STS-117 Mission Updates: Part 2

by Space.com, staff

Date: 16 June 2007 Time: 09:13 AM ET

Spacewalk Ends for Shuttle Astronauts
15 June 2007 9:29 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --Spacewalkers Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas are back inside the Quest airlock, which is now repressurizing signaling an end to today?s spacewalk

The spacewalk began at 1:24 p.m. EDT (1724 GMT) and officially ended at 9:22 p.m. EDT (0122 June 16 GMT).

Total spacewalking time: Seven hours and 58 minutes.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

NASA is providing live coverage of Atlantis? mission to the ISS. You are invited to follow the mission using SPACE.com?s NASA TV, which is available by clicking here or using the button at the left.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Head Back to ISS Airlock
15 June 2007 9:13 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --Spacewalkers Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas are back at the Quest airlock aboard the International Space Station as they near the end of today?s spacewalk.

Altogether, the spacewalkers have repaired a torn shuttle blanket on Atlantis, installed a new vent to aid a U.S. oxygen generator and helped furl a seven-year-old solar array outside the orbital laboratory.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Complete ISS Solar Array Retraction
15 June 2007 9:03 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas, and astronauts inside the International Space Station, have completed the retraction of the outpost?s old, starboard-reaching solar array.

The array, the second to be furled atop the station?s Port 6 truss, is latched inside its storage boxes, priming the Port 6 truss for later relocation to the port-most end of the ISS on a later shuttle mission.

The spacewalkers are now wrapping up their worksites and preparing to end today?s EVA.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

ISS Solar Array Retracted in Spacewalk
15 June 2007 8:31 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas, and astronauts inside the International Space Station, have completed the retraction of the outpost?s old, starboard-reaching solar array.

A final check to make sure the array is retracted properly is underway.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

ISS Solar Array Nears Completion in Spacewalk
15 June 2007 8:15 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- ?Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas, and astronauts inside the International Space Station, have nearly completed the retraction of the outpost?s old, starboard-reaching solar array.

Only a tiny bit remains before it is completely stowed in storage boxes, that will then be latched tight.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Steady Progress in Solar Array Furling for Spacewalkers
15 June 2007 7:59 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? The stop-and-go technique is paying off for astronauts inside and outside the International Space Station as they retract an old solar array atop the outpost.

On NASA TV, the array can be seen creeping into its storage boxes one piece at a time, stopping after each motion to allow spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas to clear snags.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Make Progress in Solar Array Retraction
15 June 2007 7:38 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas have passed the six-hour mark in today?s work to retract a solar array outside the International Space Station (ISS).

At the start of today?s retraction activities, the solar array extended about halfway of its total 115-foot (35-meter) length, or about 15.5 sections of its mast, known as bays.

Less than 7.5 bays remain deployed.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Solar Array Retracts Slowly, Spacewalk Extended
15 June 2007 7:20 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? The solar array retraction outside the International Space Station is continuing in a start-and-stop fashion as astronauts haul in the power-producing wing, then stop to free snags.

Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas have been given a go to continue their efforts to aid in the retraction for at least another hour, well beyond their planned 6.5-hour schedule, due to ample spacesuit consumables, NASA said.

Reilly has noted that some of the nearly-seven year old solar array?s grommets are snagged tightly.

?It?s like theses grommets are spring-loaded,? Reilly said.

?I guess they?re just old, JR,? Atlantis commander Rick Sturckow said.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Solar Array Retraction Begins in Spacewalk
15 June 2007 6:57 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas have ?fluffed? and prodded the solar array atop the International Space Station to clear its folds for retraction.

Astronauts inside the ISS and Atlantis are now commanding it to retract it about one-half of a section of its pop up mast.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Work on Solar Array
15 June 2007 6:30 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas have ascended the space station?s Port 6 truss where they will address any apparent snags in the half-furled array.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Ascend ISS Power Tower
15 June 2007 6:25 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas have ascended the International Space Station?s tower-like Port 6 truss for today?s solar array retraction.

Olivas will climb to the base of the half-stowed array, which reaches out over the station?s starboard side. Reilly will climb aboard the space station?s robotic arm. From that perch, he will be able to physically loose snags on the array.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Gather Tools for Solar Wing Retraction
15 June 2007 5:55 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas are gathering the tools they will need to help continue the retraction of the Port 6 solar array atop the International Space Station.

They are returning to the station?s U.S. Quest airlock to load up on cameras, tape-wrapped tools and other items.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Solar Array Retraction on Tap
15 June 2007 5:31 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas have tethered the problematic debris shield they were working to replace and are now stowing their tools.

Their next major task, expected to take the remainder of the spacewalk, will be to be the on scene eyes and hands during today?s planned retraction of the station?s Port 6 solar array.

Today?s spacewalk has passed the four-hour mark.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Team Up for Tasks
15 June 2007 4:55 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON --? Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas are working together again after completing their solo tasks outside the International Space Station (ISS).

Olivas met Reilly outside the station?s Destiny module, where he stepped out of his perch at the end of the shuttle Atlantis? robotic arm. The two are now working to reinstall a debris shield over a new vent valve installed by Reilly earlier in the spacewalk.

