Nov. 30, 2008
NASA'S SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR GLIDES HOME AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION
EDWARDS, Calif. -
Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew landed at 1:25 p.m. PST Sunday at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing a 16-day journey of more than 6.6 million miles.
The STS-126 mission featured important repair work and prepared the International Space Station to house six crew members on long-duration missions beginning next year. The new station equipment includes a water recovery system, additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and an exercise device. During four spacewalks, the crew serviced the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow its solar arrays to track the sun, and installed new hardware that will support future assembly missions.
Chris Ferguson commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Sandra Magnus. Magnus remained aboard the station, replacing Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff, who returned to Earth on Endeavour after more than five months on the station.
Weather concerns prevented the crew from returning to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the primary end-of-mission landing site. In 7-10 days, Endeavour will be transported approximately 2,500 miles from California to Florida on the back of a modified 747 jumbo jet.
Once at Kennedy, Endeavour will be separated from the aircraft to begin immediate processing for its next flight, targeted for May 2009.
STS-126 was the 124th space shuttle mission, the 22nd flight for Endeavour and the 27th shuttle visit to the station.
With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of STS-119, targeted for Feb. 12, 2009. Discovery will deliver the final pair of U.S. solar arrays, which will be installed on the starboard end of the station's truss. The truss serves as the backbone support for external equipment and spare components.
Lee Archambault will command the 14-day flight that will include four planned spacewalks. Joining him will be Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will replace Magnus on the station as a flight engineer.
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Sunday, 30 November 2008
Astronauts Charles Duke and Eugene Cernan Portrait Prints Now Available
Astronauts Charles Duke and Eugene Cernan Glossy Prints Now Available
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Project Gemini Space Mission Patches
Project Gemini Space Mission Patches Available from
the SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store
Gemini Program Patch
Gemini 3 'Molly Brown'
Gemini 4
Gemini 5
Gemini 6
Gemini 7
Gemini 8
Gemini 9
Gemini 10
Gemini 11
Gemini 12
All of these and lots more great NASA Patches are available from the Spaceboosters Online store
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Gemini Program Patch
Gemini 3 'Molly Brown'
Gemini 4
Gemini 5Gemini 6 Gemini 7 Gemini 8
Gemini 9
Gemini 10 Gemini 11 Gemini 12All of these and lots more great NASA Patches are available from the Spaceboosters Online store
Space Shuttle Endeavour to Land Sunday
Nov. 28, 2008
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR SET TO LAND SUNDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Endeavour crew is expected to complete its mission to the International Space Station with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:19 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 30. This will conclude a 16-day flight, 11 of which were spent docked to the station.
The STS-126 mission began Nov. 14 and prepared the space station to house six crew members for long-duration missions. The new station cargo includes a water recovery system, additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and a resistance exercise device. During four spacewalks, the crew serviced the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow its solar arrays to track the sun, and installed new equipment in support of future assembly missions. The flight also delivered station resident Sandra Magnus to the outpost. Greg Chamitoff will return to Earth aboard Endeavour after spending more than five months aboard the complex.
The entry flight control team in Mission Control, Houston, will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Endeavour to return to Earth. Sunday landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 1:19 p.m. and 2:54 p.m.
The secondary landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., will be activated Sunday for consideration as well. The opportunities at Edwards are 4:24 p.m. and 5:59 p.m.
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Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR SET TO LAND SUNDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Endeavour crew is expected to complete its mission to the International Space Station with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:19 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 30. This will conclude a 16-day flight, 11 of which were spent docked to the station.
The STS-126 mission began Nov. 14 and prepared the space station to house six crew members for long-duration missions. The new station cargo includes a water recovery system, additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and a resistance exercise device. During four spacewalks, the crew serviced the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow its solar arrays to track the sun, and installed new equipment in support of future assembly missions. The flight also delivered station resident Sandra Magnus to the outpost. Greg Chamitoff will return to Earth aboard Endeavour after spending more than five months aboard the complex.
The entry flight control team in Mission Control, Houston, will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Endeavour to return to Earth. Sunday landing opportunities at Kennedy are at 1:19 p.m. and 2:54 p.m.
The secondary landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., will be activated Sunday for consideration as well. The opportunities at Edwards are 4:24 p.m. and 5:59 p.m.
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Friday, 28 November 2008
STS-126 Mission Update # 21
10 p.m. CST Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-126 MCC Status Report #21
As the STS-126 and International Space Station Expedition 18 crews readied for the fourth and final spacewalk of the mission, NASA managers decided to extend Endeavour’s stay by one day with landing now scheduled for 12:18 p.m. CST Sunday. The extra day was approved in order to provide the crews as much extra time as possible for any continued troubleshooting on the new Water Recovery System.
Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke continued work on the Urine Processor Assembly’s (UPA) distillation hardware. He installed two more bolts to hard-mount the distiller assembly section of the UPA in place, which may further reduce vibrations that engineers believe are causing the UPA to prematurely shut down. Once complete, they added stored urine to the UPA and started another processing cycle at 7:06 p.m. CST.
Engineers hope the maintenance performed will enable the UPA to run for its full four-hour processing time. The astronauts also set up a wireless instrumentation system to track vibrations of the UPA. Meanwhile, outside the orbiting complex, astronauts Steve Bowen and Shane Kimbrough wrapped up the final spacewalk of the mission. The spacewalk began at 12:24 p.m. CST and lasted six hours, seven minutes, ending at 6:31 p.m. CST. The first priority was to complete all the remaining tasks associated with lubrication of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints as well as other station assembly tasks. Thin lines of lubricant were observed on the port SARJ race ring with some minor wear where the trundle bearing assemblies are riding. Additional lubrication was added as a preventive measure against further degradation despite the unit working normally. Bowen returned to the starboard SARJ to install the final trundle bearing assembly. All 12 now have been replaced.
At approximately 4:30 a.m. CST Tuesday, the ground team plans to initiate an auto track of the newly cleaned and lubricated starboard SARJ to assess the performance and overall health. Bowen retracted a berthing mechanism latch on the Japanese Kibo Laboratory and reinstalled its thermal cover. He also installed a video camera on the Port 1 truss and attached a Global Positioning System antenna on the Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Section.
STS-126 MCC Status Report #21
As the STS-126 and International Space Station Expedition 18 crews readied for the fourth and final spacewalk of the mission, NASA managers decided to extend Endeavour’s stay by one day with landing now scheduled for 12:18 p.m. CST Sunday. The extra day was approved in order to provide the crews as much extra time as possible for any continued troubleshooting on the new Water Recovery System.
Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke continued work on the Urine Processor Assembly’s (UPA) distillation hardware. He installed two more bolts to hard-mount the distiller assembly section of the UPA in place, which may further reduce vibrations that engineers believe are causing the UPA to prematurely shut down. Once complete, they added stored urine to the UPA and started another processing cycle at 7:06 p.m. CST.
Engineers hope the maintenance performed will enable the UPA to run for its full four-hour processing time. The astronauts also set up a wireless instrumentation system to track vibrations of the UPA. Meanwhile, outside the orbiting complex, astronauts Steve Bowen and Shane Kimbrough wrapped up the final spacewalk of the mission. The spacewalk began at 12:24 p.m. CST and lasted six hours, seven minutes, ending at 6:31 p.m. CST. The first priority was to complete all the remaining tasks associated with lubrication of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joints as well as other station assembly tasks. Thin lines of lubricant were observed on the port SARJ race ring with some minor wear where the trundle bearing assemblies are riding. Additional lubrication was added as a preventive measure against further degradation despite the unit working normally. Bowen returned to the starboard SARJ to install the final trundle bearing assembly. All 12 now have been replaced.
At approximately 4:30 a.m. CST Tuesday, the ground team plans to initiate an auto track of the newly cleaned and lubricated starboard SARJ to assess the performance and overall health. Bowen retracted a berthing mechanism latch on the Japanese Kibo Laboratory and reinstalled its thermal cover. He also installed a video camera on the Port 1 truss and attached a Global Positioning System antenna on the Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Section.
Astronaut Steve Bowen, STS-126 mission specialist, participates in the mission's fourth and final scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Bowen and astronaut Shane Kimbrough (out of frame), mission specialist, completed the lubrication of the port Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ) as well as other station assembly tasks. Bowen returned to the starboard SARJ to install the final trundle bearing assembly, retracted a berthing mechanism latch on the Japanese Kibo Laboratory and reinstalled its thermal cover. Bowen also installed a video camera on the Port 1 truss and attached a Global Positioning System antenna on the Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Section.
Find STS 126 Crew Photos, Mission Patches and Pins at SPACEBOOSTERS Online Store
STS 126 Status Report # 20
9 a.m. CST Monday, Nov. 24, 2008Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-126 MCC Status Report #20
The fourth spacewalk by Endeavour astronauts outside the International Space Station will be the focus of today’s activities in space. Engineers continue to explore options for the off-and-on Urine Processor Assembly (UPA). It ran for almost three hours and processed about a gallon of liquid Sunday, after modifications by Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Endeavour Mission Specialist Don Pettit, before shutting down.
