SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

The Expedition 13 crew is awaiting the arrival of Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-115 astronauts. Atlantis began STS-115 when it launched from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday. After a two-day chase, Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the station at 6:46 a.m. Monday.

STS-115 will resume the on-orbit construction of the station with the delivery of the P3/4 truss and a new set of solar arrays. After the truss is attached to the station, the STS-115 crew will conduct three spacewalks to outfit the truss and to prepare the arrays for operation. The solar arrays are slated to be unfurled on flight day 6. This is the first station construction mission since STS-113 in late 2002.

In addition to the work outside the station, the STS-115 and Expedition 13 crews will conduct joint operations and transfer cargo between Atlantis and the station. Atlantis is slated to undock from the station on Sept. 17. STS-115 will be the 19th shuttle mission to visit the international outpost.

When Atlantis launched, the station was orbiting the Earth at 50 degrees north latitude and 31 degrees west longitude, between Greenland and Iceland.

For the latest information on STS-115, please visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html