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ISS Update

PMA-2 Move Readies Station for Harmony Relocation

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Image Above: Against the backdrop of a blue Earth, Canadarm2 moves Pressurized Mating Adaptor-2. Image credit: NASA TV

International Space Station crewmembers move Pressurized Mating Adaptor-2 from the front of the U.S. laboratory Destiny to the Harmony node early Monday, clearing the way for Harmony's relocation to its permanent home.

Harmony, with PMA-2 on its outboard end, is scheduled to be moved from its temporary position on the Unity node to the front of Destiny on Wednesday.

Disengagement of the first set of bolts holding PMA-2 in place began about 4:35 a.m. EDT, initiated by Peggy Whitson working in Destiny. With the ISS commander there was Dan Tani, the newly arrived flight engineer of Expedition 16, who operated the Canadarm2 during the move.

The unbolting of the four sets of bolts securing PMA-2 to the front of Destiny went smoothly. Those bolts had been in place since PMA-2 was attached to the lab on Feb. 12, 2001. That was during the STS-98 mission of Atlantis, which brought Destiny to the station.

Release of the final set of bolts was completed at 5:02 a.m. PMA-2, where space shuttles have docked during recent missions, was separated from Destiny at 5:12 a.m.

Tani maneuvered the 1.5 ton PMA-2 with the station's robotic arm, its base on Destiny, away from the lab, then to a point below Destiny and a pause for a camera survey of its mating surfaces.

Still working slowly and carefully, Tani then moved PMA-2 to the station's port side and toward the outboard end of Harmony and its preinstall position.

Tani brought the docking port was brought to Harmony's berthing mechanism, where the process to secure it began. Driving the last of the four groups of four bolts each was driven into place at 6:29 a.m., permanently securing PMA-2 to its new home.

After its Wednesday move, Harmony will be in position to welcome visiting space shuttles. It also will offer docking ports to the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, scheduled to arrive next month, and Japan's Kibo experiment module, to become a part of the International Space Station next year.
 

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ISS UPDATE

Crew Moves Harmony to Front of Space Station

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Image Above: Canadarm2, under the control of Flight Engineer Dan Tani, moves the Harmony module into position. Image credit: NASA TV

The new Harmony node is now in position to receive the European and Japanese modules to be added to the International Space Station.

Station crew members moved Harmony from its temporary location on the left side of the Unity node to its new home on the front of the U.S. laboratory Destiny Wednesday morning. Disengagement of the first set of bolts holding Harmony to Unity began at 3:58 a.m. EST.

Flight Engineer Dan Tani operated the station's robotic arm. Commander Peggy Whitson operated the common berthing mechanisms, first to free Harmony after Tani had grappled it with the arm, and later to drive bolts firmly securing it to the front of Destiny.

Driving of the final bolts to attach Harmony to its new home was completed at 5:45 a.m.

After its Wednesday move, Harmony is in position to welcome visiting space shuttles. It also will offer docking ports to the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, scheduled to arrive next month, and Japan's Kibo experiment module, to become a part of the International Space Station next year.
 

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A 6-hour, 40-minute spacewalk by International Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani will begin the external outfitting of the Harmony node in its new position in front of the U.S laboratory Destiny.

The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. EST Tuesday from the U.S. airlock Quest. Whitson, the lead spacewalker, will wear the suit with the red stripes while Tani will be in the suit with the barber-pole stripes.
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After leaving the airlock and setting up tools and equipment, Whitson will remove, vent and stow an ammonia jumper, part of a temporary cooling loop. Removing it allows connection of the hookup of the permanent ammonia cooling loop on a fluid tray on the station's exterior.

Image at right: Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson participates in a spacewalk on Nov. 9, 2007. Credit: NASA

Tani meanwhile will retrieve a bag of tools left outside on the station during the Nov. 9 spacewalk by Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko. Then he'll remove two fluid caps to prepare for connection of that permanent cooling loop.

Next he will move on to reconfigure a circuit that was used for a Squib firing unit, a small pyrotechnical device that freed a radiator on the Port 1 truss for its deployment last Thursday.

Much of the spacewalk will be devoted to work with Harmony's Loop A fluid tray. That 300-pound, 18.5-foot tray will be moved from its temporary position on the S0 truss, at the center of the station's main truss, to Harmony, atop the starboard avionics tray.

Tani will join Whitson at S0. They'll release the fluid tray and then move it to Harmony. They'll use a kind of relay technique, one moving ahead and attaching tethers to be ready to receive the tray, then the other moving farther forward to take the next handoff.

