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STS-116 MCC Status Report #07
by Arthur Rowe 13 Dec '06

13 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 STATUS REPORT: STS-116-07 STS-116 MCC Status Report #07 The International Space Station is now two tons heavier, with the installation today of its newest truss segment during the flight’s first spacewalk. Mission Specialists Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang ventured outside the station to attach the P5 segment of the station’s truss and replace a failed camera needed to support future assembly tasks. They also were able to fit in some extra tasks that will save future spacewalkers time, including plugging the new segment into the existing truss, removing the locks that held it steady during launch and opening a latch that will allow the P6 segment to be attached when it is moved from its current, temporary location to its permanent place at the end of the port truss. The spacewalk began at 2:31 p.m. CST, and Curbeam and Fuglesang were back inside by 9:07 p.m. The truss was officially attached at 4:45 p.m., and installation was complete by 5:21 p.m. Total duration of the spacewalk was 6 hours, 36 minutes. Upon their return to the Quest airlock at the end of the spacewalk, Curbeam took a moment to congratulate Nobel Prize winners, including Dr. John C. Mather, a Goddard Space Flight Center scientist honored for his work on the big-bang theory. With the new port truss section in place, the crew is ready to move on to the second phase of the mission – rewiring the station. That work will begin Wednesday when the port solar array on truss segment P6 is folded up, allowing the P4 solar arrays delivered by the STS-115 crew to rotate and track the sun. Once that’s done, Curbeam and Fuglesang will head outside again Thursday to begin reconfiguring the external wiring so that power from the new solar arrays delivered in September can be used. Meanwhile, after taking a close look at imagery gathered on the first three days of the flight, mission managers determined that the shuttle’s heat shield can support a safe return to Earth. They also decided a more detailed inspection that had been scheduled for tomorrow will not be necessary. Space Shuttle Discovery’s seven astronauts woke at 9:47 a.m. this morning to the song “Waterloo” by Swedish group Abba in honor of Fuglesang, who is from Sweden. “Nice music this morning,” Fuglesang said from the Quest airlock, where he spent the night preparing for the spacewalk with Curbeam. The crew is scheduled to go to sleep at 1:17 a.m. Wednesday, after moving the space station arm into a position that will provide a good view of the P6 solar array retraction. The shuttle crew will start flight day four at 9:17 a.m. on Wednesday. The station crew will get an extra 40 minutes of sleep, awakening at 9:47 a.m. The next STS-116 status report will be issued Wednesday morning or earlier if events warr

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On-Orbit Station Construction Continues
by Arthur Rowe 12 Dec '06

12 Dec '06

SUBMIOTTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *On-Orbit Station Construction Continues* The International Space Station grew Tuesday when the STS-116 crew installed the P5 integrated truss segment. The P5 was attached at 5:45 p.m. EST. The construction work was performed by STS-116 spacewalkers Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang and robot arm operators Joan Higginbotham and Sunita Williams. The P5 spacer segment’s attachment to the P4 sets the stage for the addition of the P6 and its set of solar arrays. Two more spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s newest solar arrays. The spacewalks are set for Thursday and Saturday. The P5’s installation is not the only change that the station has undergone since Space Shuttle Discovery docked Monday. Williams, who arrived at the station with the STS-116 mission, replaced European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter on the Expedition 14 crew at midnight Tuesday. Williams will remain a member of Expedition 14 until Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are relieved by Expedition 15 in March 2007. Williams will finish her remaining time of her six-month tour of duty on the station as a member of Expedition 15 crew. Reiter will wrap up a five-month stay on the station when he leaves with STS-116 next week. He arrived at the station in July with the STS-121 mission to give the station its first three-member crew since May 2003. He was a member of Expedition 13 until Expedition 14 began its tour of duty in September. The crew rotation became official when their custom-made seatliners were swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. Also, the Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18. For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html> + Read more about Expedition 14 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition14/index.ht…> + View crew's daily timelines <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html> NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency have named two astronauts and two cosmonauts to the next International Space Station crew, known as Expedition 15. Astronauts Clayton Anderson and Daniel Tani will travel to the station next year and work as flight engineers. Cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Dr. Oleg Kotov will spend six months aboard the orbiting laboratory. + Read more about Expedition 15 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.ht…> + Read the press release <http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/oct/HQ_06337_new_station_crew.html>

