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

Crew Talks to Students
by Arthur Rowe 06 Jul '07

06 Jul '07

SUBMITTED ABY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crew Talks to Students, Conducts Experiments* ISS015-E-13632 : Fyodor Yurchikhin with telemetry hardwareImage above: Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin performs in-flight maintenance on telemetry hardware in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html After enjoying a light-duty day on July 4, the Expedition 15 crew members resumed work this week with science experiments and station maintenance aboard the International Space Station. Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin performed analysis on air samples collected inside the orbiting complex on Tuesday to check the station's atmosphere for microbial contamination. Flight Engineer Clay Anderson worked with the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS), installing tubes on the water pumps for two modules. The EMCS is combination centrifuge and growth chamber experiment that studies methods of growing plants in space for future long-duration missions to the moon or Mars. In preparation for an upcoming spacewalk, Anderson completed recharging the first set of spacesuit batteries and began recharging the second set. Later Anderson took a break from his work and spoke with math and science students at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston. + 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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Endeavour Readies for August Launch
by Arthur Rowe 06 Jul '07

06 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Endeavour Readies for August Launch* Image above: In the Vehicle Assembly Building, Endeavour joins its external tank and solid rocket boosters on the mobile launcher platform. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder + Full Size Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/181716main_mating.jpg> *07.06.07 - 3:30 p.m. EDT* Space Shuttle Endeavour mating and launch processing operations are under way in preparation for a rollout to Launch Pad 39A, which is currently targeted for no earlier than July 10. Weather permitting, the mission payload will be transferred to the launch pad early Saturday. NASA is quickly gearing up for the shuttle's next visit to the International Station, targeted for an Aug. 7 launch. The mission will deliver the S5 truss to the station and will mark the first flight of Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago. STS-118 will be the first flight for Endeavour since 2002. + STS-118 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts118/index.html> + STS-117 Mission Summary <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/sts117_overview.html> | + Photos and Videos <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/multimedia…>

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Endeavour Readies for August Launch
by Arthur Rowe 05 Jul '07

05 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468 *Endeavour Readies for August Launch* Image above: The main engines on the orbiter Endeavour (upper right) are seen as Endeavour is lowered into high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking with the external tank (seen at left) and solid rocket boosters. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder + Full Size Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/181716main_07pd1774.jpg> *07.05.07 2:45 p.m. EDT* Fresh off the success of STS-117, NASA is quickly gearing up for the shuttle's next visit to the International Station, the STS-118 mission, targeted for an Aug. 7 launch. The mission will deliver the S5 truss to the station and will mark the first flight of Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago. Processing for STS-118 continues at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orbiter Endeavour arrived inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on Monday after a short roll from the nearby Orbiter Processing Facility. In the assembly building's transfer aisle, Endeavour was lifted vertically, transferred to a high bay and attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters. STS-118 will be the first flight for Endeavour since 2002. On July 3, Orbiter Atlantis made its graceful landing at Kennedy Space Center mounted atop a modified 747 jetliner called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, officially concluding the STS-117 mission. + STS-118 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts118/index.html> + STS-117 Mission Summary <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/sts117_overview.html> | + Photos and Videos <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/multimedia…>

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-05 21:45 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 05 Jul '07

05 Jul '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-05 21:45 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, Kenai, Alaska, direct via KL7XJ Sat 2007-07-07 19:47:44 UTC 13 deg Maples Collegiate, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, direct via VE4NSA Thu 2007-07-12 16:45 UTC 79 deg Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, Florida, telebridge via W6SRJ (***) Tue 2007-07-17 18:20 UTC 73 deg via W6SRJ (***) 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 2007-07-05 21:45 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 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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-05 02:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 04 Jul '07

04 Jul '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-05 02:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, Kenai, Alaska, direct via KL7XJ Sat 2007-07-07 19:47:44 UTC 13 deg Maples Collegiate, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, direct via VE4NSA Thu 2007-07-12 16:45 UTC 79 deg 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 2007-07-05 02:00 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 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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Crew Performs Science Experiments, Station Maintenance
by Arthur Rowe 03 Jul '07