Earlier, Olivas also successfully stapled and pinned a torn thermal blanket back into place on the Atlantis?s aft-mounted left engine pod.

The two spacewalkers are expected to help furl the remainder of an old solar array atop the station?s Port 6 truss.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalk Continues, Failed ISS Computers Rebooted
15 June 2007 4:23 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- As today?s spacewalk continues outside the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts inside the outpost and flight controllers have restarted balky computers in the Russian segment.

Initial reports are that two out of three lanes for the Russian segment?s central and terminal computing systems are up and running. The central computer system governs command and control functions in the station?s Russian modules. The terminal computer oversees navigation guidance and attitude control

Meanwhile, spacewalker Danny Olivas has completed a repair of the shuttle Alantis? damaged blanket.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalker Staples Blanket Secure
15 June 2007 3:40 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Spacewalker Danny Olivas has successfully stapled the torn shuttle blanket in place and installed pins to secure it in place.

His partner Jim Reilly also completed a separate task to install a hydrogen vent to the exterior of the International Space Station?s Destiny laboratory. He is also expected to disconnect an unused power cable on the station?s new Starboard 3/Starboard 4 truss as a troubleshooting measure for the station?s ongoing computer problems.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalker Handles Damaged Shuttle Blanket
15 June 2007 2:57 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Spacewalker Danny Olivas is working at the site of a damaged thermal blanket on the shuttle Atlantis? aft left engine pod. He has patted down uplifted material and is now proceeding to staple it down.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Head to First Worksites
15 June 2007 2:35 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas are at their first worksites of today?s planned 6.5-hour excursion outside the International Space Station.

Olivas is perched at the tip of the shuttle Atlantis? robotic arm to repair a torn thermal blanket at the aft of the orbiter. Reilly is at the side of the station?s Destiny lab to install a new vent valve for a U.S. oxygen generator.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Begin Third Spacewalk
15 June 2007 1:35 p.m. EDT

Astronauts Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas have exited the Quest? airlock of the International Space Station (ISS) to begin the third spacewalk of the STS-117 mission.

Reilly is wearing a NASA spacesuit with red stripes and Olivas is suited in an all white spacesuit.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Ker Than

Atlantis Astronauts Prepare for Third Spacewalk
15 June 2007 1:02 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Spacewalkers Jim Reilly II and Danny Olivas are gearing up for the third spacewalk of NASA?s STS-117 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The spacewalk is slated to begin about 1:38 p.m. EDT (1738 GMT).

NASA roused the Atlantis astronaut crew at 8:38 a.m. EDT (1238 GMT) with the song ?Radar Love? by the band Golden Earring, chosen for STS-117 mission specialist Steven Swanson by his family.

Click to here for SPACE.com?s spacewalk preview.

- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Retract ISS Solar Array Halfway
14 June 2007 4:57 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Astronauts aboard NASA?s space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station have reeled in an old solar array to the halfway point of its 115-foot (35-meter) length.

The array, which is supported by a mast of pop-up battens arranged in more than 30 box-like sections, or bays, is retracted to the point that around 15 to 15.5 bays are exposed, the astronauts said.

?That?s good news,? said NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, serving as the station?s spacecraft communicator at Mission Control here at the Johnson Space Center. ?We?re halfway there.?

The remainder of the solar array is expected to be retracted during a Friday spacewalk.

- Tariq Malik

NASA: No Quick Fix for ISS Computer Glitch
14 June 2007 3:17 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Efforts to fully recover critical Russian computer systems on the International Space Station (ISS) will take at least a few days, though the orbital laboratory is in a good configuration for that period, NASA associate administrator Bill Gerstenmaier said Thursday.

?It will not be quick,? Gerstenmaier said of the Russian computer system glitch.

Earlier today, Russian engineers made contact with two of the failed computers for a seven-minute period, Gerstenmaier added. During that time they uploaded commands that restored power to some afflicted systems and now plan to isolate the station?s Russian segments from the power supply offered by the new starboard solar arrays installed during the ongoing shuttle flight.

The space station, Gerstenmaier assured, is in a good configuration to weather the troubleshooting process.

Meanwhile, astronauts aboard the shuttle Atlantis continue to work to retract an older solar array into storage boxes at the very top of the ISS.

A full story on Gerstenmaier?s report will be posted to SPACE.com?s homepage shortly.

- Tariq Malik

ISS Solar Array Retraction Efforts Continue
14 June 2007 2:03 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Now that the International Space Station is passing into sunlight, solar array retraction efforts are due to resume.

Up first: a solar wing ?wiggle? under command by flight controllers on Earth to shake out snags. Then shuttle astronauts are expected to resume hauling the half-furled array into its storage boxes.

Meanwhile, NASA will hold a media briefing at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT) live on NASA TV with associate administrator for space operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who is expected to address ongoing efforts to recover vital Russian computer systems aboard the ISS among other topics.

SPACE.com will pause coverage of the solar array attraction until after that media briefing.

- Tariq Malik

ISS Solar Array Snag Apparently Clear
14 June 2007 1:21 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- The slack guidewire that stalled retraction efforts of an International Space Station solar array appears to have cleared itself up.

