STS-124 Mission Update: Part 1

Shuttle Astronauts Awake for Spacewalk Day
5 June 2008 7:17 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Astronauts aboard NASA?s shuttle Discovery are up and at ?em for today?s planned spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

NASA?s Mission Control here at the Johnson Space Center roused the crew at 6:32 a.m. EDT (1032 GMT) with the song ?I Want to Fly Away? by Lenny Kravitz, a tune chosen specifically for spacewalker Ron Garan.

?Mike and I are getting ready to go out the door for our second spacewalk today, it?s going to be a wonderful day,? Garan said. ?It?s great to hear that song this morning.?

Today?s spacewalk, aimed at adding cameras to the station?s new Kibo lab among other tasks, is slated to begin at 11:32 a.m. EDT (1532 GMT).

Today is Flight Day 6 of the Discovery crew?s planned 14-day mission.

Click here for a look at today?s spacewalk for the shuttle?s STS-124 crew.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Japanese Astronaut Opens Station?s New Lab
4 June 2008 5:16 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide has officially opened the International Space Station?s new Kibo laboratory for business, with the hatch opened at 5:05 p.m. EDT (2105 GMT).

?It looks very empty, but it?s full of dreams, and I really think that?s what it is,? Hoshide said of the tour bus-sized laboratory. ?The Kibo lab is open!?

The astronauts opened the hatch as the space station flew 216 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, just east of France. They floated into the laboratory at about 5:09 p.m. EDT (2109 GMT), with Hoshide holding up a welcome sign in English and Japanese.

They initially wore face masks and goggles to avoid any remaining debris inside the module, but soon turned to orbital somersaults and flips within Kibo?s spacious volume.

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Lights on Inside Station?s Kibo Lab
4 June 2008 4:44 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The lights are on inside the International Space Station?s new Kibo laboratory as astronauts prepare to open the tour bus-sized module for the first time.

Japanese astronauts Akihiko Hoshide, representing the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will be the first one inside the new module, followed by NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg. They and other crewmates have been diligently working through a checklist of cable hookups and activations.

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Activation Plans for Station?s New Lab Continue
4 June 2008 3:29 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Japanese mission controllers at the Tsukuba Space Center in Japan are working alongside NASA?s Mission Control here at the Johnson Space Center to power up an electronics loop aboard the new Kibo laboratory at the International Space Station.

The Loop B activation is a major step in Kibo?s installation, with Loop A activation slated to follow tomorrow. The 10 astronauts aboard the station and shuttle Discovery have been hard at work routing cooling, power and data cables between the new Kibo lab and station.

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Station?s Kibo Lab Preparations to Resume
4 June 2008 2:36 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Mission Control here at NASA?s Johnson Space Center has given the astronauts aboard the International Space Station the go ahead to press ahead with plans to open the outpost?s Kibo laboratory after a slight delay due to an air bubble in a cooling system line.

Astronauts are hooking up a series of data, cooling and power systems lines that will tie the newly installed Kibo laboratory into the space station?s systems. The bubble, noted by a pressure drop in a moderate temperature loop, was detected earlier today and prompted astronauts to hold off on further Kibo outfitting.

Engineers believe the air bubble can be overcome by increasing the cooling line?s pump speed, NASA officials said.

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Press Ahead to Open Kibo Lab
4 June 2008 2:01 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The 10 astronauts aboard the International Space Station are steadily working through a busy day in orbit after repairing the outpost?s toilet and overhauling its U.S. air scrubber, with plans now set to open the new Japanese Kibo lab.

Station astronaut Oleg Kononenko appears to have successfully repaired the station?s Russian toilet earlier today, with crewmate Greg Chamitoff and shuttle flyer Garrett Reisman servicing the U.S. air scrubber. Other shuttle astronauts have been hard at work connecting data, power and water lines to the station?s new Kibo laboratory.

Hatch opening is set for 4:52 p.m. EDT (2052 GMT).

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Space Toilet Repair Appears to Go Well
4 June 2008 12:24 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko plumbing job to fix the International Space Station?s toilet appears to be a success, with engineers giving the go ahead to use the orbital loo for the time being.

Three separate tests of the Russian-built toilet in the station?s Zvezda service module appeared to go well after Kononenko replaced a faulty urine collection system pump.

?Without drawing any immediate and hard and fast conclusions, it does appear that the service module toilet is back in business for urine collection in its primary mode,? NASA commentator Rob Navias said after the fix.

Elsewhere on the station, astronauts have overhauled a U.S. air scrubbing device and are preparing to open the outpost?s new Japanese Kibo laboratory this afternoon.

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Initial Space Toilet Repair Tests Under Way
4 June 2008 11:57 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko is now working in tandem engineers in Moscow to test his repairs to the International Space Station?s orbital loo.

