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Scientists Predict Big Solar Cycle
by Arthur Rowe 21 Dec '06

21 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 > NASA Science News for December 21, 2006 > > Evidence is mounting: the next solar cycle is going to be a big one. > > FULL STORY at > > http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/21dec_cycle24.htm?list833780 > > >

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Crew Tests Jets, Stows Equipment for Landing
by Arthur Rowe 21 Dec '06

21 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 LATEST NEWS *Crew Tests Jets, Stows Equipment for Landing* Image above: Space Shuttle Discovery is pictured from a miniature satellite that was released from Discovery's payload bay on Wednesday. Image Credit: DOD Space Test Program TO VIEW PICTURE GO TO: :http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html Space Shuttle Discovery’s seven astronauts are preparing for Friday’s landing. Discovery is scheduled to touch down at 3:56 p.m. EST Friday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. This morning, Commander Mark Polansky and Pilot Bill Oefelein checked out Discovery’s systems and jets that will be used in the deorbit burn and landing. Also, crew members are busy stowing equipment and other items. Later in the day, the crew will review landing procedures and stow the Ku-band antenna. At 2:57 p.m., crew members are scheduled to take a break to talk with reporters from CNN and ABC News and with students at the Kenai, Alaska, Challenger Center. In other activities, the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE) was deployed from Discovery's payload bay at 1:23 p.m. ANDE will measure the density and composition of the low-Earth orbit atmosphere while being tracked from the ground. The data will be used to better predict the movement of objects in orbit. Two other small satellites were deployed Wednesday night. Discovery undocked from the station Tuesday, ending an eight-day stay at the orbital outpost. While there, the crew continued the construction of the station with the addition of the P5 spacer truss segment during the first of four spacewalks. The next two spacewalks rewired the station’s power system, leaving it in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was added to allow the crew to retract solar arrays that had folded improperly. Discovery also delivered a new crew member and more than two tons of equipment and supplies to the station. Almost two tons of items no longer needed on the station will return to Earth with STS-116. In addition to Kennedy, landing opportunities are available at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and at White Sands Space Harbor, N.M. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page.

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NASA TV SCHEDULE
by Arthur Rowe 21 Dec '06

21 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *December 21, Thursday* *2:12 p.m.* - STS-116 Live Interviews with CNN, ABC News, Kenai, Alaska Challenger Center - JSC *(All Channels)* *5 p.m.* - STS-116 Post-MMT/Mission Status Briefing - JSC *(All Channels)* *December 22, Friday* *2:53 p.m.* - STS-116 Deorbit Burn - JSC *(All Channels)* *3:56 p.m.* - STS-116 Landing - KSC *(All Channels)* *TBD* - STS-116 Post - Landing News Conference - KSC *(All Channels)* *TBD* - STS-116 Crew News Conference - KSC *(All Channel*

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Crew Checks Out Heat Shield, Readies for Landing
by Arthur Rowe 21 Dec '06

21 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crew Checks Out Heat Shield, Readies for Landing* S116-E-06151 : Astronaut Joan Higginbotham( Image above: STS-116 Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham retrieves items from a drawer on the middeck of the Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day six activities. Image Credit: NASA TV - GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html ) On Wednesday, the STS-116 astronauts conducted a final inspection of Space Shuttle Discovery’s heat shield and began preparations for their return to Earth. STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein and Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick used the shuttle’s robotic arm and boom extension sensor system to check the heat shield for any micrometeoroid hits that may have occurred while the orbiter was docked to the International Space Station. Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Christer Fuglesang, Joan Higginbotham and Thomas Reiter stowed items in preparation for the return to Earth. Discovery is slated to touch down at 3:56 p.m. EST Friday. Small scientific satellites were deployed from the payload bay Wednesday night. The Microelectromechanical System-Based PICOSAT Inspector (MEPSI) will demonstrate the use of tiny, low-power satellites to observe larger spacecraft by testing the function of small camera systems and gyroscopes. The Radar Fence Transponder (RAFT) satellite is a student experiment from the United States Naval Academy that uses picosatellites to test the Space Surveillance Radar Fence. Discovery undocked from the station Tuesday, ending an eight-day stay at the orbital outpost. While there, the crew continued the on-orbit construction of the station with the addition of the P5 spacer truss segment during the first of four spacewalks. The next two spacewalks were devoted to the rewiring of the station’s power system, leaving it in a permanent setup. A fourth spacewalk was added to allow the crew to retract solar arrays that had folded improperly. Discovery also delivered a new crew member and more than two tons of equipment and supplies to the station. Almost two tons of items no longer needed on the station will return to Earth with STS-116. For the latest news and information on the International Space Station and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page. + Read more <http://www.nasa.gov/station>

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #23
by Arthur Rowe 21 Dec '06

