Discovery Readied for Launch Pad

Discovery Readied for Launch Pad

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:37:18 -0600

With rollout to Launch Pad 39A set for next week, technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will continue working today and throughout the weekend on the connections between space shuttle Discovery and its external fuel tank.

The team completed installing the tank's camera, which is used to take images as it falls away from the shuttle after main engine cutoff and the shuttle heads into space.

The STS-131 astronauts are undergoing systems training today at NASA's Ames Research Center in California before heading back to their home base in Houston for the weekend. They will fly to Kennedy next week to participate in the standard prelaunch training called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test.

Discovery is on track to head to the launch pad next Tuesday, beginning its slow roll at 12:01 a.m. EST. Launch is targeted for April 5.

NASA and Italian Space Agency

NASA and Italian Space Agency Find New Use for Module

WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Italian Space Agency announced a new use for an existing Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) known as "Leonardo." It will be transformed into a Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) for the International Space Station.

For nearly a decade, the Italian-built logistic modules have flown inside the payload bays of NASA's shuttle fleet, successfully delivering vital hardware and supplies to the station. The new use for this proven carrier will enhance the use of the station.

Leonardo will undergo modifications to ensure safe, long-term operation as the PMM, and to increase the amount of mass it can carry to orbit. The supply-laden PMM will be flown aboard shuttle Discovery during the STS-133 mission in September and attached to the station.

The added space within the PMM will enable efficient positioning of experiments throughout the station complex. Inside the PMM, experiments in fluid physics, materials science, biology, biotechnology and other microgravity experiments may be conducted.

For more information about the space station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Discovery on Tap for Rollout to Pad

Discovery on Tap for Rollout to Pad

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:21:25 -0600

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery now is attached to its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters atop the mobile launcher platform in the Vehicle Assembly Building.

 

Engineers are preparing the shuttle for its rollout to Launch Pad 39A, which is scheduled for March 2 at 12:01 a.m. EST.

 

The STS-131 astronauts are conducting a deorbit integrated simulation today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

 

Discovery's crew will head to Kennedy early next month to participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, and related prelaunch training.

Endeavour Crew Preparing for Landing

Endeavour Crew Preparing for Landing

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:29:14 -0600

The crew of space shuttle Endeavour awoke at 2:14 p.m. EST to “The Marines' Hymn," played for Commander George Zamka (Col., USMC).

Weather permitting, Endeavour is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center's shuttle landing facility at 10:20 p.m. EST. The STS-130 entry team led by Flight Director Norm Knight will be on console in Mission Control at 3:30 p.m. to prepare for deorbit and landing.

The latest Kennedy forecast calls for a chance of showers within 30 nautical miles of the shuttle landing facility and a cloud ceiling at 6,000 feet, both violations of landing rules. The forecast for Edwards Air Force Base in California also contains violations for showers within 30 nautical miles of the runway and cloud ceilings at 3,000 and 6,000 feet. The National Weather Service Spaceflight Meteorology Group at Johnson Space Center will provide Knight and his team with continuous updated forecasts and real-time observations to aid in a "go-no go" decision for the deorbit burn.

NASA Staff Humour

Tipped off by Dave Evetts of the Midland Spaceflight Society some NASA wag included a photo of a chicken in space as part of update material sent to the astronauts. They are known as execute packages.

Follow this link for day two package: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/424345main_FD02.pdf

Its worth visiting all of the update packages on this link , as most include something to do with the chicken or other humourous subject matter.

For STS-130 Collectables visit: SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store

STS-130 Preparations for landing

6 p.m. CST Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.20.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-26 STS-130 MCC Status Report #26

HOUSTON – Preparations for landing take center stage today as the astronauts on space shuttle Endeavour get set to wrap up a two-week flight that added the last components of the U.S. section of the International Space Station.

Today’s wakeup call, at 2:15 p.m., was “The Distance” by Cake, played for all six astronauts from their flight control team in the Mission Control Center in Houston.

Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson will berth the shuttle’s robotic arm before joining Commander George Zamka for the routine pre-landing checkout of Endeavour flight control system and reaction control system. They will manipulate all of the flight control surfaces and then test fire each of the reaction control system jets to make sure both of those systems are in good shape to support entry and landing.

Later in the day those three will join Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken to pack up the crew cabin for the first landing attempt, at 9:16 p.m. Sunday at the Kennedy Space Center, weather permitting.

Tonight at 8:49 p.m. the six Endeavour astronauts will talk about their flight in interviews with CNN, CNN Español, and Univision.

Aboard the International Space Station the crew’s work day is being shifted to its normal cycle. The next wakeup call for Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Max Suraev, Oleg Kotov, Soichi Noguchi and T.J. Creamer is 12:00 a.m. Sunday.

Space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station

5 a.m. CST Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.20.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-25 STS-130 MCC Status Report #25

HOUSTON – Space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 6:54 p.m. CST after a visit totaling nine days, 19 hours and 48 minutes.

Endeavour delivered the final addition to the U.S. segment, the Tranquility node, along with the cupola, an observatory module that will be used for scientific observations of Earth and celestial bodies, and as a robotics control room. The station is now 98 percent complete by volume, 90 percent by mass.

After undocking, shuttle Pilot Terry Virts moved the shuttle to 400 feet ahead of the station, and then flew a full circle around it while camera-wielding shuttle crew members and cameras in Endeavour’s payload bay focused on documenting the state of the station with Tranquility and the cupola.

After the fly-around, Virts executed two burns of Endeavour’s jets to maneuver the shuttle behind the station and leave the area. Later, Endeavour crew members began the late inspection of its thermal protection system using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. Commander George Zamka, Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, and Nicholas Patrick and Virts worked in shifts to examine the reinforced carbon-carbon panels and heat shield tiles on the starboard wing, nose cap and port wing.

Tomorrow is to be the last full day of orbital activities for the STS-130 crew and will focus on landing preparations. Zamka, Virts and Robinson will check out Endeavour’s flight control systems and steering jets to make sure they’re ready for re-entry.

Landing for Endeavour is planned to take place at 9:16 p.m. on Sunday at Kennedy Space Center, weather permitting.

The crew's bedtime is 6:14 a.m. as it adjusts for scheduled entry on Sunday. The wakeup call is set for 2:14 p.m. The JSC Newsroom will close at 5 a.m. and reopen at 3 p.m. The next status will be issued after the crew awakens, or earlier if events warrant.

STS-130 Endeavour Space Shuttle Mission Status Report #24

4 p.m. CST Friday, Feb. 19, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.19.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-24 STS-130 MCC Status Report #24

HOUSTON – The joint docked mission between the crews of the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour comes to an end this evening when the shuttle undocks from the station at 6:54 p.m. to begin the voyage back to Earth and a Sunday night landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The 2:14 p.m. wakeup call for Endeavour’s astronauts was “In Wonder” by Newsboys, played for Pilot Terry Virts, who will be at the controls for this evening’s undocking and flyaround.