Kononenko replaced a broken pump in the space toilet?s urine collection system in hopes of restoring it to full operations. Initial tests appeared encouraging.

?I see airflow right away,? Kononenko said after activating the system. ?There is no hissing sound. The sound that it is making is very uniform.?

The station?s Russian-built toilet uses airflow in place of gravity to collect waste in weightlessness. The pump for liquid waste failed about two weeks ago, prompting astronauts to improvise a fix that included using extra water and a laborious, two-person overhaul every three flushes to keep the toilet operational.

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Station?s New Space Toilet Pump Installed
4 June 2008 11:11 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has installed the new pump for the International Space Station?s orbital toilet and is now swapping out filters for the zero gravity bathroom.

Kononenko spent about an hour replacing the pump, a gas-liquid separator used in the toilet?s liquid waste collection system. NASA launched the spare part and other restroom supplies aboard the shuttle Discovery on May 31. Engineers in Russia are walking Kononenko through today?s toilet repair. ?

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Test Shuttle Inspection Boom
4 June 2008 9:14 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Astronauts aboard NASA?s shuttle Discovery are busy checking the delicate laser and camera sensors at the tip of their spacecraft?s 50-foot (15-meter) robotic arm today.

The inspection boom was retrieved during a Tuesday spacewalk after months in storage outside the International Space Station. Discovery launched without the now-standard boom on May 31 because its main cargo, Japan?s $1 billion Kibo lab, left no room for the inspection pole.

Astronauts are using the boom to conduct an ad hoc focused inspection of Discovery?s heat shield as part of the test, though mission managers said Tuesday that the shuttle?s tiles are in good shape. A full-up inspection of Discovery?s heat shield is slated for next week.

Later today, astronauts will also tackle repairs to the station?s balky space toilet and open the Kibo laboratory for the first time.

Click here for a look at today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Crew Awake for Day of Orbital Outfitting and Plumbing
4 June 2008 7:35 a.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The crew of the space shuttle Discovery?s STS-214 mission awoke this morning to the sweet strumming sounds of the song ?Have You Ever? by Brandi Carlile.

?Good morning Discovery, and a special good morning to you today, Karen,? capcom astronaut Shannon Lucid called up to the crew from the ground.

?Good morning Shannon,? mission specialist Karen Nyberg replied, ?and good morning to everybody in Houston, and also a special good morning to my mom and dad in Minnesota and all my brothers and sisters and their families. I wish you guys could be up here with me.?

The astronauts and the crew of the International Space Station (ISS)?s Expedition 17 plan to attempt to fix a troublesome toilet aboard the station as well as begin to outfit the newest addition to the orbital outpost, the Japanese Kibo lab. During the STS-124 mission?s first spacewalk Tuesday, the astronauts installed the new module onto the ISS?s Harmony node.

Click here for a preview of today?s activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Kibo Installed, And First Spacewalk Finished!
3 June 2008 7:10 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The first spacewalk of the STS-124 mission finished off with a bang as the newest addition to the international Space Station was installed at 7:01 p.m. EDT (2301 GMT). The spacewalk officially finished at 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 GMT).

Just as astronaut Aki Hoshide completed the attachment of the Japanese lab Kibo to the station, the two spacewalking astronauts, Mike Fossum and Ron Garan, came back inside the hatch and ended their outside adventure.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

New Japanese Lab Being Installed on Station
3 June 2008 6:50 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Astronauts are fitting the Japanese Kibo lab onto its new permanent spot on the the International Space Station (ISS).

?You are go for first stage capture,? Garret said to Hoshide, instructing him to move forward with the first steps of installing the new module.

?Sweet!? Hoshide replied.

One the new lab is installed, it will become the largest module on the space station, after it is fully installed.

The two spacewalking astronauts are moving back into the airlock of the space station in preparation to end their venture out into space.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

 ?Hope? Reaches ?Harmony?
3 June 2008 6:15 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The Kibo (?Hope? in Japanese) module has finally reached its new home, the Harmony node on the International Space Station (ISS).

The long-awaited Japanese laboratory will soon become the largest module on the space station, after it is fully installed. The room was delivered to Harmony by the station?s robotic arm, controlled by onboard astronauts Akihiko Hoshide and Karen Nyberg.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Kibo Inching Closer to Home
3 June 2008 6:00 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The long-awaited Japanese Kibo laboratory is inching closer and closer to its intended roost on the International Space Station (ISS).

The module is being carried from the space shuttle Discovery?s payload bay to the space station?s Harmony node by the station robotic arm, steered by Hoshide and Karen Nyberg. Once it reaches its destination and is installed, it will be the largest room aboard the orbital outpost.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Kibo Flies Across the Sky
3 June 2008 5:30p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The space station?s newest lab, the giant Japanese Kibo module, is flying across the sky on its way to its new spot on the International Space Station (ISS).