The fourth spacewalk by Endeavour astronauts outside the International Space Station will be the focus of today’s activities in space. Engineers continue to explore options for the off-and-on Urine Processor Assembly (UPA). It ran for almost three hours and processed about a gallon of liquid Sunday, after modifications by Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Endeavour Mission Specialist Don Pettit, before shutting down.
Today Fincke will install two bolts in the UPA’s distillation assembly to further reduce vibration. He is scheduled to begin that work about 1 p.m. CST. Endeavour crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff, as well as Fincke and station flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandra Magnus, were awakened at 7:55 a.m. The song was “Can’t Stop Loving You,” by Van Halen. It was played for Piper.
Spacewalkers Bowen and Kimbrough are scheduled to leave the station’s Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Bowen will wear the all-white suit and Kimbrough’s suit will have broken red stripes. They will work to finish up cleaning, lubrication and bearing assembly replacements on the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ). That joint has been the focus of activities on the first three spacewalks of Endeavour’s mission to the station. It has been used sparingly since increased power consumption and vibrations were noticed in September last year. A test of the joint rotating in the mode to automatically track the sun will be done early Tuesday morning to judge the repair work.
Kimbrough will lubricate the port SARJ, which has been working fine, and install a TV camera on the station’s truss. Bowen will inspect a balky berthing mechanism latch on the Japanese Kibo laboratory and reinstall a cover over it. He’ll also install a Global Positioning Satellite antenna that will guide the future unpiloted Japanese cargo vehicle to a point near the station, where the station’s Canadarm2 will grasp it for berthing. Boe will be today's intravehicular officer, or spacewalk choreographer.
The spacewalk is to last about 6.5 hours. Transfer of equipment and supplies, now mostly from the station to Endeavour and the Leonardo cargo carrier, which the shuttle will bring back home, is still a little ahead of schedule. Today marks the final day for transfer of equipment into Leonardo as it will be closed Tuesday.
(24 Nov. 2008) --- Astronaut Steve Bowen, STS-126 mission specialist, participates in the mission's fourth and final scheduled session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, seven-minute spacewalk, Bowen and astronaut Shane Kimbrough (out of frame), mission specialist, completed the lubrication of the port Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ) as well as other station assembly tasks. Bowen returned to the starboard SARJ to install the final trundle bearing assembly, retracted a berthing mechanism latch on the Japanese Kibo Laboratory and reinstalled its thermal cover. Bowen also installed a video camera on the Port 1 truss and attached a Global Positioning System antenna on the Japanese Experiment Module Pressurized Section.
Monday, 24 November 2008
Astronaut Charles Duke in the U.K.
Charles Duke in the U.K
Details now confirmed. Information provided here as a courtesy. For up to the minute news/information on the event be sure to visit Andy Green at the official website.
Apollo 16, April 16th - April 27th 1972 was the fifth manned lunar landing mission. The crew consisted of John W Young as spacecraft commander, Ken Mattingly as command module pilot, and Charles M Duke as lunar module pilot.
Apollo 16 was the first scientific expedition to inspect, survey, and sample materials and surface features in the Descartes region of the rugged lunar highlands. Duke commenced a record setting lunar surface stay of 71 hours and 14 minutes. Lunar Module Orion landed on the rough Cayley Plains. In three subsequent excursions onto the moon's surface, Duke logged 20 hours and 15 minutes of lunar EVA time involving the emplacement and activation of scientific equipment and experiments, the collection of nearly (96kg) of rock and soil samples, and the evaluation and use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle over the roughest and blockiest surface yet encountered on the moon.
This is your opportunity to meet one of only 12 men who have walked on the moon
We look forward to your company at:
St Andrew's Hall
Norwich
NR3 1AU
UK
Doors will be open from 5:30pm and the lecture will start at 7:30pm
500 tickets are available for the evening lecture and they are £20.00 each
They can be only be obtained by sending a cheque payable to "Norwich School"
along with your name and address to:
Mr Andy Green BSc(Hons) FRAS, FBIS.
173 The Rowans, Milton, Cambridge, CB24 6YZ, UK.
Once we receive your payment your name will be placed on the reserved list for your ticket/s and we will then send the tickets out to you, 2 weeks prior to the actual event.
All enquiries can be directed to Andy Green, arg@freenet.co.uk
For more info please call 0774 -7484975
Details now confirmed. Information provided here as a courtesy. For up to the minute news/information on the event be sure to visit Andy Green at the official website.
