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Crews Enter Harmony, Prepare for Second Spacewalk
by Arthur Rowe 27 Oct '07

27 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crews Enter Harmony, Prepare for Second Spacewalk 27 October 2007* STS-120 and Expedition 15 crew members talk to press Image Above: STS-120 and Expedition 16 crew members gather in the new Harmony module to talk to the press. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO :http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html The hatch of Harmony was opened at 8:24 a.m. EDT Saturday. Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli – who is from Italy, where the module was built – were the first to enter, and took advantage of the opportunity to remark on the appropriateness of its name. “We think Harmony is a very good name for this module,” Whitson said, “because it represents the culmination of a lot of international partner work and will allow international partner modules to be added on.” Crew members spent part of Saturday hooking Harmony systems up for use. After the module’s ventilation system was up and running, some crew members were able to take time out from their work for interviews with a few television stations. They answered questions on subjects ranging from the challenges of the missions to the historic significance of having Whitson, the first female commander of the station, in space at the same time as Pam Melroy, the second female commander for the shuttle. The other major tasks for the day centered around preparations for the mission’s second spacewalk on Sunday. Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski and the station’s newly arrived flight engineer, Daniel Tani, are scheduled to leave the station at 5:58 a.m. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…>

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Items Taken Into Space Reflect Accomplishments on Earth
by Arthur Rowe 27 Oct '07

27 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 Items Taken Into Space Reflect Accomplishments on Earth http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/Whatsgoingup.html 10.24.07 The Wright Flyer got only a few feet off the ground during its maiden flight in 1903, but traveled to the moon 66 years later. A lead cargo tag that took months to cross the Atlantic Ocean from England to the nascent colony at Jamestown recently made the same crossing in minutes. Astronaut Jim Reilly with R2-D2 and a lightsaber from Star Wars. Image right: Astronaut Jim Reilly helped welcome R2-D2 and Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from Star Wars to the Kennedy Space Center. The lightsaber is being taken into space aboard the real-life spacecraft Discovery during mission STS-120. Photo credit: Lucasfilm + View Hi-Res Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/194005main_astrolightsaber.jpg> Now a plastic handle whose sole role was to make the fictional world of Star Wars look realistic is ready to take a real trip to the stars aboard space shuttle Discovery for mission STS-120. From pieces of history to articles of pop culture, the assortment of items astronauts have taken with them into space is as varied as the world the artifacts represent. Most of the objects find esteemed homes when they return, such as a stuffed teddy bear that STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky took into orbit. The bear was a replica of one owned by a Holocaust survivor. The astronaut returned the replica to a museum after the flight for its collection. The lightsaber used in Star Wars Return of the Jedi was packed for space. Image left: The lightsaber prop that was used by Lluke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi was packed in foam and will spend two weeks in orbit. The flight helps celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars trilogy. Photo credit: Lucasfilm + View Hi-Res Image <http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/194007main_lightsaberpic.jpg> For the Star Wars prop, a lightsaber handle that was used by Luke Skywalker, even the send-off was celebrated. Actors dressed as characters including Chewbacca and X-wing