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Crew Attaches P5 to Station, Makes Connections
by Arthur Rowe 12 Dec '06

12 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crew Attaches P5 to Station, Makes Connections* Image above: Mission Specialist Bob Curbeam participates in the first spacewalk of the STS-116 mission. Image Credit: NASA TV (GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html-FOR PICTURE With the attachment of the P5 integrated truss structure on to the International Space Station, STS-116 spacewalkers Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang are finalizing the installation with power, data and heater cable connections. The spacewalk began at 3:31 p.m. EST and the P5 was attached to the P4 segment at 5:45 p.m. Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham used the station's robotic arm to move the new segment with only inches of clearance into its installation position. Then, the spacewalkers guided Higginbotham with visual cues as the exacting operation was carried out. The component, also called the P5 spacer, is a two-ton piece that is the fifth truss segment added to the port side of the station. The addition of the P5 sets the stage for the relocation of the P6 truss and its set of solar arrays. The P6 will be moved from its current location on the top of the Destiny Laboratory to the P5 during a future mission. Pilot Bill Oefelein is coordinating the spacewalk. The excursion will conclude about 9:41 p.m. Two more spacewalks are on tap for STS-116. All three will be based out of the station’s Quest Airlock. Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews continue joint operations, which began Monday evening. *No Focused Heat Shield Inspection Required Wednesday* The Mission Control Center in Houston informed STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky that the crew will not need to perform a focused inspection of Space Shuttle Discovery’s heat shield on Wednesday. The STS-116 crew will press ahead with their activities on Wednesday, which includes the retraction of the port solar array on the P6 truss segment. 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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Astronauts to Add Segment to Station During Spacewalk
by Arthur Rowe 12 Dec '06

12 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Astronauts to Add Segment to Station During Spacewalk* Image above: STS-116 and Expedition 14 crew members take a moment for a group picture shortly after the hatches opened between Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA TV TO SEE PICTURE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html STS-116 Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang will go spacewalking today. The primary objective of the spacewalk is to install a new piece to the space station's girder-like truss. The two-ton piece will be the fifth truss segment added to the port side of the station and is called the P5 spacer. From inside the space station Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham will use the station's robotic arm to move the new segment with only inches of clearance into its installation position. The spacewalkers will assist by providing two extra pairs of eyes as the exacting operation is carried out. Once the segment is in place, Curbeam and Fuglesang will bolt it to its permanent position and finalize installation with power, data and heater cable connections. Pilot Bill Oefelein will coordinate the spacewalk, which is slated to begin at 3:42 p.m. EST and conclude at 9:52 p.m. Two more spacewalks are slated for STS-116, on Thursday and Saturday. All three will be based out of the station’s Quest Airlock. Also, the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews will continue joint operations, which began Monday evening. 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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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-12-12 05:00 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 12 Dec '06

12 Dec '06

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2006-12-12 05:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Thunmanskolan, Knivsta, Sweden via telebridge VK4KHZ (***) Contact is a go for Sun 2006-12-17 18:19 UTC via VK4KHZ (***) Watch for IRLP, Echolink, and webcast coverage. (***) During Expedition 14, ARISS expects to have one ARISS school contact per month rather than approximately one per week. It is also anticipated that there many not be many general contacts. STS-116 12A.1 Launch (Polansky, Oefelein, Curbeam, Higginbotham, Patrick KD5PKY, Christer Fuglesang KE5CGR, Suni Williams KD5PLB up) On orbit and docked (***) Total number of ARISS school contacts is 258. 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 2006-12-12 05:00 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 2006-11-20 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 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 13/14 on orbit: Thomas Reiter DF4TR Expedition 14 on orbit: Michael Lopez-Alegria KE5GTK Mikhail Tyurin, RZ3FT Expedition 14 future: Sunita Williams, KD5PLB ***************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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Discovery Docks With Station
by Arthur Rowe 11 Dec '06