ANDY GREEN BSc(Hons) FBIS, FRAS & NORWICH SCHOOL PRESENT
February 6th, 2009
AN EVENING WITH: APOLLO 16 LUNAR MODULE PILOT
&
10th MAN TO WALK ON THE MOON
GENERAL CHARLES MOSS DUKE
February 6th, 2009
AN EVENING WITH: APOLLO 16 LUNAR MODULE PILOT
&
10th MAN TO WALK ON THE MOON
GENERAL CHARLES MOSS DUKE
Apollo 16, April 16th - April 27th 1972 was the fifth manned lunar landing mission. The crew consisted of John W Young as spacecraft commander, Ken Mattingly as command module pilot, and Charles M Duke as lunar module pilot.
Apollo 16 was the first scientific expedition to inspect, survey, and sample materials and surface features in the Descartes region of the rugged lunar highlands. Duke commenced a record setting lunar surface stay of 71 hours and 14 minutes. Lunar Module Orion landed on the rough Cayley Plains. In three subsequent excursions onto the moon's surface, Duke logged 20 hours and 15 minutes of lunar EVA time involving the emplacement and activation of scientific equipment and experiments, the collection of nearly (96kg) of rock and soil samples, and the evaluation and use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle over the roughest and blockiest surface yet encountered on the moon.
This is your opportunity to meet one of only 12 men who have walked on the moon
We look forward to your company at:
St Andrew's Hall
Norwich
NR3 1AU
UK
Doors will be open from 5:30pm and the lecture will start at 7:30pm
500 tickets are available for the evening lecture and they are £20.00 each
They can be only be obtained by sending a cheque payable to "Norwich School"
along with your name and address to:
Mr Andy Green BSc(Hons) FRAS, FBIS.
173 The Rowans, Milton, Cambridge, CB24 6YZ, UK.
Once we receive your payment your name will be placed on the reserved list for your ticket/s and we will then send the tickets out to you, 2 weeks prior to the actual event.
All enquiries can be directed to Andy Green, arg@freenet.co.uk
For more info please call 0774 -7484975
Remember be sure to visit the Official Website
Details above provided as a courtesy.
STS-126 Space Shuttle Mission Report # 18
10 a.m. CST Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-126 MCC Status Report #18
Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke will continue work Sunday on a system in the International Space Station's Destiny lab that converts urine and condensate into potable water. Endeavour and station crew members also will transfer equipment and supplies between the station and the shuttle and prepare for Monday’s final planned spacewalk.
Endeavour crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Don Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff, and the Expedition 18 crew, Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandra Magnus, got their wakeup music at 8:05 a.m. CST. The music was “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” performed by Frankie Valli. It was for Ferguson. It was his 23rd wedding anniversary.
Endeavour crew members will have as much as four hours of free time beginning a little after 11 a.m. Fincke is scheduled to spend some of that time on the Urine Processer Assembly. The UPA is part of the Water Recovery System, which recycles condensate and urine. The UPA has experienced several shutdowns during testing. Engineers believe vibration caused physical interference with the UPA’s centrifuge, resulting in increased current draw and temperatures and causing the shutdowns. They believe Fincke can fix the problem.
Transfer activities continue to go well, with crew members a little ahead of schedule. At 3:05 p.m. Ferguson, Boe, Fincke and Magnus will gather in the station’s Harmony node to talk with media representatives. They’ll take questions from ABC News, CBS News and NBC News. Today’s spacewalk preparations include tool assembly, an hour-long spacewalk procedures review and the beginning of the campout in the Quest airlock for the spacewalkers.
Bowen and Kimbrough are scheduled to leave the station’s Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Monday on the mission’s fourth spacewalk. During Monday's spacewalk, Bowen and Kimbrough will install a multi-layer insulation blanket from the station's Kibo module and complete other maintenance tasks. Bowen will install a final trundle bearing assembly on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) on the right side of the station while Kimbrough lubricates the SARJ on the left side.
Visit the Spaceboosters Online store for NASA souvenirs.
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-126 MCC Status Report #18
Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke will continue work Sunday on a system in the International Space Station's Destiny lab that converts urine and condensate into potable water. Endeavour and station crew members also will transfer equipment and supplies between the station and the shuttle and prepare for Monday’s final planned spacewalk.
Endeavour crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Don Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff, and the Expedition 18 crew, Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandra Magnus, got their wakeup music at 8:05 a.m. CST. The music was “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” performed by Frankie Valli. It was for Ferguson. It was his 23rd wedding anniversary.