pilots escorted the item to an airport in California for the flight to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it was packed into a shuttle locker and taken to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for loading aboard Discovery. Astronaut Jim Reilly, who flew three missions and has conducted eight spacewalks, said there is a symbolic tie between the lightsaber and the real-life work NASA does in space. "There's a kind of a fine line between science fiction and reality as far as what we do and it's only just time really because a lot of what we're doing right now was science fiction when I was growing up," he said. "I think it's a neat link because it combines two space themes all at one time." The lightsaber will spend 14 days in orbit on mission STS-120, but is not expected to leave the locker during the flight. It will be returned to Star Wars creator George Lucas' film company after the mission. It will not be the first time a Star Wars-related item has gone into orbit, though. Reilly said astronauts have taken small Star Wars toys into space with them when asked. "Toy mementos, things like a Star Wars toy that might have meant something in their life, so there are any number of things that might be just a little out of the ordinary," he said. A piece of the Wright Brothers' first powered airplane was carried to the moon. Image right: The crew of Apollo 11 took a swath of fabric and a small piece of a wooden strut from the Wright Flyer to moon. The Wright Flyer was the first successful powered aircraft. Photo credit: Mark Avino, National Air & Space Museum More solemn markers have also accompanied astronauts. For example, Reilly's STS-117 mission carried a medal earned by a World War II pilot who died in the war. Patches, flags and medallions are routinely carried by the dozens or more on each flight, with some going on display and many going as awards to shuttle workers and VIPs. "I think it makes it real," astronaut Rick Arnold said. "I lived in several countries and I think it's nice to be able to present one of the flags that flew on our mission to those host countries as a thank you." Arnold has been picked to fly aboard STS-119 in 2008, and is just starting to contemplate what to take with him to mark the occasion. "There's not a lot of room for personal items," he said. Wedding rings and other small tokens are often taken into orbit. They are small enough to fit and large enough to have meaning. Each crew member is allowed to take about two pounds of mementos on their flight, but they must fit in a comparatively tiny area. Astronaut Stephanie Wilson is taking a sheet of music from the Boston Symphony Orchestra onboard Discovery for mission STS-120. The music comes from Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," a favorite in the orchestra's extensive repertoire. Wilson worked at one time in a music store in Tanglewood, Mass., which is the summer home of the orchestra. Some items never leave space, notably mission emblems like those stuck to the walls inside the International Space Station. This lead cargo tag is believed to have been discarded from a shipping crate or trunk arriving at Jamestown in about 1611. Image left: This cargo tag made of lead was unearthed during excavation of the original colony at Jamestown in Virginia. It is believed to have made the trip from England to the New World in 1611, and made the trip going the other way in minutes aboard space shuttle Discovery during STS-117. Photo credit: NASA Another example is a golf ball astronaut Alan Shepard carried to the moon on Apollo 14 and hit with an improvised club. Moonwalker Charles Duke left a portrait of his family on the lunar surface. Thousands of signatures have also gone into the solar system in the form of computer codes imprinted on compact discs. Whether they go into space to stay or to be appreciated anew back on Earth, the artifacts manage to find a unique home. "When you get the chance to deliver that stuff back to your family and friends, they're really excited about it," Reilly said. + Listen to Podcast <http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/whatsgoingup_transcript.html>

