> SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
>
>> Aug. 10, 2007
>>
>> Allard Beutel
>> Headquarters, Washington
>> 202-358-4769
>> allard.beutel(a)nasa.gov
>>
>> Kylie Clem
>> Johnson Space Center, Houston
>> 281-483-5111
>> kylie.s.clem(a)nasa.gov
>>
>>
>>
>> ASTRONAUT ED LU LEAVES NASA
>>
>> HOUSTON - Veteran International Space Station astronaut and space
>> shuttle flyer Ed Lu has left NASA to accept a position in the private
>> sector. Lu flew on two shuttle missions and lived six months aboard
>> the station as a member of the orbiting laboratory's seventh crew.
>> "Ed has done an exceptional job as an astronaut during his twelve
>> years of service," said Chief of the Astronaut Office Steve Lindsey.
>> "He contributed greatly to the construction and operations on the
>> International Space Station, particularly in the very difficult
>> period after the Columbia tragedy. Additionally, his involvement in
>> development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle will help NASA
>> tremendously as we look forward to exploring our solar system. He
>> will be missed by the Astronaut Office and NASA. We wish him the very
>> best in his future endeavors."
>>
>> Lu's experience includes more than six hours spacewalking. He was the
>> first American to launch as flight engineer of a Russian Soyuz
>> spacecraft as well as the first American to both launch and land on a
>> Soyuz. He has visited two space stations on his missions.
>>
>> Selected as an astronaut in 1994, Lu first flew in May 1997 aboard
>> Atlantis for the STS-84 mission, the sixth shuttle mission to visit
>> the Russian space station Mir. He next flew in 2000 on mission
>> STS-106, also aboard Atlantis, performing a spacewalk during that
>> flight to help outfit the Zvezda module of the International Space
>> Station, the outpost's living quarters. Launching on the Soyuz, Lu
>> returned to the International Space Station in 2003 as flight
>> engineer and NASA science officer of Expedition 7, the first
>> two-person resident crew.
>>
>> For more biographical information about Lu, visit:
>> http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/lu.html
>>
>> For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
>>
>> http://www.nasa.gov
>>
>>
>> -end-
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468
Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio and Dave Williams wrapped up
STS-118’s first spacewalk at 6:45 p.m. During the 6-hour, 17-minute
excursion, they successfully installed the Starboard 5 (S5) truss
segment onto the International Space Station and continued preparations
to relocate the Port 6 (P6) truss.
With Mastracchio and Williams assisting, Pilot Charles Hobaugh used the
station’s robotic arm to attach the S5 about 1:35 p.m. The spacewalker
then went to work to permanently bolting the S5 in place on the end of
the Starboard 4 truss segment and then performed some scheduled and
get-ahead tasks to prepare the S5 for the arrival of the Starboard 6
truss next year.
The final major objective of the spacewalk was the retraction of a
radiator on the Port 6 (P6) truss. After the radiator was folded,
Mastracchio and Williams secured it. The P6 will be relocated from atop
the station to the end of the Port 5 truss during a future shuttle mission.
The spacewalk began at 12:28 p.m. and was the first conducted for
Williams and Mastracchio. STS-118 Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell
coordinated spacewalk activities, and Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clay
Anderson assisted Hobaugh at the controls of the station’s
Canadian-built robotic arm. Two more spacewalks are currently scheduled
for STS-118.
The Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System, which was activated after
Friday’s docking, was shut down as a precaution during the spacewalk. It
will be brought back online later today. The transfer system may allow
Space Shuttle Endeavour and the STS-118 crew to stay at the station
longer. A decision on a possible mission extension to 14 days is
expected to be made Sunday.
Animations: + S5 Truss Overview
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.…')>
| + S5 Truss Installation
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.…')>
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
*Command and Control Computer Shuts Down, Backup Takes Over; No Impact
to STS-118 Spacewalk*
The main command and control computer in the International Space
Station’s Destiny Laboratory shut down about 3:52 p.m. EDT today. The
primary backup computer immediately took control and assumed the backup
duties. There is no impact to the spacewalk being conducted by the
STS-118 crew. Flight controllers are working to resolve the issue.
*Space Station Grows With Addition of Truss Segment*
International Space Station
Already the largest human-made object orbiting the Earth, the
International Space Station continued its on-orbit growth spurt with the
addition of the Starboard 5 (S5) truss segment. The S5 was attached at
about 1:35 p.m. EDT during STS-118’s first spacewalk.
The S5 will serve as a spacer segment between the Starboard 4 and 6 (S6)
segments. The S6 and its solar arrays will be attached during a future
shuttle mission. The S5 is the newest piece of the station’s backbone,
called the Integrated Truss Structure, which will eventually span the
length of a football field and contain four sets of solar arrays.