03 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crew Performs Science Experiments, Station Maintenance* Image above: Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 15 crew member on the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html The Expedition 15 crew members are continuing their work with science experiments and station maintenance aboard the International Space Station. Flight Engineer Clay Anderson rearranged and consolidated frozen biological samples in the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS to conserve space and make room for future samples. He also spent some time gathering hardware and prepacking items for return on space shuttle Endeavour in August. Meanwhile cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, flight engineer, continued to perform extensive troubleshooting of computers in the Russian segment of the station. The crew also conducted preparations for the next spacewalk. Anderson recharged the first set of spacesuit batteries, and then he and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin reconfigured their spacesuits. + 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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Atlantis Returns to Florida
by Arthur Rowe 03 Jul '07

03 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Endeavour Readies for August Launch; Atlantis Returns to Florida* *07.03.07 12:40 p.m. EDT* Fresh off the success of STS-117, NASA is quickly gearing up for the shuttle's next visit to the International Station, the STS-118 mission, targeted for an Aug. 7 launch. The mission will deliver the S5 truss to the station and will mark the first flight of Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago. Processing for STS-118 continues at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orbiter Endeavour arrived inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on Monday after a short roll from the nearby Orbiter Processing Facility. In the assembly building's transfer aisle, Endeavour was lifted vertically, transferred to a high bay and will be attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters. STS-118 will be the first flight for Endeavour since 2002. Image above: Endeavour, top, rolls to the Vehicle Assembly Building and Atlantis, bottom, lands at after a piggy back ride from the west coast. Photo credit: NASA/KSC + Full Size Top Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/181608main_endeavour_rolls_full.jpg> | + Full Size Bottom Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/181607main_atlantis_lands_full.jpg> Meanwhile, Orbiter Atlantis made its graceful landing at Kennedy Space Center this morning mounted atop a modified 747 jetliner called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, officially concluding the STS-117 mission. + STS-118 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts118/index.html> + STS-117 Mission Summary <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/sts117_overview.html> | + Photos and Videos <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/multimedia…>

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-03 20:45 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 03 Jul '07

03 Jul '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-03 20:45 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, Kenai, Alaska, direct via KL7XJ Sat 2007-07-07 19:47:44 UTC 13 deg Maples Collegiate, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, direct via VE4NSA (***) Thu 2007-07-12 16:45 UTC 79 deg (***) 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 2007-07-03 20:45 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 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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-03 15:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 03 Jul '07

03 Jul '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-03 15:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, Kenai, Alaska, direct via KL7XJ Sat 2007-07-07 19:47:44 UTC 13 deg 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 2007-07-03 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 2007-06-15 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 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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Crew Performs Science Experiments
by Arthur Rowe 03 Jul '07

03 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crew Performs Science Experiments, Station Maintenance* ISS015-E-13670 : Clay Anderson with MELFI Image above: Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson works with the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) as part of the Nutritional Status Assessment (NUTRITION) experiment in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.htm The Expedition 15 crew members began a new week of science experiments and station maintenance aboard the International Space Station. Flight Engineer Clay Anderson rearranged and consolidated frozen biological samples in the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS to conserve space and make room for future samples. He also spent some time gathering hardware and prepacking items for return on space shuttle Endeavour in August. Meanwhile cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, flight engineer, continued to perform extensive troubleshooting of computers in the Russian segment of the station. The crew also conducted preparations for the next spacewalk planned for July 20. Anderson recharged the first set of spacesuit batteries, and then he and Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin reconfigured their spacesuits. + 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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-02 23:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 02 Jul '07

02 Jul '07

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2007-07-02 23:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, Kenai, Alaska, direct via KL7XJ Sat 2007-07-07 19:47:44 UTC 13 deg 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 2007-07-02 23:00 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 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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ORBITORS ON THE MOVE
by Arthur Rowe 02 Jul '07