At undocking the shuttle’s Orbiter Docking System will release its grip on the station’s Pressurized Mating Adapter 2, and springs will push the two vehicles gently apart. Virts will manually fly the shuttle to 450 feet directly in front of the station, and then fly a circle around the station while the shuttle crew members, and the cameras in Endeavour’s payload bay, focus on documenting the state of the station and its new Tranquility and cupola modules.

After the flyaround Virts will fire Endeavour’s jets to move the orbiter out behind the station for the late inspection of its thermal protection system using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System.

Starting at 11:19 p.m., Commander George Zamka, Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, and Nicholas Patrick and Virts will work in shifts to examine the reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels and heat shield tiles on the starboard wing, nose cap and port wing. This inspection for damage from orbital debris is a routine post-undocking protocol on all space shuttle missions.

Sleep comes a bit earlier for the crew tomorrow at about 6 a.m. as it adjusts for entry day Sunday. Mission Control will wake the astronauts at 2:14 p.m. Saturday for day-before-entry systems checkouts and cabin stow activities.

The next status report will be issued after the crew work day is complete, or earlier if events warrant.

Hatches closed between Endeavour and the ISS

5 a.m. CST Friday, Feb. 19, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.19.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-23 STS-130 MCC Status Report #23

HOUSTON – Hatches between space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station were closed at 2:08 a.m. CST. During 9 days, 52 minutes of joint operations, the station got a new module and a viewport offering a valuable, enjoyable vantage.

Hatch closure came after a farewell ceremony by the two crews. Endeavour Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken said their goodbyes in the Harmony module to station Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Maxim Suraev, Oleg Kotov, Soichi Noguchi and T.J. Creamer.

As shuttle astronauts filed out of the forward end of Harmony, Williams formally rang the station bell marking their departure. Endeavour is scheduled to undock from the station at 6:54 p.m. today and land at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 9:16 p.m. Sunday.

During Endeavour’s visit, Behnken and Patrick completed three spacewalks, largely focused on installing the new Tranquility module and attaching and unwrapping its seven-windowed cupola. The entire crew pitched in to outfit the new module with exercise and regenerative life support systems.

Zamka and Williams collaborated on a cupola ribbon-cutting ceremony, dedicating it to astronaut Charles Lacy Veach, who was instrumental in early development of the cupola. He flew on two shuttle flights, STS-39 in 1991 and STS-52 in 1992, and died of cancer in 1995.

They also placed in the cupola a moon rock returned by Apollo 11 and later carried to the summit of Mount Everest by astronaut Scott Parazynski, along with chips from Everest. Zamka said that in continuing their journey for additional millions of miles, they will serve “as a reminder of man’s reach and man’s grit” as humans continue to explore.

The crews held their joint news conference about 8:40 p.m. Thursday. They fielded questions from reporters gathered at NASA centers and in Japan.

Final items of equipment and supplies between the two spacecraft were moved, resulting in a net transfer to the station of 1,313 pounds. The final transfers back to Endeavour included scientific specimens requiring refrigeration being moved to the shuttle.

Space Shuttle Crew "Endeavours" A Return To Earth Sunday

Space Shuttle Crew "Endeavours" A Return To Earth Sunday

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Endeavour and its six-member crew are expected to return to Earth on Sunday, Feb. 21 after a 14-day mission. NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida before permitting Endeavour to land.

 

Sunday landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 10:16 p.m. and 11:51 p.m. EST. There are additional opportunities at 1:20 a.m. and 2:55 a.m. EST Monday at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., a backup landing site. For recorded updates about landing, call 321-867-2525.

 

If Endeavour lands Sunday in Florida as scheduled, NASA officials will hold a briefing to discuss the mission no earlier than midnight. The participants will be:

- Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager

- Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director

After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo routine physical examinations and meet with their families. Because of the late hour, the crew will not participate in a post-landing news conference, but a crew statement from the runway is expected. The news events will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site.

 

The Kennedy news center will open for landing activities at 6 p.m. Sunday and remain open through Monday. The STS-130 media badges are in effect through landing. The media accreditation building on State Road 3 will be open Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The last bus will depart from the news center for the Shuttle Landing Facility one hour before landing.

If the landing is diverted to Edwards, news media should call the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center public affairs office at 661-276-3449. Dryden has limited facilities available for previously accredited journalists.

The NASA News Twitter feed is updated throughout the shuttle mission and landing. To follow, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/nasa

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For the latest information about the STS-130 mission and accomplishments, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more information about the space station and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

NASA Astronaut Nicholas Patrick to Visit U.K. Space Conference

NASA Astronaut of STS-130 to Visit UK Space Conference

NASA Astronaut Nicholas Patrick During STS-130 EVA.

Nick Patrick Astronaut Portrait

Nicholas J. M. Patrick (Ph.D., P.E.)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Dr. Patrick was born in 1964 in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. He also considers London, England and Rye, New York to be his hometowns. He became a U.S. Citizen in 1994. His mother, Gillian Patrick, lives in Connecticut; his father, Stewart Patrick, in Pennsylvania. He is married with three children. His recreational interests include flying, fixing & building things, scuba diving, Tae Kwon Do, and reading to his children.

EDUCATION: Harrow School, London, England, 1978-82.

B.A., Engineering, University of Cambridge, England, 1986.

M.A. Cantab., Engineering, University of Cambridge, England, 1990.

S.M., Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1990.

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996.

ORGANIZATIONS: Dr. Patrick is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and is a registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical).

SPECIAL HONORS: Entrance scholarship (‘Exhibition’) to the University of Cambridge (Trinity College), 1983; GE Aircraft Engines Development Program Project Award for contributions to manufacturing inventory reduction, 1988; JSC Center Director’s Discretionary Award for contributions to the user-interface of the Space Shuttle’s Cockpit Avionics Upgrade, 2002. Dr. Patrick holds three patents in the areas of telerobotics, display design, and integrated aircraft alerting systems.

EXPERIENCE: While at university in England, Dr. Patrick spent his summers as a civil engineer, inspecting bridges in New York and Connecticut. After graduating from Cambridge, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked as an engineer for the Aircraft Engines Division of GE. He then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a research assistant in the Human-Machine Systems Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research interests included telerobotics, aviation psychology, decision theory, optimization, and econometrics. Upon completion of his doctorate, Dr. Patrick joined Boeing’s Commercial Airplane Group in Seattle, Washington, where he worked in Flight Deck Engineering as a systems and human-factors engineer on many of Boeing’s commercial aircraft models.

Dr. Patrick learned to fly as a member of the Royal Air Force’s Volunteer Reserve while attending Cambridge University. After moving to the United States, Dr. Patrick continued flying, eventually becoming an instrument and multi-engine flight instructor. He has logged over 2,000 hours as a pilot in more than 20 types of airplane and helicopter, including over 800 hours as a flight instructor.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Dr. Patrick reported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) for astronaut training in August 1998. His initial training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, and T-38 flight training.