At least two more spacewalks will take place during STS-118’s stay at
the station. One of the tasks during the upcoming spacewalks is the
replacement of a faulty attitude control gyro. The two crews are also
transferring cargo between Space Shuttle Endeavour and the station.
Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineers Oleg
Kotov and Clay Anderson welcomed the seven-member STS-118 crew aboard
the station Friday at 4:04 p.m. EDT. The STS-118 crew arrived at the
station a couple of hours earlier when Space Shuttle Endeavour docked at
2:02 p.m.
A decision is expected Sunday about a possible three-day extension of
Endeavour’s stay at the station. A fourth spacewalk could also be added.
+ Read more about Expedition 15
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.ht…>
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468
*Spacewalkers Install S5 Truss, Work Ahead of Schedule*
STS-118 spacewalk
TO VIEW IMAGE GO
TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
Image above: Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio participates in the
first spacewalk of the STS-118 mission. Image: NASA TV
STS-118's first spacewalk continues to run smoothly and ahead of schedule.
The crew quickly went to work after starting the excursion at 12:28 p.m.
EDT. With spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Dave Williams assisting,
Pilot Charles Hobaugh used the station’s robotic arm to attach the S5
about 1:35 p.m. The spacewalkers then completed the task of permanently
bolting the S5 in place on the end of the Starboard 4 truss segment.
Mastracchio and Williams are performing some scheduled and get-ahead
tasks to prepare the S5 for the arrival of the Starboard 6 truss next year.
The next major task of the spacewalk is the retraction of a radiator on
the Port 6 (P6) truss. After the radiator is folded, Mastracchio and
Williams will secure it. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station
to the end of the Port 5 truss during a future shuttle mission.
Mastracchio and Williams are scheduled to wrap up at about 6:58
p.m.(2258 UTC) STS-118 Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell is the
spacewalk coordinator, and Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clay Anderson
is assisting Hobaugh at the controls of the station’s Canadian-built
robotic arm.
The Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System, which was activated after
Friday’s docking, has been shut down as a precaution during the
spacewalk. It will be brought back online after the conclusion of the
excursion. The transfer system may allow Space Shuttle Endeavour and the
STS-118 crew to stay at the station longer. A decision on a possible
mission extension to 14 days is expected to be made Sunday.
Animations: + S5 Truss Overview
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.…')>
| + S5 Truss Installation
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.…')>
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
*STS-118 Crew Attaches New Truss to Station; Spacewalk Continues*
Image above: Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio participates in the
first spacewalk of the STS-118 mission. Image: NASA TV
TO VIEW IMAGE GO
TO:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
The STS-118 crew continued the on-orbit construction of the
International Space Station with the addition of the Starboard 5 (S5)
truss segment. With spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Dave Williams
assisting, Pilot Charles Hobaugh used the station’s robotic arm to
attach the S5 about 1:35 p.m. EDT.
The spacewalkers are now focusing on the completion of the installation
by bolting the S5 in place on the end of the Starboard 4 truss segment
and making power and data connections.
The next major task of the spacewalk is the retraction of a radiator on
the Port 6 (P6) truss. After the radiator is folded, Mastracchio and
Williams will secure it. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station
to the end of the Port 5 truss during a future shuttle mission.
Mastracchio and Williams kicked off STS-118’s first spacewalk at 12:28
p.m. EDT and are scheduled to wrap up at about 6:58 p.m. STS-118 Mission
Specialist Tracy Caldwell is the spacewalk coordinator, and Expedition
15 Flight Engineer Clay Anderson is assisting Hobaugh at the controls of
the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm.
The Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System, which was activated after
Friday’s docking, has been shut down as a precaution during the
spacewalk. It will be brought back online after the conclusion of the
excursion. The transfer system may allow Space Shuttle Endeavour and the
STS-118 crew to stay at the station longer. A decision on a possible
mission extension to 14 days is expected to be made Sunday.
Animations: + S5 Truss Overview
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.…')>
| + S5 Truss Installation
<javascript:watchNASAOnDemandTV('http://mfile.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.…')>
SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C#31468
*Endeavour Docks; Expedition 15 set to Welcome Visitors*
Space Shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station at
2:02 p.m. EDT today, setting the stage for the on-orbit expansion of the
outpost. Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineers
Oleg Kotov and Clay Anderson will welcome the seven-member STS-118 crew
aboard the station after the hatches between the vehicles open at about
3:21 p.m.
Endeavour delivered the Starboard 5 (S5) truss, which will be attached
to the station Saturday. The STS-118 crew also will conduct a spacewalk
Saturday to assist in the installation and activation of the S5.
In addition to the construction work, the two crews will conduct at
least two more spacewalks. One of the spacewalking tasks includes the
replacement of a faulty attitude control gyro. The two crews also will
transfer cargo between the shuttle and station.
STS-118 is the 22nd shuttle mission to visit the station.
+ 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>