02 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C 331468 Orbiters on the Move: Atlantis Heads Home as Endeavour Prepares for Mission STS-118 Space Shuttle Endeavour rolls to the Vehicle Assembly Building Image above: After leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility Endeavour rolls to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The mission will be Endeavour's first flight in more than four years. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton + View Larger Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170421main_rollover.jpg> 07.02.07 12:00 p.m. EDT Orbiter Atlantis is one step closer to Kennedy Space Center this morning after a refueling stop at Fort Campbell, Ky. Mounted atop a modified 747 jetliner called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Atlantis is on its way back to Florida after landing June 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., concluding the STS-117 mission. At Fort Campbell, the ferry flight crew received a weather briefing and a determination was made to remain there overnight. Atlantis could arrive at the Florida spaceport on Tuesday if weather conditions permit. Meanwhile, processing for the next mission, STS-118, continues at Kennedy. Orbiter Endeavour arrived inside the Vehicle Assembly Building this morning after a short roll from the nearby Orbiter Processing Facility. In the assembly building's transfer aisle, Endeavour will be lifted vertically, transferred to a high bay and attached to its external tank and solid rocket boosters. The STS-118 mission will deliver the S5 truss to the International Space Station and will mark the first flight of an educator astronaut, Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan. Launch is targeted for Aug. 7.

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Atlantis on Its Way Back to Kennedy
by Arthur Rowe 02 Jul '07

02 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Space Shuttle Mission STS-117 * ** *Atlantis on Its Way Back to Kennedy* EXCELLENT PICTURE Space Shuttle Atlantis' atop of NASA's 747 Shuttle Aircraft Carrier.Image above: Space Shuttle Atlantis' atop of NASA's 747 Shuttle Aircraft Carrier takes off from Edwards Air Force Base in California. Image credit: NASA/Carla Thomas + View Larger Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170897main_lift-off-lg.jpg> After a short weather delay Sunday morning, Space Shuttle Atlantis atop NASA's Shuttle Aircraft Carrier began its trip across the U.S. Known as a ferry-flight, the orbiter will make the trip from Edwards Air Force Base in California to Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility in one to two days, depending on weather conditions.

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Atlantis Heads Home
by Arthur Rowe 02 Jul '07

02 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/c#31468 Atlantis Heads Home Space Shuttle Atlantis atop NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Image above: NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with Atlantis on top lift offs to begin its ferry-flight back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas + View Larger Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170421main_piggy_back-lg.jpg> 07.01.07 12:30 p.m. EDT Early Sunday morning, Space Shuttle Atlantis began its journey back to Kennedy Space Center "piggy-backed" on top of a modified 747 jetliner called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The enroute plan includes refueling stops and a stop overnight. The anticipated arrival at the Kennedy Space Center will be no earlier than Monday July 2 with a possibility of arriving Tuesday July 3 if weather conditions are not favorable for a Monday landing. Atlantis landed at Edwards concluding a successful assembly mission to the International Space Station with Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault at the controls. Atlantis landed at 3:49 p.m. EDT on June 22. The STS-117 mission astronauts returned to Johnson Space Center on Saturday, June 23. Their return was marked by a traditional welcome home ceremony at Ellington Field in Houston. The STS-117 crew began its mission June 8 and arrived at the station June 10. They quickly began work to install the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss structure to the outpost and retracted a set of arrays on the Port 6 (P6) truss. The (S3/S4) contains a new set of solar arrays that increases station power-generation capabilities. The P6 will be relocated during a future assembly mission. Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, John "Danny" Olivas, Jim Reilly and Steven Swanson conducted a total of four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and to retract the P6 arrays. During the third spacewalk, Olivas repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. Landing also marked the end of a record-setting spaceflight by Mission Specialist Suni Williams. She broke the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman and she also became the record-holder for the most hours outside a spacecraft by a female, completing four spacewalks during Expedition 14. Williams' journey began in December with the launch of STS-116. She lived on the space station for six months before switching places on the STS-117 crew with Clayton Anderson, who is now a flight engineer on the station. When Atlantis landed, she had accumulated 194 days, 18 hours and 58 minutes during her spaceflight. 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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THE WORLD'S GREATEST PIGGYBACK RIDE
by Arthur Rowe 01 Jul '07

