News From Space!

So Far, So Good…

Crew Inspects Wing, Prepares for First Spacewalk
The STS-116 crew members conducted an inspection of Space Shuttle Discovery’s port (left) wing and prepared for Tuesday’s spacewalk.

The crew used a camera on the International Space Station’s robotic arm to inspect the reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) panels 19-21 on the wing. Leading-edge wing sensors registered a minor disturbance in this area of the wing. Engineers will analyze the imagery captured during the inspection.

During tonight’s Mission Status Briefing, Mission Management Team Chairman John Shannon said that engineers have completed the first review of Sunday’s inspection of the orbiter’s heat shield. “The team has looked and gone through and done their first pass on all of the wing leading-edge RCCs and the nose cap,” Shannon said, “and has identified no issues. It is a very rigorous process.”

Shannon also said the team started the analysis of imagery of Discovery’s underside. The imagery was captured by the station’s Expedition 14 crew as STS-116 Commander Mark Polansky guided the orbiter through a back-flip maneuver prior to docking. Discovery arrived at the station at 5:12 p.m. EST today and the crew entered the orbital outpost at 6:54.

Meanwhile, STS-116 and Expedition 14 crew members have transferred to the station spacesuits and tools that will be used during STS-116’s three spacewalks. The first excursion will take place at 3:42 p.m. Tuesday.

Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang will perform the spacewalk. To prepare for the spacewalk, the duo will conduct an overnight “campout” in the station’s airlock where the pressure will be lowered to the pressure normally found on Earth 10,000 feet above sea level. The airlock “campout” at a lower pressure protects against decompression sickness as Curbeam and Fuglesang go to the even lower pressure of spacesuits on Tuesday.

The main objective of Tuesday’s spacewalk is the installation of the P5 integrated truss onto the station. STS-116 crew members used the shuttle’s robotic arm to lift the P5 out of Discovery’s payload bay to hand it off to the station arm.

Other post-docking activities included a crew-member exchange. STS-116 Mission Specialist Sunita Williams will replace Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with STS-116. The crew transfer becomes official when Williams’ custom-made seatliner is installed into the Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.

For the latest news and information on the International Space Station and the Expedition 14 crew, please visit the main station page. + Read more

Flight Day 2 pics here.

Discovery has docked to the ISS. Looks like there is some concern about a post-launch debris hit. NASA reports:

Crew to Inspect Wing

About 7:40 p.m. EST, the STS-116 crew members received word from the Mission Control Center in Houston that they are now scheduled to conduct an additional inspection of an area of interest on Discovery’s port (left-hand) wing. They will conduct the inspection with camera’s on the station’s robotic arm. 

Leading-edge wing sensors detected a possible impact and flight controllers want to gather data with the arm’s camera. Engineers will analyze the imagery on the ground.

A Mission Status Briefing is scheduled for 9 p.m. and will be aired on NASA TV.

Discovery Arrives, Crew Enters Station

After two days of orbital pursuit, Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-116 crew reached the International Space Station. The two spacecraft linked up at 5:12 p.m. EST as they flew over southeast Asia. 

The STS-116 crew entered the station at 6:54 p.m. EST to mark the start of joint operations with the Expedition 14 crew. STS-116 Mission Specialist Sunita Williams will switch crews this evening. She will replace Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter, who will return to Earth with STS-116. The crew transfer becomes official when Williams’ custom-made seatliner is installed into the Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station.

The arrival of Discovery also sets the stage for the continuation of station construction. Inside Discovery’s payload bay is the P5 integrated truss structure. The STS-116 crew will conduct three spacewalks to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station. The first spacewalk is scheduled to kick off at 3:42 p.m. Tuesday.

STS-116 also delivered supplies and equipment to the station. Most of the supplies are located in a small pressurized logistics module called SPACEHAB, which is located in the payload bay.

Discovery is slated to stay at the station until Dec. 18. STS-116 is the 20th shuttle mission to visit the station.

Stay Tuned…

Discovery will be calling on the ISS today. NASA reports:

Discovery Close to Catching Space Station

Image above: A video camera aboard Discovery captured this view of the payload bay. Image Credit: NASA TV

The two-day chase will come to a close today when Space Shuttle Discovery docks with the International Space Station. The orbital linkup is scheduled to take place at 5:05 p.m. EST.

The STS-116 crew began rendezvous operations around 11:37 a.m. today. Commander Mark Polansky will guide Discovery through a back-flip maneuver about an hour before docking to allow the station’s Expedition 14 crew to take pictures of Discovery’s heat shield.

Discovery, which launched Saturday, is carrying the P5 integrated truss structure in its payload bay. The STS-116 crew will conduct three spacewalks to install the P5 and to reconfigure and redistribute power generated by the station.

Also onboard the shuttle is the station’s next crew member. Astronaut Sunita Williams will join the Expedition 14 crew about an hour after she enters the station for the first time. The hatches between Discovery and the station are slated to open at about 7:02 p.m.

Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.