Endeavour crew members will have as much as four hours of free time beginning a little after 11 a.m. Fincke is scheduled to spend some of that time on the Urine Processer Assembly. The UPA is part of the Water Recovery System, which recycles condensate and urine. The UPA has experienced several shutdowns during testing. Engineers believe vibration caused physical interference with the UPA’s centrifuge, resulting in increased current draw and temperatures and causing the shutdowns. They believe Fincke can fix the problem.
Transfer activities continue to go well, with crew members a little ahead of schedule. At 3:05 p.m. Ferguson, Boe, Fincke and Magnus will gather in the station’s Harmony node to talk with media representatives. They’ll take questions from ABC News, CBS News and NBC News. Today’s spacewalk preparations include tool assembly, an hour-long spacewalk procedures review and the beginning of the campout in the Quest airlock for the spacewalkers.
Bowen and Kimbrough are scheduled to leave the station’s Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Monday on the mission’s fourth spacewalk. During Monday's spacewalk, Bowen and Kimbrough will install a multi-layer insulation blanket from the station's Kibo module and complete other maintenance tasks. Bowen will install a final trundle bearing assembly on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) on the right side of the station while Kimbrough lubricates the SARJ on the left side.
Visit the Spaceboosters Online store for NASA souvenirs.
STS 126 Status Report #16
9:00 a.m. CST Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-126 MCC Status Report #16
The third spacewalk by Endeavour astronauts outside the International Space Station will be the focus of today’s activities aboard the two spacecraft.
Endeavour crew members Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Don Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff were awakened at 7:55 a.m. CST. The song was “You Are Here,” by the group Dutton. It was played for Kimbrough. Spacewalkers Piper and Bowen are scheduled to leave the station’s Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Piper, the lead spacewalker, will wear the red-striped suit while Bowen will be in the all-white suit.
Their work will be further cleaning and lubrication of the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) and replacement of some of more its bearing assemblies. The joint has seen limited use since September 2007 when flight controllers saw increased power consumption and vibration as it moved the 240-foot solar wings like a paddlewheel to follow the sun. Much of the work on all four spacewalks during Endeavour’s stay at the station involves the starboard SARJ.
The port SARJ, which continues to function well, will get a precautionary lubrication on the Monday spacewalk. Kimbrough, who participated in the Thursday spacewalk, will be today's intravehicular officer, or spacewalk choreographer. The spacewalk is planned for about seven hours. Just about every day Endeavour is at the station is moving day.
Crew members of both spacecraft, including Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandy Magnus, will continue moving supplies and equipment between Endeavour and the International Space Station and work on station equipment. Work continues to check out the Water Recovery System and its Urine Processor Assembly.
The UPA was activated again overnight to gather more information on why it had shut down on previous tests. One theory is that its centrifuge might as it rotates be touching another structure.
Spaceboosters Online Store - NASA Souvenirs, Patches, Photos etc.
STS-126 MCC Status Report #16
The third spacewalk by Endeavour astronauts outside the International Space Station will be the focus of today’s activities aboard the two spacecraft.
Endeavour crew members Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Don Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff were awakened at 7:55 a.m. CST. The song was “You Are Here,” by the group Dutton. It was played for Kimbrough. Spacewalkers Piper and Bowen are scheduled to leave the station’s Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Piper, the lead spacewalker, will wear the red-striped suit while Bowen will be in the all-white suit.
Their work will be further cleaning and lubrication of the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) and replacement of some of more its bearing assemblies. The joint has seen limited use since September 2007 when flight controllers saw increased power consumption and vibration as it moved the 240-foot solar wings like a paddlewheel to follow the sun. Much of the work on all four spacewalks during Endeavour’s stay at the station involves the starboard SARJ.
The port SARJ, which continues to function well, will get a precautionary lubrication on the Monday spacewalk. Kimbrough, who participated in the Thursday spacewalk, will be today's intravehicular officer, or spacewalk choreographer. The spacewalk is planned for about seven hours. Just about every day Endeavour is at the station is moving day.
Crew members of both spacecraft, including Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandy Magnus, will continue moving supplies and equipment between Endeavour and the International Space Station and work on station equipment. Work continues to check out the Water Recovery System and its Urine Processor Assembly.
The UPA was activated again overnight to gather more information on why it had shut down on previous tests. One theory is that its centrifuge might as it rotates be touching another structure.
Spaceboosters Online Store - NASA Souvenirs, Patches, Photos etc.
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