01 Jul '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 The World's Greatest Piggyback Ride Imagine flying from California to Florida with nowhere to sit, no air conditioning, no place to store your bags -- not even a bathroom.http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/ferryflight.html The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft touches down at Kennedy Space Center with Shuttle orbiter DiscoveryImage to left: Space Shuttle Discovery, atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), touches down at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 21, 2005 after a ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California. Image credit: NASA/KSC NASA keeps two 747s, known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), set up this way on purpose. The downstairs passenger area of these jetliners are kept as hollow inside as possible in order to carry a special cargo: a Space Shuttle orbiter. One of these specially-modified SCAs brought the orbiter Discovery home to Kennedy Space Center in Florida after completing the historic Return to Flight mission. The SCA ferried the orbiter from Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it landed Aug. 9. Ferry flights are few and far between these days, but don't let the light work schedule fool you: These aircraft have to work twice as hard as a normal 747 to get the job done. "It's brute force that keeps us flying," explains Larry LaRose, a flight engineer on the SCA. "When we're carrying an orbiter, we have to use twice the power and a lot more fuel to maintain flight." The passenger area has been stripped of many creature comforts, such as galleys, carpeting and even part of the inside temperature ductwork -- all for the sake of reducing weight. But the planes still weigh more than 250,000 pounds, and the drag created by the shape and weight of the orbiter -- 176,000 pounds or more, depending on any onboard payload -- negates the small amount of lift it adds. The downstairs portion of the 747, stripped of seating and other passener equipmentDuring a normal flight, the SCA might use 20,000 pounds of fuel an hour; with an orbiter on its back, that number doubles. Image to right: The hollowed-out downstairs portion of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft used to hold passenger seating, galleys, luggage compartments and more. It has been stripped of creature comforts to reduce the plane's weight. NASA/KSC image courtesy of Lynda Warnock The piggyback arrangement might look cumbersome, but how does it fly compared to a normal 747? "It handles remarkably the same," says SCA pilot Gordon Fullerton. As chief pilot at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, his daily job involves flying jets for high-performance aircraft research. But Fullerton's experience with the orbiter and SCA dates back nearly three decades. In addition to being a Space Shuttle commander and pilot, he was one of four NASA astronauts to land the Enterprise during the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Test program in 1977. "It's obvious [the orbiter] is up there, because there's a constant rumble that you can feel because of the wake of the orbiter hitting the vertical stabilizer of the 747," Fullerton says of ferry flights. But other than long takeoff rolls and the need for some extra care in steep turns, "it's pretty much the same." Flight Engineer Larry LaRose inside the SCA cockpitImage to left: Inside the cramped cockpit of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Flight Engineer Larry LaRose sets up the pilot's seat for departure from Kennedy. NASA/KSC image courtesy of Lynda Warnock A small team of six specially-trained pilots and four flight engineers has the critical task of making sure this precious cargo has a safe trip from alternate landing sites. Those who serve on SCA crews are former military aviators who are qualified to fly several types of aircraft, such as the Shuttle Training Aircraft, Super Guppy, zero-gravity aircraft and T-38 jets. Most are based at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, although LaRose is stationed in El Paso, Texas, and two are based at Dryden. Since ferry flights are seldom required, crew members train twice a year using simulators belonging to United Airlines. Perhaps the biggest challenge the crew faces during a ferry flight is the weather. The orbiter cannot be exposed to moisture, turbulence or temperatures below -9 Centigrade and these restrictions determine the flight path and altitude. To meet those conditions in the winter months, they sometimes fly as low as 10,000 feet. A "Pathfinder" aircraft, usually a U.S. Air Force cargo plane, flies 100 miles ahead of the SCA carrying weather officers and Space Shuttle personnel from Kennedy. Also onboard is an experienced SCA pilot, whose expertise helps the ferry flight crew keep to the safest route. Sunrise at the Shuttle Landing Facility, where the SCA waits to departAdverse weather came into play on Discovery's recent ferry flight. Storms and hail at Edwards kept the piggybacked pair grounded for a few extra days. But every step of the way, people gathered to catch a glimpse of the odd-looking duo. Image to right: Sunrise at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility reveals the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft preparing to depart on Aug. 24. The plane carried the orbiter Discovery on a ferry flight to Kennedy from Edwards Air Force Base in California, arriving Aug. 21, 2005. NASA/KSC image courtesy of Lynda Warnock "You don't sneak into town with an orbiter," LaRose says, grinning. "It brings out a big crowd everywhere we go. It's a life experience for a lot of folks who have never seen something like this before." Anna Heiney NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

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