Once they reach the installation point they'll bolt down the tray, then hook up its six fluid line connections, two at S0, two at the tray and two in between.

Tani will move to his final task, on the port side of Harmony. There he will mate 11 avionics lines. Whitson, meanwhile, will configure heater cables, then mate electrical umbilicals by hooking up four electrical harnesses linking Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 at the outboard end of Harmony to station power.

The two spacewalkers will do the standard cleanup process, then enter the airlock. The beginning of its repressurization will mark the official end of the spacewalk.

Another spacewalk by Whitson and Tani to complete the exterior hookup of Harmony is scheduled for Nov. 24.
 

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ISS UPDATE

Harmony Relocation Sets Stage for Spacewalks

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Image Above: Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko tries on an Extravehicular Mobility Unit helmet in the Quest Airlock of the International Space Station. Commander Peggy Whitson assisted Malenchenko. Image credit: NASA

The Expedition 16 crew aboard the International Space Station wrapped up a busy week that saw the installation of the Harmony node into its permanent location. Harmony is now in position to receive the European and Japanese modules to be added to the station.

Crew members first moved the Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 (PMA-2) from the front of the U.S. laboratory Destiny to the Harmony node Nov. 12. Flight Engineer Dan Tani maneuvered the 1.5 ton PMA-2 with the station's robotic arm, Canadarm2.

On Wednesday, Tani again used Canadarm2 to move the 31,500-pound Harmony with PMA-2 at its outboard end from its temporary location on the left side of the Unity node to its new home on the front of the U.S. laboratory Destiny.

After its Wednesday move, Harmony is in position to welcome visiting space shuttles. It also will offer docking ports to the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, scheduled to arrive next month, and Japan's Kibo experiment module, to become a part of the International Space Station next year.
On Nov. 20, Tani and Commander Peggy Whitson will conduct a 6-hour, 40-minute spacewalk to begin external outfitting of the Harmony. Much of the spacewalk will be devoted to moving a 300-pound, 18.5-foot fluid tray from its temporary location at the center of the station's main truss to Harmony
Another spacewalk by Whitson and Tani to complete the exterior hookup of Harmony is scheduled for Nov. 24.
 

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Expedition 16 Prepares for Tuesday Spacewalk

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Image Above: Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Commander Peggy Whitson (partially out of frame) work with spacesuits in the Quest airlock prior to the Nov. 9 spacewalk. Image credit: NASA

Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani are making final preparations for Tuesday’s spacewalk. The spacewalkers will configure cameras they will use and hold a conference with flight controllers. They will then “camp-out” in the Quest joint airlock to purge nitrogen from their systems before the spacewalk begins.
Over the weekend the spacewalkers also set up their tools, readied the Quest airlock and consulted with specialists on the ground.

With the Harmony Node 2 attached to its permanent home on the forward end of the Destiny laboratory, Whitson and Tani will go outside and hook up electrical and fluid connections between the two modules. The spacewalk is expected to last 6 hours and 40 minutes. Much of the spacewalk will be devoted to moving a 300-pound, 18.5-foot fluid tray from its temporary location at the center of the station's main truss to Harmony.
 

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ISS SPACEWALK TODAY

Expedition 16 Conducting Spacewalk

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Image Above: Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson (upper left) and Flight Engineer Dan Tani work outside the International Space Station during Tuesday's spacewalk. Image credit: NASA TV

A spacewalk scheduled for 6 hours and 40 minutes by International Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani to outfit the Harmony node in its new position in front of the U.S laboratory Destiny began at 5:10 a.m. EST Tuesday.

With the Harmony Node 2 attached to its permanent home on the forward end of the Destiny laboratory, the spacewalkers will hook up electrical and fluid connections between the two modules. The spacewalk is expected to last 6 hours and 40 minutes. Much of the spacewalk will be devoted to moving a 300-pound, 18.5-foot fluid tray from its temporary location at the center of the station's main truss to Harmony.
 

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Finished Spacewalk

Expedition 16 Completes Spacewalk

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Image Above: Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson (upper left) and Flight Engineer Dan Tani work outside the International Space Station during Tuesday's spacewalk. Image credit: NASA TV

International Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani wound up a 7-hour, 16-minute spacewalk to outfit the Harmony node in its new position in front of the U.S laboratory Destiny at 12:26 p.m. EST Tuesday.

With the Harmony Node 2 attached to its permanent home on the forward end of the Destiny laboratory, the spacewalkers hooked up electrical and fluid connections between the two modules. Much of the spacewalk was devoted to moving a 300-pound, 18.5-foot fluid tray from its temporary location at the center of the station's main truss to the Destiny Lab.
 