21 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 NASA NEWS 8:30 p.m. CST Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.20.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-23 STS-116 MCC Status Report #23 Inspection of Discovery’s heat shield was conducted today as the seven crewmembers began the task of preparing their ship for their high-speed return to Earth on Friday. One hour after removing the sensor-equipped 50-foot Orbiter Boom Sensor System from the payload bay with the shuttle’s robotic arm, Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein and Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick began to scan the reinforced carbon-carbon surface of Discovery’s wings and its nose cap to ensure the shuttle incurred no micro-meteoroid debris damage during its time in space. The six-hour inspection was completed at 4:22 p.m. Imagery and damage assessment teams at the Johnson Space Center immediately began analyzing the data. A report will be offered to mission managers on Thursday. While the inspection was conducted, Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham and European Space Agency astronauts Christer Fuglesang and Thomas Reiter began to pack up equipment for Discovery’s scheduled landing Friday at the Kennedy Space Center. With only one wave-off day available on Saturday, backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, CA and the White Sands Space Harbor, NM are being activated for landing support Friday in the event weather diverts the shuttle and its crew from the Florida spaceport. Discovery’s scheduled landing time at the Kennedy Space Center Friday is 2:56 p.m. CST.(3:56 PM EST- 2056 UTC) Late today, Discovery’s astronauts sent commands to deploy small technology demonstration satellites for the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program. The crew deployed a pair of coffee cup-sized satellites at 6:19 p.m. CST to demonstrate how a small, low-powered autonomous satellite can observe larger spacecraft. The Micro-Electromechanical System-Based PICOSAT Inspector, known as MEPSI, may one day use on-board imagery to assess spacecraft damage. The crew then released another pair of small scientific satellites as part of a student experiment sponsored by the United States Naval Academy at 7:58 p.m. CST. The Radar Fence Transponder, or RAFT, experiment is designed to test technology for new spacecraft design. The last satellite experiment, the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment, or ANDE, will be deployed from Discovery’s payload bay Thursday afternoon. ANDE consists of two spherical microsatellites that will measure the density and composition of the low Earth orbit atmosphere while being tracked from the ground. The data will be used to better predict the movement of objects in orbit. Aboard the International Space Station, the newly comprised Expedition 14 crew, Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Suni Williams, enjoyed their first full day together after Discovery’s departure yesterday. Discovery’s astronauts will begin its sleep period just after 10 p.m. CST and will be awakened Thursday at 6:17 p.m. for a day in which they will check out the shuttle’s aero surfaces and steering jets in preparation for Friday’s landing. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Thursday morning, or earlier, if events warrant. - end -

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STS-116 MCC Status Report #22
by Arthur Rowe 20 Dec '06

20 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1OERC - AMSAT A/C #31468 NASA NEWS 7:30 a.m. CST Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 12.20.06 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-22 STS-116 MCC Status Report #22 Discovery crew members will make a final check of the shuttle’s heat shields today, using a sensor-equipped 50-foot extension of the shuttle’s robotic arm. After the inspection, Discovery will deploy two small scientific satellites. A third will be deployed Thursday. Discovery Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Bill Oefelein and Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick will use the boom and sensor to look at thermal tiles on the shuttle’s underside. They also will inspect the reinforced carbon-carbon that protects the leading edges of the wings and the nose. The heat shield inspection activities begin at 9:52 a.m. CST with the unberthing of the boom extension. Scanning of the heat shield with the sensor system begins at 10:52 a.m. and should take about five hours. The boom is to be reberthed into its cradle along the right side of the shuttle cargo bay at 4:22 p.m. During the inspection, other Discovery astronauts will stow equipment in preparation for landing. Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam, Christer Fuglesang, Joan Higginbotham and Thomas Reiter will begin packing up in the shuttle’s cabin and the Spacehab module in its cargo bay. At about 6:19 p.m. CST, the Microelectromechanical System-Based PICOSAT Inspector (MEPSI) mini-satellite will be released from Discovery's cargo bay. The coffee cup-sized satellite will demonstrate the use of tiny, low-power satellites to observe larger spacecraft. It will test the function of small camera systems and gyroscopes. At about 7:56 p.m. CST, the Radar Fence Transponder (RAFT) satellite will be released from the cargo bay. The satellite is a student experiment from the United States Naval Academy that uses picosatellites to test the Space Surveillance Radar Fence. All activities aboard Discovery are aimed toward a landing that would begin with a deorbit engine firing by the shuttle at 1:53 p.m. CST Friday that would lead to a touchdown at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 2:56 p.m. CST Friday. Mission Control continues to monitor the weather in Florida, and shuttle landing opportunities at both Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and at White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., also will be considered on Friday. Fuglesang and Reiter are European Space Agency astronauts. Fuglesang, from Sweden, participated in three of the four spacewalks during Discovery’s stay at the station. Curbeam set a record for spacewalks on a shuttle mission, performing four. Reiter, from Germany, is returning aboard Discovery after six months on the station. Discovery’s crew was awakened at 6:47 a.m. by “Say You’ll be Mine,” performed by Christopher Cross. It was for Reiter. On the orbiting laboratory, Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria and flight engineers Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams are beginning a light-duty day after eight days of joint operations with Discovery. At 6:30 a.m. CST they were trailing Discovery by about 730 statute miles. The gap was increasing by more than 80 miles with each 91-minute orbit of the Earth. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Wednesday afternoon, or earlier if events warrant. - end -

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

20 Dec '06

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

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

20 Dec '06

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

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

20 Dec '06

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

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

20 Dec '06

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

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