When not training for spaceflight, Dr. Patrick has worked in the Astronaut Office on space shuttle’s Cockpit Avionics Upgrade program, to define the human-systems integration requirements for the Orion capsule, on the design of the Orion cockpit, and as a CAPCOM in Mission Control for STS-123 and -124.

Dr. Patrick has logged over 308 hours in space, having completed his first space mission on the crew of STS-116 – a construction and logistics mission to the International Space Station. He is currently assigned to the crew of STS-130, targeted for launch in February 2010.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-116 Discovery (December 9-22, 2006). The seven-member crew on this 12-day mission continued construction of the ISS outpost by adding the P5 truss segment and performing four spacewalks, one of which was added to allow the crew to coax and retract a stubborn solar panel to fold up like an accordion into its box. Discovery also delivered a new crew-member and more than two tons of equipment and supplies to the station. Almost two tons of items no longer needed on the station returned to Earth with STS-116. Mission duration was 12 days, 20 hours and 45 minutes.

Currently Mission Specialist onboard STS-130 preparing for return to Earth.

       
UK Space Conference Website

Visit the SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store

April Flight Of Space Shuttle Discovery

NASA To Preview April Flight Of Space Shuttle Discovery

HOUSTON -- NASA will preview the next space shuttle mission during a series of news briefings on Tuesday, March 9, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the briefings live. Reporters will be able to ask questions from participating NASA locations.

The STS-131 mission, targeted for launch April 5, will be shuttle Discovery's next-to-last flight and deliver critical spare parts and cargo to the International Space Station. A multipurpose logistics module will be carried inside the shuttle's payload bay and temporarily attached to the station during the mission. The cargo carrier will be brought back with the shuttle. Following STS-131, only three more shuttle flights are scheduled.

Alan Poindexter will serve as the mission commander and James Dutton as the pilot. They will be joined by Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Clayton Anderson, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Dutton, Metcalf-Lindenburger and Yamazaki will be making their first trips into space. Metcalf-Lindenburger is a member of the cadre of former educators trained as mission specialists and the last of that group scheduled to fly on the shuttle.

 

The schedule of briefings includes (all times CST):

8:00 a.m. -- Program Overview

9:30 a.m. -- STS-131 Mission Overview

12:30 p.m. -- STS-131 Spacewalk Overview

1:00 p.m. -- STS-131 Crew News Conference

The crew will be available for interviews at Johnson after the briefings. Reporters must contact Gayle Frere at 281-483-8645 by March 5 to reserve an interview opportunity. Reporters planning to attend the briefings in Houston must contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 by 5 p.m. CST on March 3 for credentials.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For the latest information about the STS-131 mission and its crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

 

For more information about the space station and its crew, visit:

 

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Visit the SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store for STS-131 Discovery Souvenirs

hours before hatches are closed between the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour

5 p.m. CST Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.18.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-22 STS-130 MCC Status Report #22 HOUSTON – The last transfers are first on the agenda for the remaining hours before hatches are closed between the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour scheduled for approximately 1:30 a.m. Friday.



Today’s wakeup call for the shuttle astronauts was “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by Steven Curtis Chapman, played for Pilot Terry Virts, who will spend time this evening briefing station Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi on work in the cupola module where hardware interference has delayed plans to relocate one of the station’s robotic arm work stations.



Commander George Zamka and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire and Stephen Robinson are scheduled to carry out the last transfers of supplies between Endeavour and the space station this evening, including the move of medical experiment samples onto the shuttle for return to Earth.



Later in the day Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick will finish up work in the station airlock stowing tools they used during their three spacewalks to complete connections between the station and its newest components, the Tranquility module and the cupola.



At 8:39 p.m. Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Max Suraev, Oleg Kotov, T.J. Creamer and Noguchi will join the shuttle crew in their traditional in-flight news conference with reporters at NASA Centers and in Tokyo.



After the 11 crew members share a final meal together, they will ceremonially commemorate the installation of the last components of the U.S. segment of the station at about 10:40 p.m.



Before closing the hatches between their spacecraft, the two crews plan a farewell ceremony in the Harmony module. Undocking of Endeavour from the station is scheduled for 6:54 p.m. Friday.

Endeavour chat with President Obama

5 a.m. CST Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.18.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-21 STS-130 MCC Status Report #21 HOUSTON – After a chat with the president an hour after their wakeup call, it was back to the nuts-and-bolts work of spaceflight for the crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station.



President Barack Obama was accompanied by middle school students when he spoke from the White House with the crew members. Several of the students, in the capital for an engineering competition, asked the crew questions.



Crew members transferred and installed racks in the station’s new Tranquility node, reboosted the station using Endeavour’s thrusters, reconfigured spacesuits and passed the 75-percent mark of supply and equipment transfers between the two spacecraft. Their work, during a bonus day added for the rack transfers, generally went smoothly.



In shorts or slacks, and stocking feet, crew members floated purposefully about the station on their various tasks. They moved and connected four racks into Tranquility – the Oxygen Generation System, the Water Recovery System, the Urine Processing Assembly and the Waste and Hygiene Compartment. They also continued outfitting Tranquility’s cupola, installing a panel and transferring Robotics Work Station components for installation after Endeavour departs.



A little after 1:30 a.m. CST, Endeavour Commander George Zamka and Pilot Terry Virts began a 33-minute reboost of the station, using the shuttle’s attitude control jets. When it was completed, the station’s altitude had been raised by about 1.3 statute miles to an orbit of 219 by 208 miles.



In the Quest airlock, Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick reconfigured spacesuits they had used on their three spacewalks, preparing some parts for return to Earth. They also stowed spacewalking tools.



The shuttle crew’s bedtime is 6:44 a.m. The next status report will be issued after the crew’s scheduled 2:44 p.m. wakeup call, or earlier if events warrant.

Extra day of joint docked operations STS-130/ISS

6 p.m. CST Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.17.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-20 STS-130 MCC Status Report #20

HOUSTON – The astronauts and cosmonauts on space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station have started an extra day of joint docked operations to complete relocation of the station’s regenerative life support system into the new Tranquility module.



The 3:17 p.m. wakeup call music for the shuttle astronauts was “Oh Yeah” by Johnny A., played for Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson.



About an hour later, all 11 astronauts and cosmonauts on the docked vehicles received a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama, who was accompanied at the White House by a dozen middle school students from across the country who are in Washington, D.C. for a national engineering competition.



Internal outfitting of the new station modules fills up most of the timeline for this extra day on orbit, which was added specifically to support this activity. Crew members will relocate the remaining system racks of the regenerative environmental control and life support system—both Water Recovery System racks, the Waste Hygiene Compartment, and the Oxygen Generation System—into empty rack spaces in Tranquility, and finish setting up hardware in the new cupola module.



The plan to relocate the station’s robotic arm work station from Destiny into the cupola has been deferred for the station crew to complete after the shuttle departs to afford time for the on orbit crew and specialists in Houston to resolve issues of structural interference from hardware in the cupola.



