled to roll away from Atlantis at 10:30 p.m. tonight. When in place, the giant revolving enclosure is used to install payloads into the orbiter's cargo bay and provide protection from inclement weather. On Friday, launch day, propellant loading is set to begin at about 9:30 a.m., with the pumping of more than 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen into the vehicle's orange external tank. NASA TV coverage of the launch and live launch countdown coverage from NASA's Launch Blog will begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT Friday. + NASA TV <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html> + Launch Blog <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/launch/ind…>

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ARISS event - Colegio La Salle, San Bernardo, Palencia, Spain, Friday (Jun 08) 10:55 UTC
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 07 Jun '07

07 Jun '07

An International Space Station Expedition 15 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at the Colegio La Salle, San Bernardo, Palencia, Spain on 08 June. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:55 UTC. The contact will be a telebridge between stations NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible in western portions of North America. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in English. Colegio La Salle is a college in city of Palencia, in the Cerraro region. Palencia is the capital city of the province of Castilla and Leon, at 235 km from Madrid.. The city has 82.263 inhabitants. The school counts 150 pupils aged 6 to 18 years. Special efforts are undertaken to move the students closer to the technological and scientific world. The school maintains a close relationship with the local astronomy society. For this event, schoolchildren of several schools visit the college and assist to the space rendezvous. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. When did you realize you wanted to be an astronaut? 2. What did you have to study to be an astronaut? 3. Have you need to speak any other languages apart from yours to be selected for this mission? 4. What sort of training did you receive to become an astronaut? 5. Now that you are in space, what do you miss the most? 6. What is taken into account when they are selecting astronauts for space missions? 7. Do you get more tired in space than when you are on Earth? 8. How many hours a day do you have to work on the space ship? 9. In your free time, do you play cards or something? Can you watch television? 10. Have you seen a flying saucer? 11. Do you listen to music? 12. How does it feel to be floating for so long? 13. What do you have today for breakfast, lunch and dinner? 14. How many calories do you get everyday? 15. How do you differentiate days from nights? 16. Are there different rooms in the space ship or is there only one in which you spend all the time? 17. Have you made any important discoveries? 18. Can your family get in touch with you through the phone? 19. Are you connected to the Internet? 20. How do you have a shower on the space ship? Please note, the amateur equipment on the ISS should be operating in the unattended packet mode on 145.825 until a full restore of the radio's capabilities is accomplished. Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Next planned event(s): TBD 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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-07 06:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 07 Jun '07

07 Jun '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-07 06:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Colegio La Salle, San Bernardo, 9, Palencia E-34002, Spain, telebridge via W6SRJ Fri 2007-06-08 10:55 UTC 33 deg Watch for possible Echolink and IRLP coverage International Congress of Slavic States conference in Sochi, Russia via TBD Thu 2007-06-14 15:32 UTC Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 300. 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 2007-06-07 06:00 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 2007-05-31 23:00 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 14/15 on orbit: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Expedition 15 on orbit: Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI Dr. Oleg Kotov Expedition 15 future: Clayton Anderson KD5PLA 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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ISS Status Report: SS07-31
by Arthur Rowe 06 Jun '07