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ISS UPDATE

Station Crew Ramps up for Saturday Spacewalk

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Image Above: Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson (upper left) and Flight Engineer Dan Tani work outside the International Space Station during Tuesday's spacewalk. Image credit: NASA TV

Spacewalkers Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani are scheduled to exit the International Space Station Saturday at 6 a.m. EST. Their activities will be similar to Tuesday’s spacewalk.

Whitson and Tani will hook up more electrical and fluid connections between the Harmony Node 2 and the Destiny laboratory. They also will move another 300-pound, 18.5 foot fluid tray, the Loop B fluid tray, from a temporary location on the station’s main truss to the Destiny lab. The Loob B fluid tray will be placed on the opposite side of where the Loop A fluid tray was placed on Tuesday.

The Expedition 16 crew took a break Wednesday but continue preparing for Saturday’s spacewalk. Preparations include conferences with ground controllers, timeline reviews and readying the spacesuits.
 

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International Space Station Crew Sends Thanksgiving Message

HOUSTON - Orbiting more than 200 miles above the Earth, the crew of the International Space Station has sent home a special Thanksgiving message that is now airing on NASA Television and the agency's Web site.

"We wanted to say happy Thanksgiving to all our NASA viewers," Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, an Iowa native, said. "We feel particularly privileged and thankful to be up here on board the International Space Station this Thanksgiving, and we're looking forward to our activities this week. We have a busy week with spacewalks, and we hope that you also are having a great Thanksgiving."

"My family, we gather for Thanksgiving, and we spend a minute just thinking about the things we're thankful for and, of course, I'm thankful for the continued health of my family and my loved ones," Flight Engineer DanTani, an Illinois native, said. "Also this year, I'm thankful that I'm safely on the space station, conducting our mission successfully and having a great time doing it."

The astronauts showed some of the food they will eat during their holiday dinner, including shrimp cocktail, an astronaut favorite. Smoked turkey, cornbread dressing and "lots of hot sauce" also are on the menu.

For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information on the Web, visit:
 

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Saturday Spacewalk to Complete Harmony Hookup to Station

6-hour, 30-minute spacewalk by International Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani will continue the external outfitting of the Harmony node in its new position in front of the U.S laboratory Destiny.

The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. EST Saturday from the U.S. airlock Quest. As was the case in the Nov. 20 spacewalk, Whitson, the lead spacewalker, will wear the suit with the red stripes while Tani will be in the suit with the barber-pole stripes.

After leaving the airlock and setting up tools and equipment, Whitson will remove, vent and stow an ammonia jumper, part of a temporary cooling loop. Removing it allows connection of the hookup of the permanent Loop B ammonia cooling loop on a second fluid tray on the station's exterior.

Tani meanwhile will configure tools, then remove two fluid caps to prepare for connection of that permanent cooling Loop B. Next he'll relocate an articulated portable foot restraint, which offers spacewalkers a place to secure their feet, from the U.S. laboratory Destiny's port side to the lower face of the lab's forward endcone.

As in the Nov. 20 spacewalk, much of this outing will be devoted to work with a fluid tray, this time Harmony's Loop B fluid tray. The 300-pound, 18.5-foot tray will be moved from its temporary position on the S0 truss, at the center of the station's main truss, to Destiny, atop the port avionics tray.

As they did with the Loop A tray Nov. 20, they'll use a kind of relay technique, one moving ahead and attaching tethers to be ready to receive the tray, then the other moving farther forward to take the next handoff.

Once they reach the installation point they'll bolt down the tray, then hook up its six fluid line connections, two at S0, two at the tray and two in between.

Whitson will move to the starboard side of Harmony. There she will remove launch restraints from latch petals of a common berthing mechanism. Those petals will initially attach the European Space Agency laboratory Columbus, enabling bolts to be driven to secure it to its permanent station home.

Tani, meanwhile, will remove one of the 22 covers of the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint and do an inspection similar to the one he did during his spacewalk during the STS-120 mission. He will take digital pictures of the joint and collect samples of any debris there.

He will return the cover to the airlock, leaving the joint available for a video survey by a camera on the station's robotic Canadarm2. That survey will be done after the STS-122 mission and will involve at least one full rotation of the suspect joint, which has experienced vibration and increased electrical current draw.

One or more get-ahead tasks may be done if time permits.

The two spacewalkers will do the standard cleanup process and then enter the airlock. The beginning of its repressurization will mark the official end of the spacewalk.