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Harmony Open for Business
by Arthur Rowe 27 Oct '07

27 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468 *Harmony Open for Business* Image Above: STS-120 and Expedition 16 crew members gather in the new Harmony module to talk to the press. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html The STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews entered the Harmony module for the first time at 8:24 a.m EDT after Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson opened the hatches. Harmony will provide the docking ports for new research laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The laboratories will be delivered to the station on upcoming shuttle missions. Members of the shuttle and station crews gathered in the new Harmonony module shortly after 2 p.m to discuss the mission in interviews with CBS News, FOX News, and WHAM-TV of Rochester, New York. The participants were Whitson, Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, and STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy, Pilot George Zamka, and mission specialists Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock and Clay Anderson. The crews are also preparing for Sunday’s spacewalk, the second of the mission. The spacewalk will be conducted by Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani. To prepare, they will do an overnight “campout” in the station’s airlock. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…> 27 October 2007

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Harmony Open for Business
by Arthur Rowe 27 Oct '07

27 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Harmony Open for Business* 27 October 2007 Image Above: STS-120 Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock rides the station's robotic arm into Discovery's payload bay. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:*http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html* Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock rides the station's robotic armImage Above: STS-120 Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock rides the station's robotic arm into Discovery's payload bay. Image credit: NASA TV The STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews entered the Harmony module for the first time at 8:24 a.m EDT after Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson opened the hatches. Harmony will provide the docking ports for new research laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The laboratories will be delivered to the station on upcoming shuttle missions. The crews are also preparing for Sunday’s spacewalk, the second of the mission. The spacewalk will be conducted by Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani. To prepare, they will do an overnight “campout” in the station’s airlock. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…> The STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews entered the Harmony module for the first time at 8:24 a.m EDT after Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson opened the hatches. Harmony will provide the docking ports for new research laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The laboratories will be delivered to the station on upcoming shuttle missions. The crews are also preparing for Sunday’s spacewalk, the second of the mission. The spacewalk will be conducted by Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani. To prepare, they will do an overnight “campout” in the station’s airlock. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…>

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ISS NEW KEPS - DAY 299
by Arthur Rowe 27 Oct '07

27 Oct '07

ISS (ZARYA) 1 25544U 98067A 07299.95923674 .00013156 00000-0 86870-4 0 2354 2 25544 51.6382 144.3740 0002748 130.1483 16.7911 15.75988536511561

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Crews to Enter Harmony
by Arthur Rowe 27 Oct '07

27 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Crews to Enter Harmony* 27 October 2007 The STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews will enter the Harmony module for the first time just before 9 a.m. EDT Saturday after Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson open the hatches. Harmony will provide the docking ports for new research laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The laboratories will be delivered to the station on upcoming shuttle missions. The crews will also prepare for Sunday’s spacewalk, the second of the mission. The spacewalk will be conducted by Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani. The duo will conduct an overnight “campout” Saturday in the station’s airlock. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…>

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Space Station Grows With Addition of Harmony
by Arthur Rowe 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Space Station Grows With Addition of Harmony* Image Above: The Harmony module is attached to the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TV TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html The International Space Station continued its on-orbit expansion with the addition of the Harmony module. Harmony was attached to the station at 11:38 a.m. EDT during STS-120’s first spacewalk. The addition of the Harmony module sets the stage for the arrival of new research laboratories from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency during upcoming shuttle missions. Four more spacewalks will take place during STS-120’s stay at the station. The two crews will also transfer cargo between Space Shuttle Discovery and the station. STS-120 is the 23rd shuttle mission to visit the station. For the latest news and information on the STS-120 mission, visit the main shuttle page. + Read More <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html> + View crew daily timelines <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html> + Read more about Expedition 16 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition16/index.ht…> + Read more about Expedition 15 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.ht…>

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ARISS Event - Liceo Scientifico G.Galilei, Civitavecchia, Roma, and ITI-LST Mottura Caltanisetta, Italy, Wednesday (Oct 31) 07:33 UTC
by Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR] 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