06 Jun '07

> SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > > >> June 6, 2007 >> >> Katherine Trinidad >> Headquarters, Washington 202-358-3749 >> John Ira Petty >> Johnson Space Center, Houston >> 281-483-5111 >> STATUS REPORT: SS07-31 >> >> INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS07-31 >> >> HOUSTON - On Wednesday, the Expedition 15 crew completed the second >> spacewalk in eight days and continued preparations for space shuttle >> Atlantis' arrival at the International Space Station. >> >> Kotov, Yurchikhin during the second spacewalk of Expedition 15Image >> above: Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov (left) and Commander Fyodor >> Yurchikhin work outside the International Space Station during their >> second spacewalk. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov opened the hatch on the Pirs docking compartment at 9:23 a.m. CDT to begin a spacewalk lasting 5 hours and 37 minutes. The cosmonauts installed sample containers on the Pirs module for a Russian experiment. The experiment, called Biorisk, looks at the effect of space on microorganisms. >> >> Next, the spacewalkers strung a section of Ethernet cable on the >> exterior of the Zarya module. This completed the installation of a >> remote computer network that will enable commanding of the station's >> Russian segment from the U.S. segment, if necessary. >> >> Yurchikhin and Kotov later moved to the primary task on the agenda, >> putting up 12 debris shield panels on the conical section of the >> Zvezda module. Five panels were installed last week, and six others >> were installed in 2002 to improve the module's protection from >> micrometeroid debris strikes. The aluminum panels each measure >> approximately 2 feet by 3 feet and are 1 inch thick. >> >> Almost two and a half hours into the spacewalk, Russian controllers >> noticed unusual readings in Pirs and asked Yurchikhin to return to >> the module where he verified that the pressurized oxygen bottles were >> closed properly. Mission Control Moscow subsequently determined that >> a small amount of oxygen was flowing from a fluid umbilical that had >> not closed fully when it was disconnected from the spacesuit at the >> beginning of the spacewalk. Controllers closed the flow of oxygen to >> that umbilical to preserve the supply and restarted it during >> repressurization of Pirs after the spacewalk concluded. >> >> The spacewalk ended at 3 p.m. when the hatch on Pirs was closed. Both >> cosmonauts now have 11 hours and 2 minutes experience in the Russian >> Orlan spacesuits. This was the 83rd spacewalk in support of station >> assembly and maintenance, the 55th conducted from the station, and >> the 22nd conducted out of Pirs. >> >> During Wednesday's spacewalk, Flight Engineer Suni Williams remained >> aboard the station monitoring the spacewalk, exercising and >> conducting experiment activities. Earlier this week, she and her >> crewmates prepared the Quest airlock for the spacewalks planned >> during Atlantis' mission. They also packed her personal items and >> experiment results for her return to Earth aboard Atlantis. Early in >> the morning of June 16, Williams will exceed astronaut Shannon >> Lucid's mark for the longest spaceflight ever by a woman, 188 days >> and 4 hours. >> + Read more about Wednesday's spacewalk <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/exp15_ev…> Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew will visit the International Space Station on Sunday after launching Friday at 7:38 p.m. Atlantis is delivering the S3/S4 truss segment, a new set of starboard solar arrays and batteries. Shuttle crew member Clayton Anderson will replace Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Suni Williams. Williams will return home aboard Atlantis when STS-117 completes its mission. >> Commander Rick Sturckow and the crew of shuttle Atlantis are in >> Florida preparing for their scheduled launch Friday, June 8, at 7:38 >> p.m. EDT. STS-117, due to dock to the station at 2:49 p.m. CDT >> Sunday, June 10, delivers a new set of solar array wings and a new >> station flight engineer, NASA astronaut Clay Anderson. >> For more about the crew's activities and station sighting >> opportunities, visit: >> >> http://www.nasa.gov/station >> >> >> -end- >> >> >> >> >> >> >

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Pre-launch Activities in Full Swing
by Arthur Rowe 05 Jun '07