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spacewalk today

Whitson, Tani Spacewalk Under Way

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Image Above: Spacewalkers Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani move a fluid tray outside the International Space Station during Saturday's spacewalk. Image credit: NASA TV
Spacewalkers Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani began their spacewalk today at 4:50 a.m. EST. Their activities will be similar to Tuesday’s spacewalk.
Today's spacewalk plan includes hooking up more electrical and fluid connections between the Harmony Node 2 and the Destiny laboratory. They already moved another 300-pound, 18.5 foot fluid tray, the Loop B fluid tray, from a temporary location on the station’s main truss to the Destiny lab. The Loop B fluid tray was placed on the opposite side of where the Loop A fluid tray was placed on Tuesday.
 

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Whitson, Tani Complete Successful Spacewalk

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Image Above: Spacewalkers Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani move a fluid tray outside the International Space Station during Saturday's spacewalk. Image credit: NASA TV

Spacewalkers Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani completed Saturday’s spacewalk at 11:54 a.m. EST. The 7 hour and 4 minute excursion started an hour and 10 minutes early. They completed their main tasks well ahead of the timeline then moved on to perform some get-ahead work.

+ Read more about Saturday's spacewalk

The two spacewalkers moved the 300-pound, 18.5 foot Loop B fluid tray from the station’s main truss to the port side of Destiny and completed fluid and electrical connections.

Tani did an inspection of a Solar Alpha Rotary Joint that had previously shown increased power consumption and vibration while rotating as it followed the Sun. Whitson deployed and mated cables to be used as part of the Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System, or SSPTS. A portable foot restraint was also installed on Node 2 for upcoming spacewalks when the European Columbus laboratory is installed on the STS-122 mission.
 

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ISS UPDATE

The Expedition 16 crew members had an off-duty day Monday, relaxing after Saturday’s 7 hour, 4 minute spacewalk. The stage is now set for the launch of Atlantis next week on the STS-122 mission to deliver the European Columbus laboratory to the orbital outpost.

+ Read more about Saturday's spacewalk

The two spacewalkers moved the 300-pound, 18.5 foot Loop B fluid tray from the station’s main truss to the port side of Destiny and completed fluid and electrical connections. The Harmony node was then fully activated by the ground, one day earlier than originally planned.

They also inspected the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, finding additional contamination and likely damage to the "race ring."

Saturday’s spacewalk was the 99th in support of International Space Station assembly.
 

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ISS UPDATE

Crew Continues Interior Outfitting of the Harmony Node

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Image Above: Astronaut Peggy Whitson works next to the Harmony node in its new position in front of the Destiny laboratory during Saturday's spacewalk. Image credit: NASA

The Expedition 16 crew members aboard the International Space Station continued the internal outfitting of the Harmony node, along with routine maintenance on Tuesday.

Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani continued the interior outfitting of the Harmony node by performing “plumbing” work on the space connecting the Destiny Lab and the Harmony node by installing nitrogen transfer jumpers. Whitson later set up the Harmony node vestibule for depressurization and leak checking.

Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko worked several hours on the Service Module’s fire warning system, removing and replacing all expired smoke detectors. The crew members also completed their daily exercise program, worked on several experiments and gathered some of the tools that will be used during the STS-122 spacewalks.
 

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ISS UPDATE

Crew Preparing for Arrival of Atlantis

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Image Above: Flight Engineer Dan Tani works in the Destiny Laboratory. Image credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 16 crew aboard the International Space Station is preparing for the arrival of space shuttle Atlantis after its scheduled launch for the STS-122 mission on Dec. 6.

Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani worked Wednesday resizing spacesuits and gathering needed tools for the spacewalkers of the upcoming mission. Whitson and Tani also installed the Centerline Berthing Camera System that will be used for visual cues in the installation of the European Columbus module to the Harmony connecting node.

Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko are scheduled to tag up with flight controllers in Houston to discuss their training on Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver photography they will perform as Atlantis approaches the station for docking. The photography will document the condition of Atlantis' heat shield for analysis by imagery experts at Johnson Space Center.
 

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ISS UPDATE

Leak Check Performed; Crew Prepares for Atlantis

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Image Above: Commander Peggy Whitson is opening the hatch to the vestibule between the Harmony Node and the Destiny Laboratory. Image credit: NASA TV

Wednesday night the Expedition 16 crew closed hatches to the vestibule between Harmony Node and Destiny Laboratory to support a second overnight leak check. When Commander Peggy Whitson opened the Destiny Lab forward hatch Thursday morning, there did not appear to be any pressure change between the Lab and the vestibule. If there had been a leak in the vestibule, a pressure drop would have been observed. Telemetry from this morning also suggested that the vestibule did not leak overnight. Specialists in Mission Control Center Houston will continue to analyze all data from both overnight leak checks.