An STS-120 ARISS school contact has been planned with participants at Liceo Scientifico G.Galilei, Civitavecchia, Roma, Italy and ITI-LST Mottura Caltanisetta, Italy on 31 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 07:33 UTC. The contact will be a direct between station IZØJPA (Nespoli) and ground stations IZØLSG and IT9YBA. The contact should be audible in most of Europe. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The participants are expected to conduct the conversation in Italian. Live audio from this contact can be heard on the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) Conference Rooms, and on the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010. For further information, please check the calendar of events on www.amsat.org. Galileo Galilei is a high school with a scientific focus in Civitavecchia. There are 650 students aged between 14 and 19 attending our school. The main subjects are math, physics, natural sciences, Italian, English, history and philosophy. Our school is situated in Civitavecchia near Rome. It is famous for its most important harbour in Italy. Marconi conducted experiments on microwaves, RADAR, radio mobile telephone and the use of the moon as a natural satellite. He sent waves to the moon and received their reflections. ITI - LST Mottura is the oldest mining school in Italy, founded in 1862. It offers three different specialized courses which are the scientific and technological orientation, electrical engineering and automation and the geo-environmental course. Among its extra activities there are the following courses: sound technology, aeronautic technology and virtual aviation, radio-astronomy, astrophysics and astronomy. There is a "Science Festival" every year. The school has a telescope and a radio telescope on the school roof. The number of students enrolled is 998. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Qual è il contributo che lei, come rappresentante dell'Italia, apporta alla missione? 2. Quanto tempo occorrerà per il completamento della stazione spaziale? 3. Quali saranno i vantaggi che porterà l'aggiunta del Nodo 2 sulla ISS? 4. Quali difficoltà incontrate tornando a terra dopo una lunga permanenza nello spazio? 5. Che genere di strumenti usate per l'assemblaggio della ISS? 6. Quanto tempo dura l'addestramento di un astronauta prima di una missione spaziale? 7. Quale è l'utilità futura e i vantaggi pratici sulla terra degli esperimenti svolti nello spazio? 8. Quali tipi di esperimenti scientifici si eseguono attualmente sulla stazione spaziale? 9. Cosa fanno gli astronauti durante una missione? 10. Quanto tempo trascorrerete fuori dalla staziona spaziale per il montaggio del Nodo 2? 11. Come passano il tempo libero gli astronauti? 12. Qual è la maggiore difficoltà del vostro lavoro? 13. Quanto rimarrà in orbita la stazione spaziale? 14. Esistono rischi di contrarre malattie nello spazio? 15. Che tipo di energia usa la stazione? 16. Quanto è alto il rischio di impattare contro un detrito spaziale? 17. Si riesce a dormire nonostante la mancanza di gravità non vi faccia 'gustare' un soffice letto? 18. Come avete simulato sulla terra le condizioni nello spazio per l'assemblaggio del Nodo 2? 19. Come vengono smaltiti i rifiuti sulla ISS? 20. Qual è il contributo dell'Italia nella progettazione e nella realizzazione della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale? Information about the next scheduled ARISS contact can be found at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/upcoming.htm#NextContact . Packet is occasionally active on 145.825 simplex. 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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SPACEWALK COMPLETED
by Arthur Rowe 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 ** SPACEWALK COMPLETED 6 HOURS 14 MINUTES 26 October 2007 STS-120 Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock kicked off STS-120’s first spacewalk at 6:02 a.m. EDT to prepare Harmony for removal from Discovery’s payload bay. The excursion is scheduled to wrap up at about 12:32 p.m. Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli is the spacewalk coordinator, assisting the spacewalkers with their tasks from inside the spacecraft. Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Clay Anderson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani are at the controls of the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm. The spacewalkers have removed and stowed the S-band Antenna Structural Assembly. They also secured a Payload and Data Grapple Fixture onto Harmony that could not be in place during launch, removed contamination covers and disconnected the power cables linking Harmony to Discovery. The station robotic arm operators are removing Harmony from the payload bay and will move it toward its position on Unity. Meanwhile, the spacewalkers are preparing the P6 truss for its relocation. *Mission Information* + STS-120 Mission Overview <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html> + Harmony Node 2 <http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindscenes/harmony_payload.html> + Space Shuttle Discovery <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/discovery-in…>

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Spacewalkers Go to Work to Expand Station
by Arthur Rowe 26 Oct '07

26 Oct '07

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468 *Spacewalkers Go to Work to Expand Station* 26 OCTOBER 2007 STS-120 Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock kicked off STS-120’s first spacewalk at 6:02 a.m. EDT to prepare Harmony for removal from Discovery’s payload bay. The excursion is scheduled to wrap up at about 12:32 p.m. Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli is the spacewalk coordinator, assisting the spacewalkers with their tasks from inside the spacecraft. Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Clay Anderson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani are at the controls of the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm. The spacewalkers have removed and stowed the S-band Antenna Structural Assembly. They also secured a Payload and Data Grapple Fixture onto Harmony that could not be in place during launch, removed contamination covers and disconnected the power cables linking Harmony to Discovery. The station robotic arm operators are removing Harmony from the payload bay and will move it toward its position on Unity. Meanwhile, the spacewalkers are preparing the P6 truss for its relocation.

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