05 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Pre-launch Activities in Full Swing* *Launch Target:* June 8 *Launch Time: * 7:38 p.m. EDT The STS-117 mission astronauts are greeted after arriving at Kennedy Space Center. mage above: Welcoming the crew are Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Janet Petro and Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html + View High-res Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170421main_arrival-2.jpg> *06.05.07 - 10:30 a.m. EDT* During a countdown status briefing this morning at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Test Director Steve Payne announced that preparations for launch on Friday continue and everything is on schedule. "All our systems right now are in great shape -- we're tracking no constraints that are show stoppers," said Payne. "Teams are ready and everybody's eager to launch -- we're looking forward to a successful assembly mission." Launch Weather Officer Kathy Winters of the 45th weather squadron reported there is a 30 per cent chance of weather prohibiting launch. Although a typical pattern of afternoon thunderstorms prevail, upper level winds will push the clouds away by launch time. The tanking forecast for Friday morning also looks good with no violation of constraints. The launch countdown for Atlantis officially begins at 9 p.m. EDT today, at T-43 hours. Included in the countdown is nearly 28 hours of built-in hold time prior to a targeted 7:38 p.m. EDT launch on Friday. The mission STS-117 astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Monday evening. Landing aboard their T-38 training jets, the astronauts flew in from Johnson Space Center in Houston to Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. The days before launch will be busy ones for the astronauts and launch team as they make final preparations for Friday's flight to the International Space Station. Mission STS-117 is the Space Shuttle Program's 21st mission to the space station. Wednesday, June 6 *Countdown Status Briefing 10 a.m. EDT * - Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director - Robbie Ashley, STS-117 payload manager - Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer *STS-117 Launch Readiness News Conference 4 p.m. EDT* (No Earlier Than) - LeRoy Cain, launch integration manager, Space Shuttle Program - Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director - U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Pat Barrett, 45th Weather Squadron + NASA TV <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html> *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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A Piece of the Past Hitches a Ride on Next Space Shuttle Mission
by Arthur Rowe 05 Jun '07

05 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > June 5, 2007 > > Allard Beutel > Headquarters, Washington > 202-3458-4769 > > Kathy Barnstorff > Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. > 757-864-9886 > > Kevin Crossett > Jamestown 2007, Jamestown, Va. > 757-253-4534 > > Elizabeth S. Kostelny > Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, Richmond, Va. > 804-648-1889, ext. 306 > > > A PIECE OF THE PAST HITCHES A RIDE ON NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION > > HAMPTON, Va. -- A small piece of early American history will become > the latest space traveler with the liftoff of NASA's space shuttle > Atlantis. Atlantis is scheduled to launch Friday, June 8 at 7:38 p.m. > EDT for the STS-117 mission to the International Space Station. > > A nearly 400-year-old metal cargo tag bearing the words "Yames Towne" > and some commemorative mementoes are packed in Atlantis' middeck > floor cargo space for the roundtrip flight to the International Space > Station. Their hitchhike through the galaxy honors this year's 400th > anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement > in North America. > > "We found the tag at the bottom of a well during a dig at the James > Fort," said William M. Kelso, director of archaeology at Historic > Jamestowne for the Association for the Preservation of Virginia > Antiquities. "It appears to be a discarded shipping tag from a crate > or trunk that arrived from England around 1611. The artifact clearly > marks Jamestown as a destination - our nation's first address." > > NASA has teamed with Jamestown 2007 to promote the spirit of > exploration then, now and in the future. The artifacts' > out-of-this-world trip is just one of a number of events held during > the last 18 months that have commemorated the nation's pioneering > spirit. > > When the one-inch in diameter artifact lands back on Earth, it will > have logged more than four million miles spanning four centuries. It > will have traveled from England to Jamestown, then to and from the > space station. Two sets of Jamestown commemorative coins, authorized > by Congress and issued by the U.S. Mint, also are on Atlantis. > > The cargo tag and coin sets honoring Jamestown were handed over to > NASA's Lesa Roe, director of the Langley Research Center in Hampton, > Va., before they made their way aboard the shuttle. "NASA's proud to > be entrusted with this piece of exploration history and to extend > America's great sense of adventure, exploration and heritage into the > future of space," she said when accepting the priceless artifact. > > A $5 gold piece and a silver dollar, both of which depict Jamestown > symbols, make up each commemorative coin set. When returned from > space, NASA will present one set to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine for > display at Jamestown Settlement, a 17th century living history > museum. The second set will be displayed at the National Park > Service's Historic Jamestowne Visitor Center. > > NASA will return the shipping tag to Historic Jamestowne where it will > join hundreds of other artifacts in a new archaeological museum > called the Archaearium. Since 1994, archaeologists at the Jamestown > Rediscovery project have dug up more than a million items, including > the long-lost remains of James Fort. For centuries, the fort was > believed to have eroded into the James River. > > NASA's vision to return to the moon then venture to Mars and beyond > continues the legacy of exploration and discovery begun 400 years ago > by America's earliest explorers. To learn more about NASA's long-term > exploration goals, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/exploration > For more information about the commemoration of Jamestown's 400th > anniversary, visit: > > http://www.americas400thanniversary.com > For more information about Historic Jamestowne, visit: > > http://www.historicjamestowne.org > For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' mission to the > space station, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle > > > -end- > > > > > >

