The European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking volunteers for a simulated human trip to Mars, in which six crew spend 17 months in an isolation tank.
Not busy for the next 500 days? Sign up at http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/callforcandidates/.
News From Space!
The Original Space Weblog
-
NASA Shuttle/ISS News- STS-126 MCC Status Report #14
- NASA Assigns Space Station Crews, Updates Expedition Numbering
- NASA to Broadcast Shuttle Mission Highlights in High Definition
- STS-126 MCC Status Report #15
- STS-126 MCC Status Report #13
- STS-126 MCC Status Report #12
- Goldman Named Director at Stennis Space Center
- Racers Get Ready! NASA's Great Moonbuggy Registration Begins
- ESA Top News
- New ISS crews: First European to become ISS Commander and next European long-term flight
- Interview with ESA Director General
- Mars Express observes aurorae on the Red Planet
- Earth from Space: The Netherlands
- Ministerial Council 2008
- Small GEO Programme moves forward with contract-signing
- Ministers meet to define the role of space in delivering Europe's global objectives
- ESA supports efforts to protect public health and safety
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights reaches space as the ISS gets ready for crew of six
- OK Space: opening new horizons
STS-117: Flight Day 13
Wednesday will see the Atlantis crew preparing for tomorrow’s landing. Will the weather cooperate? NASA reports:
Shuttle Crew to Prepare for Thursday Landing
Image above: This is a view of the Space Shuttle Atlantis as it performs a fly-around of the space station. Image credit: NASA TVLanding preparations are the focus of the STS-117 crew today. Atlantis is scheduled to touch down Thursday at 1:55 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The STS-117 crew members will stow equipment and check out systems today. Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault will test fire Atlantis’ reaction control jets in preparation for the deorbit burn that will begin the descent to Florida. The burn is slated to take place at 12:50 p.m. Thursday.
Two landing opportunities are available for Thursday at Kennedy. Weather forecasts call for possibility of thunder showers in the area.
At 3:03 p.m. today, crew members will talk with reporters from NBC News, ABC News and CNN Live. The interviews will be aired live on NASA TV.
Atlantis left the International Space Station on Tuesday. During its stay at the station, which began June 10, the STS-117 crew continued the construction of the station with the installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment.
The crew installed the truss June 11 and conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod.
Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116.
Flight Day 12 pics are up at the JSC Gallery. More undocking pics here and here. Video here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.