Shortly after midnight Thursday, the station’s altitude will be raised slightly by firing Endeavour’s small vernier thrusters for 33 minutes. This adjustment combined with future altitude adjustments will set the stage for future spacecraft arrivals, including that of Discovery on the STS-131 mission in early April.



The crew heads to bed shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday for an eight hour sleep period ending with a musical wakeup call from Mission Control at 2:44 p.m.



The next shuttle status report will be issued after the crew’s work day ends, or earlier if events warrant.

Endeavour Pilot Terry Virts opened the windows one by one

5 a.m. CST Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.17.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-19 STS-130 MCC Status Report #19 HOUSTON – Endeavour Pilot Terry Virts opened the windows one at a time early Wednesday, giving spacewalkers Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick an early look into the International Space Station’s room with a view that they had helped install.



Behnken and Patrick wrapped up their third and final planned spacewalk, a 5-hour, 48-minute excursion, at 2:03 a.m. CST. They completed all of their planned tasks, removing insulation blankets and removing launch restraint bolts from each of the cupola’s seven windows.



Inside the cupola, Virts opened and then closed each window in turn, beginning at 11:25 p.m. with the circular 31.5-inch center window. He was the first to look out of that largest station window, on Tranquility’s Earth-facing port, which will offer valuable views of the Earth and a good look for station robotic arm operators.



Near the end of the spacewalk, all the windows were opened simultaneously. Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire congratulated the spacewalkers for “raising the curtain on a bay window to the world.”



Early in the spacewalk, Behnken opened the second of two ammonia loops to allow coolant to flow through Tranquility, providing redundancy, and disconnected temporary power cables. Patrick installed heater and data cables connecting Tranquility to Pressurized Mating Adapter 3, which was moved to Tranquility’s outboard port Tuesday.



The spacewalkers installed handrails on Tranquility, relocated a foot restraint and closed a centerline camera flap on Harmony’s upper port, where PMA-3 had been attached. They routed video signal converter cables from the “rats’ nest,” the complex of cable connections on the S0 truss, to the Zarya module. That will help allow the station’s Canadarm2 eventually to be operated from the Russian portion of the station.



Outfitting of Tranquility and the cupola continued, with astronauts preparing parts of the regenerative environmental control system for transfer to the module. Expedition 22 Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi replaced the Recycle Filter Tank Assembly, part of the Water Recycling System, before filling the replacement tank. The replaced tank will be returned to Earth on Endeavour.

Visit the SPACEBOOSTERS Online store

“Window on the World”

5 p.m. CST Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.16.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-18 STS-130 MCC Status Report #18 HOUSTON – The third of three planned spacewalks for the astronauts of space shuttle Endeavour is on tap for tonight to complete installation of the International Space Station’s Tranquility module and unlock the shutters on the station’s new observation deck.



The wakeup call for Endeavour’s astronauts at 3:14 p.m. was “Window on the World” by Jimmy Buffett, played for Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire.



Spacewalkers Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick are slated to begin their 6½-hour spacewalk at 8:09 p.m. Behnken will open the second of two ammonia loops to allow coolant to flow through Tranquility and disconnect temporary power cables while Patrick installs heater and data cables from the new node to Pressurized Mating Adapter 3, now located on Tranquility’s outboard docking port.



Next the two spacewalkers remove the insulation from the cupola’s seven windows, and Patrick releases launch locks from the windows so Pilot Terry Virts can open the window shutters from inside the module for the first time at approximately 11:30 p.m.



Other tasks for the spacewalk include installation of handrails and other EVA support equipment on Tranquility, routing video signal converter cables from the S0 Truss to the Zarya module to support future Canadarm2 operations from a base on the Russian segment of the station, and removal of clamps and a flex hose rotary coupler on the P1 Truss.



During the spacewalk station Commander Jeff Williams and other crew members will continue outfitting the Tranquility and cupola modules and perform closeout operations on components of the regenerative environmental control system before the last four racks of that system are relocated into Node 3 on Flight Day 11. Early tomorrow morning Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov will replace a failed vacuum valve in the Russian carbon dioxide removal unit.

Outfitting the new Tranquility module

5 a.m. CST Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.16.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-17 STS-130 MCC Status Report #17 HOUSTON – With a port swap of the International Space Station’s new cupola and Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 completed today, astronauts continued outfitting the new Tranquility module and its observation deck and prepared for a third spacewalk.



The pressurized mating adapter was moved early in the crew’s day from its temporary position atop the Harmony node to the outboard end of Tranquility, where the cupola had been launched. Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick operated the station’s Canadarm2 for the move, while station Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi dealt with latches and bolts, connecting the port to its new home at 8:28 p.m. CST.



Patrick and Behnken will hook up heater and data cables between the relocated adapter and Tranquility during the spacewalk that begins Tuesday evening. Today, the spacewalkers reviewed plans for the final planned spacewalk with Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson, the intravehicular officer, along with space shuttle Endeavour Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts and station Flight Engineer T.J. Creamer.



Behnken and Patrick will begin their campout in the Quest airlock about 5:40 a.m. The procedure, with the airlock pressure reduced to 10.2 psi, aims to lower their blood’s nitrogen content and minimize the possibility of decompression sickness.



The 6.5-hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 8:09 p.m. The spacewalkers will open the second of two ammonia loops to allow its coolant to flow through Tranquility and disconnect temporary power cables. They will remove insulation from the cupola’s seven windows and then release bolts that held the covers in place during launch, enabling astronauts to open the shutters from inside.



The newly installed Advanced Resistive Exercise Device got an early test run by Williams, and all seemed to go well. Experts on the ground continued to analyze results.

Preparation for the third and final spacewalk of the mission

5 p.m. CST Monday, Feb. 15, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.15.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-16 STS-130 MCC Status Report #16 HOUSTON – The International Space Station and shuttle Endeavour crews continue with robotics and hardware relocation activities today. They will also prepare for the third and final spacewalk of the mission.



The crew awoke at 3:15 p.m. to “Parabola” performed by Tool for Mission Specialist Robert Behnken.



Endeavour Mission Specialists Nicholas Patrick and Behnken together with Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi will robotically maneuver the Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 from its location on the Harmony module to the now open port on the end of Tranquility. Using the station’s robotic arm, the crew will demate the PMA from the station at 5:59 p.m. and install it on Tranquility just after 7:30 p.m.



This move will provide an additional docking port for visiting spacecraft as well as provide additional debris shielding for Tranquility.



Meanwhile, shuttle pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Kathyrn Hire will focus on interior outfitting of the cupola, now in its permanent location. Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson will remove launch brackets used on Tranquility’s Low Temperature Loop (LTL) Pump Package Assembly (PPA) and Common Cabin Air Assembly (CCAA). Commander George Zamka will monitor the robotics activities and support TV and camera set up for the relocation activities.



After their midday meal, both crews will have off-duty time and exercise in their afternoon.