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Re: [amsat-bb] Re: ISS & Amateur Voice Comms (R
by Patrick McGrane 05 Jun '07

05 Jun '07

hello again miles- the FT8800 has a mounted fan and the FT8900 also includes 10 and 6 meters besides 2 and 70cm. There are other rigs to consider as well. 73, pat n2oeq ------- Original Message ------- >From : MM[mailto:[email protected]] Sent : 6/4/2007 6:30:01 PM To : patrick.n2oeq(a)gmail.com Cc : Patrick(a)yahoo.com; amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject : RE: [amsat-bb] Re: ISS & Amateur Voice Comms (R Cross Band FM Repeaters: These are fun devices. We had a 440 repeater (mono band) on Mir that was very popular. And we have been able to on occasions enable the cross band mode on the Kenwood D700, which was also popular. There are a few issues with cross banding that need to be weighed against the popularity. A typical mobile rig in cross band mode can not handle the high duty cycle of that mode for extended periods of time. Even if you set the power to 5 watts, it would be transmitting continuously for 20 minutes straight as it passed over the USA and Western Europe. In space we do not have convection cooling, hot air does not rise. All electronics in Space on ISS will run much hotter than on Earth. For this type of job you will need commercial or similar equipment designed for 100% duty cycle and it needs to operate with the heat dissipation limitations of zero gravity inside ISS. We already had an Alleged-overheating problem with one radio on ISS and that was at less than 40% duty cycle. Other limitations: Frequency: Some countries doe not allow hams to have access to 440, which is why most of the ISS projects are being designed as Mono band projects. Space: We are short on physical space. No room for big cavity filters. Repeater suggestions: If some group has the time, effort and Money, they could try to submit a project proposals for a repeaters. Here are some ideas that may be receptive to ariss. 440 uplink, 10 meter down link repeater or visa versa: Benefits, Only minimal band pass cavities will be needed (all transmitters need to exceed commercial TX noise specifications). We have an unused 10 meter antenna presently and 3 440 antennas on the Service module. 440 mono band repeater: Uplink on 435.bottom of band and Downlink on 437.top end of band. (Satellite band on 440 is 435.000 438.000). for the Mir project the DLR team took an Icom repeater and stuffed the filters inside the box. It worked good. The project will need to fit into a small are and all filters need to be self-contained. Quiet fan cooling and food screens, etc. And you may need to build 5 to 10 working units. One unit will fly in to space the other 9 or so will be given to each one of the training and testing departments in each country. The new radio I am proposing for voice, packet and SSTV does not have dual receivers or cross band. We just had too many issues with teaching the crew how to use a true dual bander and it just is not worth going through that mess again. Keep it simple, One band active at a time. 73 Miles WF1F --- Thomas McGrane <patrick.n2oeq(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hi miles- just a short response- I no longer wait to > hear the astronauts > calling CQ and realize the future operation will be > vastly independant of > the crew. Considering the almost exclusive use of > simple digipeating packet > for several years, I have been pushing for > cross-band repeater operation to > liven things up. Does the digital radio have > crossband capability??? > > Incidentally, the radio I mentioned can be used to > monitor both VHF and UHF > simultaneously. > > Whatever you do, please consider mostly unattended > operation aside from use > by the crew. > I would rather be talking to fellow "space Cadets" > on earth than waiting > months for nothing. > > Thanks, pat > > > > On 6/4/07, MM <ka1rrw(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > Hello Patrick, > > Thank you very much for your comments on the Marex > > Project proposal. We are always interested in > hearing > > pros and cons for all projects and welcome > > constructive input. > > > > We believe in the slogan Keep It Simple (KIS). > > When it comes to projects we sometimes Dumb them > down > > to make it easier for the ISS crew. Sure these > guys > > are very smart, but they do not have time to find > and > > read the manuals for the 50+ radio, etc on ISS. > > > > Examples: > > On Mir Marex flew the Kenwood TM-D7A. This radio > was > > used to run the SSTV project and became the > primary > > Voice link. This and other Kenwood's have a row > of > > Program