On Thursday, crew members gathered spacewalk tools, recharged the satellite telephone for the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft and performed a routine fire drill. Whitson is also scheduled to record a video tour that will be downlinked for study by the STS-122 crew for familiarization prior to their arrival at the station.

The crew continues preparing for the arrival of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122 mission scheduled to launch on Dec. 6.
 

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ISS UPDATE

Crew Performs Additional Leak Checks

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Image Above: Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani are working in the Destiny Laboratory. Image credit: NASA TV

The Expedition 16 crew performed additional leak checks Friday on the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA-2).

After partially pressurizing PMA-2, Commander Peggy Whitson performed the leak check then initiated the depressurization of the passageway between the docking port and the Harmony node until its planned repressurization on Dec. 7 for the scheduled docking of Atlantis on the STS-122 mission.

The test repetition was requested by ground specialists because of inconclusive results of the first 15-hour leak check on the vestibule between Harmony Node and PMA-2.

Whitson also worked with an experiment that charts the growth and development of tomato plants, yeast cell genes and a crystal "garden" in the weightless environment of space, which will be compared with similar experiments being conducted in K-12 classrooms around the world.

On Saturday, Canadarm2 will be maneuvered to the correct location on the Harmony Node's Power and Data Grapple Fixture for the upcoming installation of the Columbus module.

Space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch on Dec. 6 beginning the STS-122 mission to deliver and attach the European Columbus laboratory to the station.
 

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iss update

Crew Preps for Arrival of Atlantis

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Image Above: Astronaut Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander, works in the vestibule between the Harmony node and Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA

The Expedition 16 crew aboard the International Space Station continues preparations for the arrival of space shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to launch on the STS-122 mission Thursday.

On Monday, the crew reviewed robotics plans and collected tools for use during the STS-122 spacewalks.

The crew also worked with the Coarsening in Solid Liquid Mixtures-2 (CSLM-2) experiment. CSLM-2 examines the effects of microgravity on a phenomenon called coarsening.

On Saturday, a final leak check of the vestibule between Harmony and Destiny proved that there is an air-tight seal and no degradation of pressure. After a 17-hour test, the leak rate was reported to be insignificant.
 

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Station Crew Ready for Visitors

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Image Above: Astronaut Daniel Tani, Expedition 16 flight engineer, smiles for a photo while floating in the Harmony node of the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA

The Expedition 16 crew members aboard the International Space Station are completing final preparations for the arrival of space shuttle Atlantis, set to launch Thursday from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

On Wednesday, the Expedition 16 crew spent time reviewing spacewalk procedures and detailed timelines for joint operations with the STS-122 crew. Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the space station on Saturday.

During the STS-122 mission, the shuttle crew will conduct three spacewalks to install the Columbus Research module on the orbital outpost. STS-122 will also deliver a new station crew member, European Space Agency astronaut Leopold Eyharts.

Flight Engineer Dan Tani, who arrived at the station in October with STS-120, will return home aboard Atlantis.

Commander Peggy Whitson, Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Tani will enjoy an off-duty day Thursday.
 

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ISS UPDATE

STS-122 Delayed, Station Crew Presses Ahead

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Image Above: Commander Peggy Whitson floats inside the Harmony module. Image credit: NASA

STS-122, the mission to deliver and install the Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station, has been delayed until no earlier than Jan. 2, 2008.

For the latest news and information on the STS-122 mission, visit the main shuttle page.
+ Read More

Meanwhile, the Expedition 16 crew is pressing ahead with normal station activities including housekeeping and science experiments. The crew also monitored the refilling of ammonia in the cooling loops inside the Destiny lab.

Early Saturday, Mission Control noted the simultaneous trip of two station circuit breakers and a power surge protection device. The equipment is associated with a positioning device for the station solar arrays called a Beta Gimbal Assembly that can change the angle of one of the two wings of the S4 solar array on the station's starboard side.

Using a backup path for ground commands, controllers reset the circuit breakers and set the angle of the wing to a favorable, but temporary angle for power production, where it currently remains. Normally, the angle of the arrays changes frequently to maximize power generation. Engineers are evaluating the problem.

Neither this Beta Gimbal Assembly issue nor the unrelated issue with the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, which rotates the starboard solar arrays, impacts current station operations.
 
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