At the end of the crew day, most crew members will gather to review the procedures for the next spacewalk. Behnken and Patrick will spend the night in the Quest airlock as part of the “campout” protocol for that extravehicular activity.

A panoramic view of the planet below

5 a.m. CST Monday, Feb. 15, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.15.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-15 STS-130 MCC Status Report #15 HOUSTON – The International Space Station’s new viewport is facing the Earth now, ready to provide a panoramic view of the planet below and approaching cargo ships. Relocation of the cupola from Tranquility’s forward port to its new location was completed at 12:31 a.m. CST.



Space shuttle Endeavour Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire and Pilot Terry Virts moved the cupola, operating the station’s Canadarm2 from controls in the U.S. laboratory, Destiny. Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams operated the latches and bolts that released the cupola from its launch location and then secured it to its new home.



There was a minor delay in releasing the cupola. The bolts attaching it to its launch position on Tranquility had been torqued in Earth’s gravity and were a little tighter than expected. Flight controllers slightly increased the torque to release the bolts, resolving the problem. The cupola’s attachment to the Earth-facing port went smoothly.



Outfitting of the cupola, including preparations for filling water lines and for installation of a robotics workstation there, continued. Crew members are expected to get their first look out the cupola windows after Tuesday’s third and final scheduled spacewalk of Endeavour’s stay at the station.



Endeavour’s spacewalkers, Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick, spent about an hour and a half early in their day preparing for that excursion. Part of those preparations involved resizing another spacesuit for Behnken. The suit he wore on the first two spacewalks had some communications dropouts.



The station’s refurbished Urine Processing Assembly continued to work as expected. Flight controllers said it processed more than 2.5 gallons of urine during the day.



During the morning of their work day, Virts and Hire answered questions from students at NASA Explorer Schools. Just before the end of their day, Virts and Behnken will talk with reporters from WOR Radio New York and television stations KTVI-TV in St. Louis and WREG-TV in Memphis.

Checkout of the new Tranquility node

6 p.m. CST Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.14.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-14 STS-130 MCC Status Report #14 HOUSTON – Astronauts on space shuttle Endeavour are preparing to relocate one of the new modules they just delivered to the International Space Station, and pressing ahead with activation and checkout of the new Tranquility node.



The Endeavour crew’s wake-up song at 3:14 p.m. CST was “Forty Years On,” the Harrow School song, for Harrow alumnus Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick, who will spend the first three hours of his day working with fellow spacewalker Robert Behnken on tools and preparations of the station’s airlock for the last planned spacewalk on Tuesday.



Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire kick off the day monitoring the depressurization of the cupola module. This evening, while they operate Canadarm2, station Commander Jeff Williams will operate the common berthing mechanisms for the relocation of cupola from Tranquility’s outboard hatch to the Earth-facing side of the module. Cupola will then be repressurized and monitored for an airtight seal by flight controllers in Houston. At the same time shuttle Commander George Zamka, Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson, and station Flight Engineers Max Suraev and T.J. Creamer will resume outfitting and activation of Tranquility.



At 9:24 p.m. Virts and Hire will take time to answer questions about their mission prepared by students at NASA Explorer Schools. At 5:04 a.m. Monday Virts and Behnken will talk about the flight in interviews with WOR Radio New York’s John Gambling and television stations KTVI-TV in St. Louis and WREG-TV in Memphis.

All tasks planned for the mission’s second spacewalk are complete

5 a.m. CST Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.14.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-13 STS-130 MCC Status Report #13 HOUSTON –Endeavour astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick finished all tasks planned for the mission’s second spacewalk, integrating the new Tranquility node into the International Space Station despite a slightly shortened spacewalk.



The spacewalkers connected two ammonia coolant loops, installed thermal covers around the ammonia hoses, outfitted the Earth-facing port on Tranquility for the relocation of its cupola, and installed handrails and a vent valve on the new module.



The spacewalk ended after 5 hours, 54 minutes to give Behnken and Patrick additional time in the airlock as part of a cleanup process for possible contamination. While hooking up a quick-disconnect valve, a small amount of ammonia eked out of a connector. Procedures called for a “bake-out” while Patrick worked during the sunlit portion of the orbit, and a contamination test in the airlock.



While the spacewalk was still under way, Mission Control activated one of the ammonia loops and reported that ammonia was flowing through Tranquility, cooling the module. The second cooling loop will be activated during Tuesday’s spacewalk.



With choreography from astronaut Steve Robinson, the intravehicular officer, Behnken placed insulation covers on Tranquility’s keel pin and trunnions. He also prepared Tranquility for the cupola relocation, opening a centerline camera flap and deploying berthing mechanism petals that initially will secure the cupola. Patrick installed a non-propulsive vent valve on Tranquility and then attached eight handrails to its exterior.



Station Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Soichi Noguchi and T.J. Creamer, along with Endeavour Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire, worked to outfit Tranquility’s interior. Activities included setting up the ventilation system, connecting electrical and computer cables, and configuring racks. The crew confirmed that the lights were on inside Tranquility and that computer systems are working.



Endeavour now is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center at 9:16 p.m. CST next Sunday, Feb. 21, after undocking from the station at 6:54 p.m. Friday. A new flight day 11, beginning Wednesday afternoon, will support moving two Water Recovery System racks, the Waste Hygiene Compartment and the Oxygen Generation System into Tranquility. That work had been on hold for repairs and test runs.

GO! for the second spacewalk of shuttle mission STS-130

6 p.m. CST Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.13.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-12 STS-130 MCC Status Report #12 HOUSTON – All plans are go for the second spacewalk of shuttle mission STS-130 at 8:09 p.m. CST, resuming the integration of the International Space Station’s new Tranquility module. The crew members from the station and shuttle Endeavour also have learned they’ll have an extra day on orbit together.



The crew members aboard space shuttle Endeavour were awakened at 3:15 p.m. with “Too Much Stuff” by Delbert McClinton, played for Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson, who will be the intravehicular crew member for today’s spacewalk.



Spacewalkers Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick spend the first part of the spacewalk connecting two ammonia loops, with two lines in each loop, from the Destiny module to Tranquility, hooking the new module to the station’s cooling system, and open one of those loops to initiate cooling of the module. Then they’ll install thermal covers on Tranquility’s keel pin and trunnions, to prevent condensation inside the module, outfit the nadir docking port of Tranquility for the relocation of the cupola module, and install handrails. The spacewalk is scheduled to conclude at 2:39 a.m. Sunday.



Station Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineers Soichi Noguchi and T.J. Creamer, Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Kathryn Hire will continue outfitting Tranquility’s interior, including setting up the ventilation system and configuring racks.



Early Saturday morning the crew members outfitting Tranquility were unable to install a center disk cover on the module’s outboard docking port due to interference with the cover’s attach mechanism from hardware inside the cupola; that cover protects the docking interface from debris and temperature extremes when there’s no module attached to it. The planned depressurization and grappling of the cupola at the end of the crew work day has been deferred to permit troubleshooting of that situation.