Mode buttons (I call them function > buttons). > > They allow you to save different modes of > operation > > and can be very complicated. After reading the > > manuals several times and testing the PM buttons, > we > > decided it would be too complicated for the crew > to > > understand these buttons, so we disabled them. > > Actually I programmed all of the PM buttons to do > just > > the same two items, Go To Channel #1 and Set > Transmit > > Power to Low. That way if the crew hit a PM > button > > they did not have to worry about rebooting the > radio > > into a different configuration. > > > > Slow Scan TV: > > On ISS, Silicon Pixels custom designed software > just > > for ISS. We chose them because they had the best > > solution at the time for SSTV. However, there off > the > > shelf version of software "CPIX" wold have been > too > > complicated for the crew to understand. There > were > > many great features that the ISS crew just would > not > > have time to learn. The Silicon Pixels team > developed > > a Dumbed down version of software that had just > the > > basic features that the ISS crew would need. We > tried > > to make it as simple as possibly by deliberately > > deleting features that were not needed. And we > made > > the Buttons big so the crew could hit them easily > > while floating in Zero-G. > > > > For the new Dual band Radio proposal that Marex > has > > put forward, I wanted to again try to Keep it > simple. > > I wanted to avoid the problems associated with a > true > > Dual-Band radio, such as two volume controls, two > > squelches and a Band switch etc. The ISS crews > have > > been having problems with figuring out a "Function > > Button" radio verses a Channel knob radio. I > wanted > > to go back to 1 channel knob, 1 squelch and 1 > volume > > control. > > The Icom ID-800 seems to meet most of our > requirements > > for Keeping it Simple. Once we program the radio > on > > the ground the ISS crew only needs to know the > > following controls: > > > > Power Switch > > Channel Knob > > Volume Knob > > Squelch knob. > > > > Instructions for changing frequencies, bands or > Voice > > Modes will be as follows. > > Turn Channel knob to channel XYZ. > > > > Turning on Packet will be as simple as: > > Turn Channel knob to channel XYZ. > > Push power button on TNC and look for Green LED on > > TNC. > > > > Believe me, it's a lot simpler to use than what we > > currently have in space. > > > > Digital Voice Modes: > > The ID-800 does support digital voce modes and all > > normal Analogue FM modes. Since our goal is to > reach > > as many people as possible, the primary mode will > be > > Analog FM voice. The digital modes wold most > likely > > be used for semi-private family communications, > etc. > > > > Deliver Time Frame: > > This project is not approved at this time. We > only > > have approval to continue with the Kantronics > KPC-9612 > > Modem side the project. Back in the Old Mir days, > the > > longest it took me to Pitch a theory to Switch on > was > > 15 months (SSTV Mir, Pitch theory September 1997, > > Switch on December 1998). With ISS, it takes much > > longer. I am tying to use a radio that will still > be > > in production when we go into space. > > > > The next project proposal demonstration is > tentatively > > planned for Moscow in Late 2007 or early 2008. > > > > Thanks for your input and support. > > > > Miles > > > > www.marexmg.org > > > > > > > > --- Patrick McGrane <N2OEQ(a)aceweb.com> wrote: > > > > > Hi miles- de patrick n2oeq- nice to see you > thinking > > > of the future. I miss the MIR > > > days. I think there was a simple kenwood dual > bander > > > on the MIR. I looked at the icom > > > ID800 and my first impression was that it was > not a > > > simple radio and I am not > > > interested in buying a new digital radio to work > the > > > ISS. Since there is no rush, > > > please consider other radio models of SIMPLE > design. > > > Within the past couple of years I > > > purchased a very easy to operate Yaesu FT8800R > dual > > > band rig capable of cross-band > > > repeat, 9600 baud packet, and narrow FM > operation to > > > name a few. I looked at several > > > rigs before deciding on it. Of course, it was a > > > personal preference and others may > > > prefer other models but I found this to be my > choice > > > for satellite work etc. > === message truncated === ____________________________________________________________________________________ The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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Crew Prepares for Second Spacewalk, Shuttle Visit
by Arthur Rowe 04 Jun '07