?Houston, great news,? Atlantis shuttle commander Rick Sturckow called down to Mission Control. ?The wire just freed itself?so it?s all good.?

Sturckow and his crewmates snapped photos of the wire loop and its apparent self correction to send back to Earth. They are waiting until another daylight pass to pursue array retraction.

- Tariq Malik

ISS Solar Array Folding Hits Snag
14 June 2007 12:53 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- An errant loop of wire has thrown a snag into the continued retraction of an old solar array at the International Space Station.

The wire, one of three guidewires that run the length of the Port 6 solar wing, appears to have some slack that is interfering with the arrays? retraction.

ISS flight controllers have tried wiggling the array by ordering it to twist on its base, as well as extending slightly to pick up the slack, but to no effect.

?I definitely would not retract anymore in this configuration,? Atlantis commander Rick Sturckow radioed down to Mission Control.

NASA has budgeted more time during a Friday spacewalk, and possibly during an extra fourth spacewalk set for Sunday, to wrangle the solar array into submission.

- Tariq Malik

ISS Solar Array Retraction Resumes
14 June 2007 12:31 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Astronauts aboard NASA?s shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station are slowly reeling in the station?s Port 6 solar array.

?The first bay looks pretty good,? said STS-117 mission specialist Sunita Williams, referring to the array?s one mast section, or bay, that folded away.

The retraction process began at 12:25 a.m. EDT (1625 GMT) and has hauled the 115-foot (35-meter) array in by about two bays, leaving about 16 bays of the more than 30 bays. The array was almost half-furled at the start of today?s activities.

- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Prepare to Resume Solar Array Retraction
14 June 2007 12:20 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Astronauts aboard NASA?s shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station are gearing up to once more attempt to retract a solar array outside the orbital laboratory.

The spaceflyers are waiting for the ISS to pass into daylight to retract the array, which reaches out towards starboard from the station?s mast-like Port 6 array. Spacewalkers helped haul in the array about halfway on Wednesday.

- Tariq Malik

Some Contact With Russian ISS Computers Restored
14 June 2007 8:54 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- Russian flight controllers for the International Space Station (ISS) restored contact with a pair of vital computers aboard the orbital laboratory early Thursday after a major failure left the outpost dependent on U.S. systems and NASA?s Atlantis shuttle for attitude control.

Meanwhile, the seven astronauts aboard Atlantis has been roused for the seventh day of their planned 13-day mission.

Click here for SPACE.com?s story on the crew?s activities today.

In a morning status report, NASA ISS flight director Holly Ridings said efforts to recover the failed computers overnight appeared to payoff as engineers reactivated communications with a main computers in the station?s Russian-built Zvezda service module and the Zarya control module.

?It looks like they?ve made a lot of progress overnight,? Ridings said on NASA TV. ?There?s some cleanup steps to do still, and some investigation.?

A full report will follow shortly.

- Tariq Malik

Russian Computer Crash May Extend Shuttle Mission
14 June 2007 12:56 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON -- The loss of vital computers governing Russian systems aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has left the orbital laboratory dependent on U.S.-built attitude control gyroscopes and NASA?s visiting Atlantis shuttle, mission managers said late Wednesday.

The station?s three-astronaut Expedition 15 crew and seven visiting Atlantis spaceflyers are relying on redundant U.S. systems to make up for the loss, but the issue must be settled before the shuttle leaves the ISS, they added.

A full report will be posted to the SPACE.com homepage shortly.

Click HERE for SPACE.com?s preview story on today?s spacewalk.

- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Complete Spacewalk Outside ISS
13 June 2007 9:46 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - Spacewalkers Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson have completed today?s spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

Total spacewalking time: 7 hours, 15 minutes.

A wrap up of today?s spacewalking activities will be posted to the SPACE.com homepage following NASA?s planned post-spacewalk press conference slated to begin at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

Click HERE for SPACE.com?s preview story on today?s spacewalk.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Shut ISS Airlock Hatch
13 June 2007 9:41 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - Spacewalkers Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson have shut the outer hatch of the space station?s Quest airlock and are now plugging their spacesuits into umbilical cables for fresh water, air and power.?

Click HERE for SPACE.com?s preview story on today?s spacewalk.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Reenter ISS Airlock
13 June 2007 9:24 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - Spacewalkers Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson are reentering the space station?s Quest airlock.

The spacewalkers are nearing the end of their spacesuits? standard resources and will plug into umbilicals within Quest for fresh water, power and oxygen. Forrester has received an indicator that his suits? ability to scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is becoming saturated.

Click HERE for SPACE.com?s preview story on today?s spacewalk.

- Tariq Malik

Spacewalker?s Supplies Running Low
13 June 2007 9:16 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON - Spacewalker Patrick Forrester will have to return to the International Space Station?s Quest airlock to plug into an umbilical as his spacesuit?s carbon dioxide scrubbing capability is running low, NASA officials said.

He and spacewalking partner Steven Swanson are packing up tools and preparing to end their excursion.?

Click HERE for SPACE.com?s