Mission managers today approved adding an extra day to the flight. That day, which will be a new Flight Day 11 beginning Wednesday afternoon, will be used to relocate two Water Recovery System racks, the Waste Hygiene Compartment and the Oxygen Generation System into Tranquility. Those relocations were on hold pending the repairs conducted earlier in the flight, and enough run time on the system to generate needed samples for return to Earth for analysis.



Endeavour’s landing now will occur Sunday night, Feb. 21. The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crew's workday, or earlier if warranted.

First look inside the orbiting outpost’s newest module

6 a.m. CST Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.13.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-11 STS-130 MCC Status Report #11 HOUSTON – Crew members on space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station got a first look inside the orbiting outpost’s newest module and room with a view Friday evening, but the shutters were still closed so the view will have to wait a while.



Astronauts who went into the module initially wore goggles and masks to protect against floating debris. Shuttle Commander George Zamka and Mission Specialists Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire worked with station Commander Jeff Williams to outfit the vestibule between Unity and Tranquility after an 8:17 p.m. CST hatch opening.



As that work continued, Endeavour Pilot Terry Virts and station Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi transferred parts of the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device and an Air Revitalization System rack into Tranquility.



The hatch between Tranquility and its cupola was opened at 10:32 p.m. Its windows were blocked by their covers and by insulation blanketing.



Mission Specialists Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick will hook up exterior fluid lines and do other work on Tranquility during their second spacewalk of the flight, scheduled to begin about 8:10 p.m. Early in their day, they configured spacewalk tools and worked on another spacesuit for Patrick, to resolve a power supply issue. The crew began an hour-long review of spacewalk procedures about 3:10 a.m. The spacewalkers started their overnight campout in the Quest airlock about 5:40 a.m.



After the spacewalk, Hire and Virts will grapple the cupola with the station’s Canadarm2 in preparation for its Sunday evening move to Tranquility’s Earth-facing port. The insulation blanket is to be removed during the flight’s third spacewalk beginning about 8:10 p.m. Tuesday. That will allow shutters to be opened for the first astronaut views.



About 1:30 a.m., Behnken and Patrick fielded questions from Twitter fans, radioed up from Mission Control by spacecraft communicator Michael Massimino. In the first-of-its-kind event, questions were submitted by dozens of Massimino’s million-plus following of “tweeps.” About three hours later, Virts and Hire fielded questions from Associated Press, CBS News and Reuters reporters.

Final U.S. Components of the International Space Station

5 p.m. CST Friday, Feb. 12, 2010


Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.12.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-10 STS-130 MCC Status Report #10 HOUSTON – The doors leading to the final U.S. components of the International Space Station are due to open tonight when the crews of space shuttle Endeavour and the station begin internal outfitting of the Tranquility module and the cupola.



Endeavour’s 3:14 p.m. wakeup call, played for Mission Specialist Bob Behnken, was the “Firefly” theme song, “The Ballad of Serenity” by Sonny Rhodes.



While Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Kay Hire take the controls of the space station’s robotic arm at 6:24 p.m. for a walkoff from its base on the Harmony module to the Destiny laboratory, Mission Specialist Steve Robinson and station Commander Jeff Williams begin work outfitting the vestibule between Tranquility and the Unity node.



At the same time spacewalkers Bob Behnken and Nicholas Patrick will prepare a new spacesuit for Patrick to use during EVA 2; it was discovered that his suit had a temporary slight decrease in the speed in its cooling fan during EVA 1. They will resize Behnken’s original suit for Patrick and then complete maintenance on the EMU power harness on that unit, which wasn’t delivering power to the helmet camera and glove heaters when it was checked out before the first spacewalk.



Williams should be opening the hatch for the first entry into Tranquility at 8:14 p.m., and then the hatch into the cupola at 9:44 p.m. While internal outfitting proceeds Virts and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi will move components of the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device and the Air Revitalization System rack into the new node.



Behnken and Patrick will take a break at 1:29 a.m. Saturday to answer questions about the mission that have been gathered by astronaut and spacecraft communicator Mike Massimino on his Twitter account. At 4:24 a.m. Virts and Mission Specialist Kay Hire will conduct interviews with the Associated Press, CBS News, and Reuters.



All 11 crew members will gather at 3:09 a.m. to review procedures for the second spacewalk of the mission, scheduled to start at 8:09 p.m. Saturday.

Astronauts installed a 2,600-cubic-foot addition

3:30 a.m. CST Friday, Feb. 12, 2010

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

02.12.10 STATUS REPORT : STS-130-09 STS-130 MCC Status Report #09 HOUSTON – Astronauts installed a 2,600-cubic-foot addition to the International Space Station early Friday, combining the talents of robotic arm operators and spacewalkers to connect the Italian-built Tranquility module.

Tranquility was installed at 12:20 a.m. CST Friday over the Indian Ocean west of Singapore. Mission Specialist Kay Hire and Pilot Terry Virts used the station’s Canadarm2 to pull Tranquility out of space shuttle Endeavour’s payload bay and position it on the port side of the station’s 10-year-old Unity module. Tranquility was locked in place with 16 remotely controlled bolts.

Spacewalkers Bob Behnken and Nick Patrick stepped outside the Quest airlock module at 8:17 p.m. Thursday and immediately began preparing the new module for its trip from the cargo bay to the station. Mission Specialist Steve Robinson helped coordinate the 6-hour, 32-minute spacewalk, which ended at 2:49 a.m. Friday. As Behnken and Patrick waited for the robotic arm operators to carefully maneuver Tranquility into position, they relocated a temporary platform from the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, to the station’s truss structure and installed two handles on the robot.

Once Tranquility was structurally mated to Unity, the spacewalkers connected heater and data cables that will integrate the new module with the rest of the station’s systems. They also pre-positioned insulation blankets and ammonia hoses that will be used to connect Tranquility to the station’s cooling radiators during the mission’s second spacewalk that begins Saturday night. The station’s new room with a view, the cupola, will be moved from Tranquility’s end to its Earth-facing port on Sunday.

As the spacewalk ended, Mission Control reported that all data and heater connections were working well, and that the vestibule separating Tranquility and Unity had passed its initial leak check.

Inside the station, a new Distillation Assembly and Fluids Control Pump Assembly began recycling their first batch of urine after Commander Jeff Williams’ installation of the new parts on Wednesday. Flight controllers are monitoring the operation of the station’s Water Recovery System and preparing to return samples of both urine and drinking water for return to Earth as troubleshooting on the first-of-its-kind system continues. The recycling system will be moved from the Destiny Laboratory to Tranquility once experts are satisfied with its performance.

Endeavour Brings Tranquility

Endeavour Brings Tranquility

Backdropped by the blackness of space, space shuttle Endeavour was photographed by the Expedition 22 crew as the shuttle approached the International Space Station during STS-130 rendezvous and docking operations on Feb. 9, 2010. The Tranquility node can be seen in the shuttle's payload bay.

