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.