SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468
*Expedition 15 Prepares for Upcoming Spacewalks*
ISS015-E-08953 --- Kennedy Space Center on May 21, 2007 from the International Space StationImage above: Flight Engineer Sunita Williams took this photo of the Kennedy Space Center around midday on May 21, 2007. The Space Shuttle Atlantis, scheduled for a launch no earlier than June 8, sits on Pad A (center frame) at launch complex 39. Image credit: NASA
TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov are preparing for two spacewalks. The main objectives of the first Russian excursion on May 30 are to install orbital debris protection panels on the Zvezda service module, route cables associated with the Automated Transfer Vehicle navigation systems and replace experiments on the module's hull.
Additionally, the two cosmonauts checked out the spacesuits and the Pirs airlock, prepared tools and closed the hatch to the Progress resupply vehicle docked to Pirs. Wednesday's spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 UTC) and will last about six hours. NASA Television coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 1:30 p.m. (1730 UTC)
+ Read more about the May 30 spacewalk http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/exp15_eva18.html
On May 23, Russian flight controllers executed an orbit adjustment burn, increasing the station’s speed about one mile an hour and putting it in the proper orbit for Atlantis’ arrival on the STS-117 mission.
Flight Engineer Sunita Williams is preparing for her return to Earth. Williams conducted a 10-minute video tour of her home on the station and downlinked it to astronaut Clay Anderson, her replacement on Expedition 15.
+ Expedition 15 Spacewalk Briefing Materials, May 23, 2007 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/exp15_msb_052307.html + Read more about the Progress 25 docking http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/exp15_progress25_launch.html + Read more about Expedition 15 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.html + View crew daily timelines http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html