 

Image Credit: NASA

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Nick Patrick 1st STS-130 EVA

Nick Patrick 1st STS-130 EVA

NASA astronaut Nicholas Patrick, STS-130 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the 6-hour, 32-minute spacewalk, Patrick and astronaut Robert Behnken (out of frame), mission specialist, relocated a temporary platform from the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, to the station's truss structure and installed two handles on the robot.

Once Tranquility was structurally mated to Unity, the spacewalkers connected heater and data cables that will integrate the new module with the rest of the station's systems. They also pre-positioned insulation blankets and ammonia hoses that will be used to connect Tranquility to the station's cooling radiators during the mission's second spacewalk.

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STS-130 Spacewalk

A highlight of space shuttle mission STS-130 is just hours away as the shuttle and International Space Station crews prepare to install the final components of the U.S. segment of the station during a spacewalk this evening.

The wakeup call at 3:14 p.m. CST for the astronauts aboard Endeavour was “Beautiful Day” by U2, played for Mission Specialist Kay Hire, who will be working with Pilot Terry Virts tonight to operate the station’s Canadarm2 to install the Tranquility module during the EVA by Mission Specialists Bob Behnken and Nicholas Patrick.

The 6½ hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin shortly after 8 p.m. The spacewalkers will prepare the new module to be lifted from the shuttle cargo bay by the robotic arm, and once Tranquility is in place they’ll start connecting it to station utilities.

Behnken and Patrick also will relocate a temporary platform from the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or DEXTRE, to the station’s port truss and install two handles on the robot.

The space station flight control team is monitoring the operation of the station’s water purification system after Commander Jeff Williams’ installation of a new Distillation Assembly and Fluids Control Pump Assembly yesterday.

The system that processes urine into drinking water will be allowed to complete processing runs, to generate water samples for testing after being returned to Earth, before the components are relocated into the new module.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after the crew work day, or earlier if warranted.

Endeavour Spacewalk Preparations

STS-130 MCC Status Report #07

Endeavour and International Space Station crew members worked on spacewalk preparations, did some long-awaited repairs on a water recycling system and transferred equipment and supplies between the shuttle and station.

Endeavour’s crew members, Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken, got some afternoon time off and the welcome news that a more detailed focused inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield system would not be needed.

Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the Japanese Kibo complex of the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-130 crew member while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station.

The morning included installation of the Water Recovery System’s refurbished Distillation Assembly and replacement of the system’s Fluids Control Pump Assembly by station Commander Jeff Williams. The system processes urine into drinking water. Zamka, Hire and Robinson worked to transfer equipment and supplies.

Patrick and Behnken began their overnight campout in the station’s Quest airlock a little before 7 a.m. CST in preparation for today’s first of three spacewalks during space shuttle Endeavour’s visit to the orbiting laboratory. They are sleeping in the reduced 10.2 psi pressure of the airlock to avoid decompression sickness, or the bends.

An earlier checkout of Behnken’s spacesuit revealed a problem with a power harness that provides power to its wireless video system and glove heaters. Zamka and station Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi changed out the suit’s upper torso to resolve the issue.

The crews wrapped up their workday with an hour-long review of spacewalk procedures beginning about 3:10 a.m. Williams and Flight Engineers Noguchi and T.J. Creamer also participated.

The spacewalk, set to begin at 8:09 p.m. and scheduled for 6.5 hours, will prepare Tranquility for its move from Endeavour’s cargo bay. After it is installed on the station’s Unity node by station robotic arm operators Virts and Hire, the spacewalkers will begin hooking it up to the station’s infrastructure. They also will move a temporary platform from the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or DEXTRE, to the station’s port truss and install two handles on the robot.

After the crews’ hour-long lunch break beginning a little before 10 p.m., the six shuttle astronauts, Williams and Creamer talked with reporters from KXTV-TV in Sacramento, Calif., WKRG-TV in Mobile, Ala., and KMOX Radio in St. Louis. Robinson is from Sacramento, Hire from Mobile and Behnken from St. Louis. After those interviews, crew members enjoyed most of their afternoon off duty.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after the crew’s 3:14 p.m. wakeup call, or earlier if warranted.

First Spacewalk Tonight for STS-130

First Spacewalk Tonight for STS-130

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:22:33 -0600

The crew of space shuttle Endeavour awoke at 4:14 p.m. EST to the song “Beautiful Day” by U2, played for Mission Specialist for Kay Hire.

The fifth day of the mission will focus on the first spacewalk and robotics work to install the Tranquility node. The spacewalk is expected to begin at around 9:09 p.m., although could begin a little earlier if the crew is ready.

Spacewalkers Nicholas Patrick and Bob Behnken will prepare Tranquility for its removal from Endeavour’s payload bay and then install avionics cabling once the new module is in place. Terry Virts and Hire will operate the station’s robotic arm to install Tranquility with the Cupola. The spacewalkers also will remove a tool platform from the station’s special purpose dexterous manipulator, or DEXTRE, while Tranquility is being maneuvered. Station Commander Jeff Williams and Hire will begin a leak check of the interface to Tranquility.

FALCON 9 FLIGHT HARDWARE AT CAPE CANAVERAL

SPACEX ANNOUNCES FINAL ARRIVAL OF FALCON 9 FLIGHT HARDWARE AT CAPE CANAVERAL IN PREPARATION FOR INAUGURAL LAUNCH

Hawthorne, CA (February 11, 2010) – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announces that all flight hardware for the debut launch of the Falcon 9 vehicle has arrived at the SpaceX launch site, Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Final delivery included the Falcon 9 second stage, which recently completed testing at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas. SpaceX has now initiated full vehicle integration of the 47 meter (154 feet) tall, 3.6 meter (12 feet) diameter rocket, which will include a Dragon spacecraft qualification unit.

"We expect to launch in one to three months after completing full vehicle integration," said Brian Mosdell, Director of Florida Launch Operations for SpaceX. "Our primary objective is a successful first launch and we are taking whatever time necessary to work through the data to our satisfaction before moving forward."

Following full vehicle integration, SpaceX will conduct a static firing to demonstrate flight readiness and confirm operation of ground control systems in preparation for actual launch.

Though designed from the beginning to transport crew, SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft will initially be used to transport cargo. Falcon 9 and Dragon were selected by NASA to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) once Shuttle retires. The $1.6B contract represents 12 flights for a minimum of 20 tons to and from the ISS with the first demonstration flights beginning in 2010.

About SpaceX

SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft intended to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of both manned and unmanned space transportation, ultimately by a factor of ten. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 vehicles, SpaceX offers highly reliable/cost-efficient launch capabilities for spacecraft insertion into any orbital altitude and inclination. Starting in 2010, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will provide Earth-to-LEO transport of pressurized and unpressurized cargo, including resupply to the International Space Station (ISS).

Founded in 2002, SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. The SpaceX team now numbers nearly 900, with corporate headquarters in Hawthorne, California. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.spacex.com.