04 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Crew Prepares for Second Spacewalk, Shuttle Visit Expedition 15 spacewalk Image above: Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov (left) rides on the Strela crane with a bundle of debris panels as Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin operates the controls. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Crew Prepares for Second Spacewalk, Shuttle Visit Expedition 15 spacewalk Image above: Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov (left) rides on the Strela crane with a bundle of debris panels as Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin operates the controls. Image credit: NASA TV International Space Station cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov spent much of Monday preparing for their second spacewalk in eight days. On Wednesday, Commander Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Kotov are scheduled to begin their mission’s second spacewalk. They will install cable, install additional debris panels and deploy a scientific experiment. Yurchikhin and Kotov completed their first spacewalk on May 30. + Read more about the June 6 spacewalk Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew will visit the International Space Station on June 10 after launching June 8. Atlantis is delivering the S3/S4 truss segment, a new set of starboard solar arrays and batteries. Shuttle crew member Clayton Anderson will replace Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Suni Williams. Williams will return home aboard Atlantis. + Expedition 15 Spacewalk Briefing Materials, May 23, 2007 + Read more about Expedition 15 + View crew daily timelines International Space Station cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov spent much of Monday preparing for their second spacewalk in eight days. On Wednesday, Commander Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Kotov are scheduled to begin their mission’s second spacewalk. They will install cable, install additional debris panels and deploy a scientific experiment. Yurchikhin and Kotov completed their first spacewalk on May 30. + Read more about the June 6 spacewalk Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew will visit the International Space Station on June 10 after launching June 8. Atlantis is delivering the S3/S4 truss segment, a new set of starboard solar arrays and batteries. Shuttle crew member Clayton Anderson will replace Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Suni Williams. Williams will return home aboard Atlantis. + Expedition 15 Spacewalk Briefing Materials, May 23, 2007 + Read more about Expedition 15 + View crew daily timelines

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Re: [amsat-bb] Re: ISS & Amateur Voice Comms
by Patrick McGrane 03 Jun '07

