SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
Russian flight controllers will fire thrusters today to test the operation of the navigation computers that went offline last week. If the flight controllers and mission managers like what they see, space shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew will undock from the International Space Station and begin the journey home on Tuesday. The test is set for 1428 UTC
The STS-117 crew is scheduled to bid farewell today to the Expedition 15 crew before the hatches close at 2223 UTC between Atlantis and the station. Atlantis is slated to undock at 1441 UTC Tuesday.
STS-117 arrived at the station June 10, delivering the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment to the station. The crew installed the truss June 11 and conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod.
Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.