11 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 After two days of orbital pursuit, Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-116 crew reached the International Space Station. The two spacecraft linked up at 5:12 p.m. EST as they flew over southeast Asia. The arrival of Discovery sets the stage for the continuation of station construction and a week of joint operations. Inside Discovery’s payload bay is the P5 integrated truss structure. The STS-116 crew will conduct three spacewalks to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station. The first spacewalk is scheduled to kick off at 3:42 p.m. Tuesday. Also on board the shuttle is the station’s next crew member. Astronaut Sunita Williams will join the Expedition 14 crew about an hour after she enters the station for the first time. The hatches between Discovery and the station are slated to open shortly after 7 p.m. STS-116 is also delivering supplies and equipment to the station. Most of the supplies are located in a small pressurized logistics module called SPACEHAB, which is located in the payload bay. Discovery is slated to stay at the station until Dec. 18. STS-116 is the 20th shuttle mission to visit the station. *STS-116 Resources* + STS-116 TV Schedule <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html>

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DISCOVERY HAS MATED WITH THE ISS
by Arthur Rowe 11 Dec '06

11 Dec '06

Discovery has mated up with the International Space Station just as a sunrise has ocurred over SE Asia - At 5:12PM EST (1012 UTC) Heading for central Australia.

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Discovery Closes In On Station -
by Arthur Rowe 11 Dec '06

11 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 115 FEET BEHIND THE ISS The arrival of Space Shuttle Discovery this afternoon will set the stage for a change aboard the International Space Station. Discovery, which is scheduled to arrive at 5:05 p.m. EST, is delivering a new crew member to the station. STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided Discovery through a back-flip maneuver about 4:05 p.m. to allow the station's Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery's heat shield. The images will be down linked to the ground for analysis by shuttle engineers. NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams will join the Expedition 14 crew about an hour after she and the STS-116 crew enter the station for the first time about 7:02 p.m. She will replace European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with the STS-116 crew. The crew rotation will be official when the custom-made seat liners are swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. STS-116 is also delivering the P5 integrated truss structure to the station. The P5 will be attached to the end of the P4 to set the stage for the addition of the P6. Three spacewalks are scheduled during STS-116’s stay to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station’s solar arrays. The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews will conduct a week of joint operations. In addition to the spacewalks, they will transfer cargo between the vehicles. Discovery and its crew are scheduled to stay at the station until Dec. 18. For the latest news and information on STS-116, visit the main shuttle page. + Read more <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html> + Read more about Expedition 14 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition14/index.ht…> + View crew's daily timelines <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html>

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Discovery Close to Catching Space Station
by Arthur Rowe 11 Dec '06

11 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Discovery Close to Catching Space Station Discovery's payload bay Image above: A video camera aboard Discovery captured this view of the payload bay. Image Credit: NASA TV The two-day chase will come to a close today when Space Shuttle Discovery docks with the International Space Station. The orbital linkup is scheduled to take place at 5:05 p.m. EST. The STS-116 crew will begin rendezvous operations around 11:37 a.m. today. Commander Mark Polansky will guide Discovery through a back-flip maneuver about an hour before docking to allow the station’s Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery’s heat shield. Discovery, which launched Saturday, is carrying the P5 integrated truss structure in its payload bay. The STS-116 crew will conduct three spacewalks to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station. Also onboard the shuttle is the station’s next crew member. Astronaut Sunita Williams will join the Expedition 14 crew about an hour after she enters the station for the first time. The hatches between Discovery and the station are slated to open at about 7:02 p.m. *STS-116 Resources* + STS-116 TV Schedule <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html>

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DISCOVERY ALMOST AT THE ISS
by Arthur Rowe 11 Dec '06

11 Dec '06

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 The STS-116 crew inspected Space Shuttle Discovery’s exterior Sunday and prepared for docking with the International Space Station. Crew members used the robotic arm to grapple a boom extension sensor system to check the heat shield’s health following Saturday’s launch. After the completion of the inspections of the heat shield, the crew returned the boom to the payload bay and used the arm’s cameras to check out the shuttle’s upper surfaces. Docking preparations included the checkout of rendezvous tools and the installation of equipment for use when Discovery links up with the station at 5:05 p.m. EST Monday. The astronauts’ activities also included a checkout of spacesuits they will use during STS-116’s three scheduled spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss structure and rewire the station’s electrical system. Discovery began its two-day chase of the station when it launched Saturday night from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. In addition to the P5, the STS-116 mission is also delivering a new crew member to the station. *STS-116 Resources* + STS-116 TV Schedule <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/mission_schedule.html> + Certificate of Flight Readiness <http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/163551main_116-CoFR.pdf> + News and Media Resources <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news/index.html> *STS-116 Mission* + The crew <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/index.html> + The mission <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/mission_ov…> + The Integrated Truss Structure <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html>

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