03 Jun '07

Hi miles- de patrick n2oeq- nice to see you thinking of the future. I miss the MIR days. I think there was a simple kenwood dual bander on the MIR. I looked at the icom ID800 and my first impression was that it was not a simple radio and I am not interested in buying a new digital radio to work the ISS. Since there is no rush, please consider other radio models of SIMPLE design. Within the past couple of years I purchased a very easy to operate Yaesu FT8800R dual band rig capable of cross-band repeat, 9600 baud packet, and narrow FM operation to name a few. I looked at several rigs before deciding on it. Of course, it was a personal preference and others may prefer other models but I found this to be my choice for satellite work etc. I think it would be safer to consider a rig that has been around a while that has been refined in production and proven in use. Most important is that it be as simple as possible so as not to be disinteresting to the crew. Well, its all academic since it has to be approved but I'm happy to see you working on it. Thank you!!!!! Take care, pat ------- Original Message ------- >From : MM[mailto:[email protected]] Sent : 6/2/2007 7:46:10 PM To : sraas(a)optonline.net; amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Cc : Subject : RE: [amsat-bb] Re: ISS & Amateur Voice Comms The Amateur Radio stations on board ISS have not been open to regular public access since August 2006. There have only be a few random days when the crew from ISS has been heard calling CQ since then. If you look back in the Amsat Archives, look for message from Ken Ransom for an explanation of the issues. The Marex team is working on proposals to replace the existing ISS ham system with a new simpler to use system. (We have found that on the Space Station Mir projects, some consumer grade ham gear seemed to only have a life span of 2-3 year in 24/7 service while orbiting in space. All of the ham gear on ISS is over 3.5 years old) The unapproved Marex proposals would be comprised of the following hardware if approved. Icom ID-800 Dual band Kantronics KPC-9212 TNC Slow Scan TV (Off the shelf VOX box, multiple brands are currently being tested for SSTV) Marex welcomes your support www.marexmg.org --- Steve Raas <sraas(a)optonline.net> wrote: > Has any one been lucky enough to work the ISS on 2m > voice as of late? I call > NA1SS on every pass that Im available to and so far > no dice. ( 3 days 4 or 5 > passes ) > > > > Thanks! > > > > N2JDQ > > Steven J. Raas > > Locator FN20vg > > QRV 2/432 , V/U U/V Sats & WSJT > > Home Page & Sked Requests @ > http://n2jdq2007.tripod.com/ > > AMSAT Member # 36396 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are > those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the > amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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ISS Status Report: SS07-30
by Arthur Rowe 01 Jun '07

01 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > June 1, 2007 > > John Yembric > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-0602 > > John Ira Petty > Johnson Space Center, Houston > 281-483-5111 > > STATUS REPORT: SS07-30 > > INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION STATUS REPORT: SS07-30 > > HOUSTON - The Expedition 15 crew completed the first of three planned > spacewalks this week and prepared for the upcoming arrival of space > shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. > > On Wednesday, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg > Kotov stepped outside the station and installed five additional > debris protection panels on the conical section of the Zvezda Service > Module, the area between its large and small diameters. The aluminum > debris protection panels are designed to shield the module from > micro-meteoroids. > > Also during the spacewalk, the cosmonauts relocated a Global > Positioning System (GPS) antenna cable. The cosmonauts moved the GPS > cable to assist the rendezvous and docking of the European Automated > Transfer Vehicle later this year. > > On June 6, Yurchikhin and Kotov are set to wear Russian spacesuits > again and install 12 additional protection panels on Zvezda. They > also will install a section of an Ethernet cable on the Zarya module > and a Russian experiment called Biorisk on the Pirs Docking > Compartment. > > During the second spacewalk, Flight Engineer Suni Williams will remain > aboard the station as the spacewalk choreographer, as she did this > week, advising and keeping the spacewalkers on schedule. > > Additionally this week, Williams packed science payload and personal > items she will bring with her when she returns to Earth at the end of > the upcoming STS-117 shuttle mission, scheduled for launch Friday, > June 8 at 7:38 p.m. EDT. > > Williams collected her fifth and final set of blood and urine samples > for the Nutritional Status Assessment, which measures physiological > changes in the human body during spaceflight. The samples are stored > at minus 80 degrees Celsius in the Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer. > The experiment will help researchers understand bone metabolism, > oxidative damage, vitamin and mineral status and hormonal changes and > how they relate to stress, bone and muscle metabolism. The results > should provide a better understanding of what happens > physiologically, and when it happens, to crew members on > long-duration space missions. > > Science activities on the International Space Station are coordinated > by NASA payload teams at Johnson Space Center, Houston, and Marshall > Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Marshall is the home of the > Payload Operations Center linked to Mission Control in Houston. > > For more about the crew's activities and station sighting > opportunities, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/station > > > -end- > > > > > >