ISS Spacewalk preparations

HOUSTON – Spacewalk preparations and water recovery system maintenance highlight the work schedule for the first full day of joint docked operations by the astronauts on space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station.


The shuttle crew’s wake up song, at 3:19 p.m. CST, was “Also sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss, played for Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick. The song is most widely known as the theme from the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

First up for Patrick and Mission Specialist Bob Behnken will be time to configure tools they’ll take outside on the first spacewalk of the mission Thursday evening. Shuttle Commander George Zamka and station Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi will resize a spare spacesuit for Behnken after a power harness on his original suit failed. The harness provides power to the wireless video system and glove heaters.

Station Commander Jeff Williams began his day by beginning the installation of a new Distillation Assembly and Flow Control Pump Assembly in the station’s Water Recovery System as part of the plan to reactivate the equipment that processes urine into drinking water for station crews. Flight Engineers Max Suraev and Oleg Kotov will continue to pack items in a Progress supply ship and T.J. Creamer is scheduled to be monitoring several scientific payloads. Shuttle Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kay Hire and Steve Robinson will continue moving new equipment and supplies from Endeavour onto the station.

At 10:49 p.m. – after both crews break for lunch – Williams and Creamer will join the six shuttle crew members to discuss the mission in interviews with KXTV-TV in Sacramento, Calif. (Robinson’s home town), WKRG-TV in Mobile, Ala. (Hire’s home town), and KMOX Radio in St. Louis, Mo. (Behnken’s home town).

All 11 crew members are scheduled for some off duty time in the latter portion of their day before a spacewalk procedures review at 3:09 a.m. Thursday. Behnken and Patrick will end their day preparing for Thursday night’s spacewalk by camping overnight in the Quest airlock at a reduced atmospheric pressure. That will facilitate the purge of nitrogen from their bloodstreams as a measure against suffering from decompression sickness during the spacewalk, which is scheduled to begin at 8:09 p.m. Thursday.

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Endeavour docked with the International Space Station

HOUSTON – The space shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station at 11:06 p.m. CST Tuesday, delivering the Tranquility module and its new room with a view, the cupola.


Endeavour Commander George Zamka guided the orbiter to a docking with Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 as the two spacecraft were flying 215 miles above Earth off the western coast of Portugal.

When the shuttle arrived within 600 feet of the station, Endeavour performed the nine-minute Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver, or “back flip.” Zamka rotated the orbiter backwards, enabling space station Commander Jeffrey Williams and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov to take high-resolution pictures of the shuttle. The images will be analyzed by experts on the ground to assess the health of Endeavour’s heat shield.

The shuttle and station crews opened hatches at 1:16 a.m. Wednesday as Endeavour and the outpost flew off the northwest coast of Australia. With the arrival of Endeavour’s six astronauts, the station’s population grows to 11 and its mass tops 1 million pounds.

Following a safety briefing by the host station crew, shuttle Mission Specialist Nicholas Patrick and station Flight Engineer T.J. Creamer operated the station robotic arm to remove the Orbiter Boom Sensor System from Endeavour’s payload bay. Shuttle Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialist Kay Hire used the shuttle arm to accept the handoff.

Zamka transferred replacement parts for the station’s water recycling system so that Williams can replace them and reactivate the equipment that processes urine into drinking water for station crews. Mission Specialists Bob Behnken and Patrick moved the spacesuits they will wear during their three spacewalks into the station’s Quest airlock.

Endeavour’s crew will begin its sleep period at 7:14 a.m. and awaken at 3:14 p.m. Wednesday’s work will focus on supply transfers, spacewalk preparations and Water Recovery System repairs. Thursday’s work will focus on installation of the new Tranquility module onto the Unity module and the mission’s first spacewalk.

Endeavour and the ISS are just hours from a meeting in space

HOUSTON – The astronauts on space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station are just hours from a meeting in space as they work toward tonight’s docking of the shuttle to the orbiting outpost.


The shuttle crew’s wakeup song at 4:14 p.m., “Katmandu” by Bob Seger, was played for Commander George Zamka, who will have his hands on the stick tonight as Endeavour docks to the station’s Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 at 11:06 p.m.

Starting early this evening Zamka and Pilot Terry Virts will fire shuttle jets to refine the orbiter’s approach to the station, with Mission Specialists Kay Hire, Steve Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Bob Behnken supporting them on the shuttle flight deck. At 10:05 p.m., after Endeavour arrives at a point 600 feet directly below the station, Zamka will command the shuttle to slowly rotate so that its underside is facing the station, and Expedition 22 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov will photo-document the shuttle’s heat shield tiles. That imagery will be sent to the ground for study by specialists looking for any damaged tiles.

After the rendezvous pitch maneuver Zamka will move his ship directly in front of the station before slowly backing in to a docking. Once leak checks are completed, the hatches between the vehicles are scheduled to open at 1:04 a.m. Wednesday to begin the joint operations.

Among the first items to be transferred to the station are the spacesuits that Behnken and Patrick will wear during their three spacewalks and hardware for the replacement and checkout of the new Distillation Assembly that Williams will install in the station’s Water Recovery System Wednesday evening.

The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crew work day, or earlier if events warrant.

Endeavour astronauts inspected the space shuttle’s thermal protection system

HOUSTON – Endeavour astronauts inspected the space shuttle’s thermal protection system, checked out spacesuits and prepared to dock with the International Space Station during their first full work day in space.


Much of the day for Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kay Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken was devoted to inspection of the shuttle’s heat-resistant tiles and reinforced carbon-carbon surfaces on the wing leading edges and the nose.

Zamka, Hire and Patrick used the shuttle’s arm and its Orbital Boom Sensor System extension to survey Endeavour’s right wing. Subsequently Virts and Robinson joined the commander for the nose cap survey. Hire replaced Zamka for the port wing survey.

While the port wing survey continued, Patrick and Behnken checked out the spacesuits they will use on spacewalks they will perform while at the station. Next they prepared spacewalk equipment and supplies for transfer to the station.

Among the last activities of the crew day was a checkout of rendezvous tools by Hire and Robinson and installation of a centerline camera by Patrick and Behnken, who then extended the shuttle’s docking ring. The camera looks out through the center of the ring to help Zamka and other crew members guide Endeavour to the station’s Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 docking port. The ring is the first part of the shuttle to contact the station and helps to firmly attach them to one another.

Endeavour is scheduled to dock with the station a little after 11 p.m. CST today. The shuttle crew is scheduled to begin its sleep period at 8:14 a.m. and be awakened at 4:14 p.m. for docking day.

Station Expedition 22 crew members, Commander Jeff Williams, cosmonaut Flight Engineers Max Suraev and Oleg Kotov, Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer, were getting ready to welcome Endeavour. They will photograph the shuttle’s heat shield during its back flip on its approach.

The next shuttle status report will be issued after Endeavour crew members are awakened, or earlier if events warrant.