News From Space!

Atlantis’ mission has been extended to fit a fourth EVA to repair minor damage to the Orbiter’s heat shield. Landing is now scheduled for 21 June 2007 at around 1:54PM EDT. NASA reports:

NASA Adds Two Days and a Fourth Spacewalk to Mission

During a post-mission management briefing held at 8 p.m. EDT, John Shannon, chair of the Mission Management Team, announced NASA will extend the mission two extra days and add a fourth spacewalk to the mission.

Astronauts Finish First STS-117 Spacewalk

Image above: Jim Reilly (left) and John “Danny” Olivas conclude the June 11, 2007 spacewalk. Image credit: NASA TV

Mission Specialists Jim Reilly and John “Danny” Olivas successfully completed tasks during STS-117’s first spacewalk to activate the International Space Station’s newest component.

The 6-hour, 15-minute excursion concluded at 10:17 p.m. EDT.

Reilly and Olivas went to work after the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment was installed onto the station. They made power, data and cooling connections between the station and the S3/S4. The spacewalkers also released locks and launch restraints on the segment’s solar arrays and prepared its radiator and rotary joint for operation.

The radiator was deployed during the spacewalk. The solar arrays will be unfurled Tuesday.

STS-117 Pilot Lee Archambault and Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov were at the controls of the station’s robotic arm during the spacewalk. STS-117 Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester coordinated the spacewalk.

The start of the spacewalk and the attachment of the truss were delayed due to the saturation of the control moment gyros that control the attitude of the station. Flight controllers performed standard procedures to bring the CMGs back to normal operations.

S3/S4 activation activities will continue during STS-117’s second spacewalk, slated to take place Wednesday afternoon.

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

Today’s spacewalk is still going strong, and should wrap up at 10:27PM EDT tonight. NASA reports:

Briefing to Air on Media Channel

NASA TV will air a post-mission management briefing with John Shannon, chair of the Mission Management Team, at 8 p.m. EDT on the NASA TV media channel.

STS-117 Spacewalkers Work[ing] to Activate Truss

Image above: STS-117 Mission Specialist John “Danny” Olivas (top) exits the International Space Station’s Quest airlock during the early moments of the mission’s first spacewalk. His partner, Jim Reilly, prepares tools that will be used during the excursion. Image credit: NASA TV

Station Gets New Truss Segment

The International Space Station grew today when STS-117 and Expedition 15 crew members attached the Starboard 3 and 4 truss (S3/S4) segment. The new truss was attached at 2:28 p.m. EDT.

The S3/S4, which is 45 feet long and weighs 35,678 pounds, was attached to the end of the Starboard 1 truss segment by crew members using the station’s robotic arm. The S3/S4 contains a new set of solar arrays that will increase the station’s power-generation capabilities.

The STS-117 crew will conduct three spacewalks to activate the S3/S4. The first spacewalk began at 4:02 p.m. today and will last about 6.5 hours. The new solar arrays are slated to be deployed Tuesday.

Late Sunday, NASA Astronaut Clayton Anderson joined the Expedition 15 crew, replacing Flight Engineer Suni Williams. Anderson arrived at the station as a member of Space Shuttle Atlantis’ crew. Atlantis docked to the station at 3:36 p.m. Sunday.

He and Williams officially changed crews when his custom-made seat liner was swapped out in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station. Williams is wrapping up a six-month stay aboard the station. She will return to Earth on Atlantis, which is slated to undock June 17. Anderson is scheduled to leave the station this fall.

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

The first of STS-117’s three scheduled spacewalks is in progress. NASA reports:

STS-117 Spacewalkers Work to Activate Truss

Image above: Mission Specialist Steve Swanson (center) assists Mission Specialists John “Danny” Olivas (left) and Jim Reilly with spacewalk preparations. Image credit: NASA TV

STS-117 Mission Specialists Jim Reilly and John “Danny” Olivas kicked off the mission’s first spacewalk at 4:02 p.m. EDT. The duo is performing tasks necessary to activate the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) segment, which was attached to the station earlier today.

The spacewalkers’ work includes making power, data and cooling connections between the station and the S3/S4, which contains a new set of solar arrays. The spacewalkers are also scheduled to release locks and launch restraints on the segment’s solar arrays and prepare its radiator and rotary joint for operation.

STS-117 Pilot Lee Archambault and Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov are at the controls of the station’s robotic arm for the excursion. STS-117 Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester is coordinating the spacewalk.

The orbital stroll is scheduled to last 6.5 hours.

The truss was attached to the station at 2:28 p.m. using the station’s robotic arm. The S3/S4’s solar arrays will increase the station’s power generation capabilities.

The start of the spacewalk and the attachment of the truss were delayed due to the saturation of the control moment gyros that control the attitude of the station. Flight controllers performed standard procedures to bring the CMGs back to normal operations.

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

Monday will see the first of three scheduled EVAs. STS-117 Mission Specialists John “Danny” Olivas and Jim Reilly spent the night in the station’s Quest Airlock in preparation for this afternoon’s spacewalk. NASA reports:

Atlantis at Space Station; Spacewalk Later Today

After a busy Sunday in which the STS-117 crew arrived at the International Space Station, attention has turned to the mission’s first spacewalk. The excursion, which will focus on the on-orbit assembly of the station, is slated to begin at 2:53 p.m. EDT Monday.

Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew arrived at the station Sunday at 3:36 p.m., delivering a new truss segment and crew member to the orbital outpost. The STS-117 crew entered the station for the first time after the hatches between the shuttle and station opened at 5:04 p.m.

The STS-117 astronauts quickly jumped into joint operations with the station’s Expedition 15 crew. One of the first major tasks was the station crew rotation. STS-117 Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson switched places with Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, who wrapped up a six-month tour of duty as a station crew member.

The crews also began preparations for Monday’s installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment and the spacewalk. The crews used the shuttle robotic arm to lift the S3/S4 out of Atlantis’ payload bay and to hand it off to the station arm.

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