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NASA Starts Space Shuttle Atlantis Countdown June 5
by Arthur Rowe 01 Jun '07

01 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > June 1, 2007 > > John Yembrick > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-0602 > > George Diller > Kennedy Space Center, Fla. > 321-867-2468 > > > > NASA STARTS SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS COUNTDOWN JUNE 5 > > CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA will start the launch countdown for space > shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 mission at 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 5, at > the T-43 hour point. The countdown includes 27 hours, 32 minutes of > built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time at > approximately 7:38 p.m. EDT Friday, June 8. The launch window extends > an additional five minutes. > > During the 11-day mission, Atlantis' crew will resume construction of > the International Space Station, working with the station crew to > install the girder-like S3/S4 truss segment, unfold a new set of > solar arrays and retract one array on the starboard side of the > station. > > A detailed list of launch countdown milestones and times is available > at: > > http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/index.html > > This mission is the 118th space shuttle flight, the 28th flight for > Atlantis and the 21st U.S. flight to the International Space Station. > STS-117 is scheduled to land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on > Tuesday, June 19. > > Atlantis' last mission was STS-115 in September 2006. For the upcoming > STS-117 mission, Atlantis rolled out to Launch Pad 39-A from > Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building on May 15. Atlantis originally > was targeted for launch in March, but a hail storm damaged foam > insulation on the shuttle's external fuel tank and forced managers to > roll the spacecraft back into the Vehicle Assembly Building to make > repairs. With the refurbishment of Pad 39-A, this launch will be the > first from the pad in four years. > > STS-117 Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Lee Archambault and mission > specialists Jim Reilly, Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John > "Danny" Olivas and Clayton Anderson are scheduled to arrive at the > Kennedy Space Center on June 4. > > Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams will return to Earth > from the space station aboard Atlantis. The flight will carry > Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson to the station. He > will return home aboard space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-120. > > For more information about the STS-117 crew and mission to the space > station, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle > > > -end- > > > > > >

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NASA Updates Space Shuttle Atlantis Prelaunch Events
by Arthur Rowe 01 Jun '07

01 Jun '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > June 1, 2007 > > John Yembrick > Headquarters, Washington > 202-358-0602 > > George Diller > Kennedy Space Center, Fla. > 321-867-2468 > > > NASA UPDATES SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS PRELAUNCH EVENTS > > CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - News conferences, events and operating hours > for NASA's Kennedy Space Center News Center are set for the scheduled > June 8 launch of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-117 mission to the > International Space Station. Liftoff is slated for 7:38 p.m. EDT. > > On Monday, June 4, the seven Atlantis crew members are scheduled to > arrive at the Kennedy Space Center at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Media planning > to cover the event must be at the News Center by 5 p.m. for > transportation to the Shuttle Landing Facility. Commander Rick > Sturckow will make a brief statement to the media. NASA Television > will air live coverage of the arrival and Sturckow's remarks. > > NASA TV also will broadcast live countdown status briefings and news > conferences June 5-8. Complete listings of news briefing times, > participants, Kennedy News Center and media credentialing hours of > operation are available in the online version of this media advisory > at: > > http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/index.html > > For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information, > visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/ntv > > For the latest information about the STS-117 crew and mission, visit: > > http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle > > > -end- > > > > > >

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-01 16:15 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 01 Jun '07

01 Jun '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-06-01 16:15 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Colegio La Salle, San Bernardo, 9, Palencia E-34002, Spain, telebridge via W6SRJ (***) Fri 2007-06-08 10:55 UTC 33 deg (***) Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 300. 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 2007-06-01 16:30 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 2007-05-31 23:00 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 14/15 on orbit: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB Expedition 15 on orbit: Fyodor Yurchikhin RN3FI Dr. Oleg Kotov Expedition 15 future: Clayton Anderson KD5PLA 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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