From inside the station, astronauts Aki Hoshide and Karen Nyberg are driving the station?s robotic arm, which is carrying Kibo from the cargo bay of the space shuttle Discovery to the space station?s Harmony node.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Fossum Inspects Broken Wing Joint
3 June 2008 4:40 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Spacewalker Mike Fossum has moved over to a troublesome joint on one of the space station?s solar panel wings. The joint has been sticky and unable to move freely.

Fossum is testing various methods of cleaning out the debris, including a scraper tool and a goopy grease that may free up debris clogging the gear. If a technique proves useful, NASA plans to send astronauts on a more intensive cleaning spacewalk during a future mission.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Astronauts Have Released Kibo
3 June 2008 4:00 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The two spacewalkers have released all the hooks and latches keeping Kibo in the cargo bay of the shuttle Discovery. Now astronauts onboard the space station can grab it with the station?s robotic arm and slowly move it over to its new perch on the Harmony node of the International Space Station.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Let the Light In: Astronauts Open Kibo?s Windows
3 June 2008 3:10 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Spacewalkers Mike Fossum and Ron Garan are unscrewing the covers over the windows on Kibo, the massive new Japanese laboratory set to be attached to the space station today.

The astronauts are preparing the lab to be unberthed from the space shuttle?s payload bay and transported to its new home on the International Space Station.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Astronauts Work to Free Kibo From Payload Bay
3 June 2008 2:30 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? More than two hours into today?s spacewalk, the first of the STS-124 mission, spacewalkers Mike Fossum and Ron Garan are working to free the new Japanese Kibo lab from the space shuttle Discovery?s payload bay and prepare it to be installed on the space station.

After they remove Kibo from its restraints in the shuttle, the space station?s robotic arm will grab it and move it ?carefully, methodically and glacially? to its new permanent perch on the Harmony node of the International Space Station.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Inspection Boom Handed Off From Station to Shuttle
3 June 2008 2:10 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The long-lost shuttle inspection boom, which has been temporarily stored on the International Space Station, has been handed off back to the space shuttle Discovery.

From inside the station astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, steering the station?s robotic arm, passed the 50-foot boom over to Karen Nyberg, driving the shuttle?s arm.

The astronauts plan to use the inspection boom, attached to the shuttle?s arm, to perform a detailed scan of the shuttle?s sensitive heat shield for signs of damaged incurred during launch.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Spacewalkers Making Up for Lost Time
3 June 2008 1:50 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? The two spacewalkers outside the International Space Station (ISS) are quickly making up for lost time. Even though they started about 50 minutes late, Mike Fossum and Ron Garan have speeded through their checklists, getting about half an hour ahead of schedule, so they are now running only 20 minutes behind on the clock.

Fossum and Garan are working to free up the inspection boom that?s currently on the station, so it can be transferred to the shuttle Discovery.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Astronauts Disconnect Shuttle Inspection Boom From Space Station
3 June 2008 1:35 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? More than an hour into today?s spacewalk, astronauts Mike Fossum and Ron Garan are working together to disconnect the space shuttle sensor-tipped inspection boom from the International Space Station?s truss, so it can be transferred to the shuttle Discovery. Astronauts plan to use the boom later in the week to conduct a detailed inspection of its heat shield.

The boom was left behind on the station by NASA?s previous shuttle mission, because Discovery didn?t have enough room in its payload (full with the new Japanese lab Kibo) to fit it in.

A little while ago, Fossum finished up inspecting the attachment area for Kibo, which will be installed later today.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Fossum Prepares Kibo?s Attachment Point
3 June 2008 1:15 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Astronaut Mike Fossum has finished his activities with the elbow cameras on the shuttle and has moved on to preparations for attaching the new giant Japanese Kibo laboratory to the space station.

Fossum is inspecting the attachment point, or berthing mechanism, on the International Space Station where Kibo will be installed. He will check out the mating seals on the Harmony connecting node where the Japanese lab will go.

Mike Fossum and Ron Garan officially began their spacewalk at 12:22 p.m. EDT (1622 GMT), and have started in on their six-and-a-half hours worth of planned activities.

Click here for a preview of today?s spacewalking activities.

NASA is broadcasting Discovery?s mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Clara Moskowitz

AAstronauts Split Off to Pursue Planned Activities
3 June 2008 1:05 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON ? Spacewalking astronauts Ron Garan and Mike Fossum have split off from each other to move to different sections of the International Space Station (ISS) to pursue their separate scheduled activities.

Ron Garan is in the process of releasing the restraints holding the space shuttle robotic arm attachment boom, which was left on the station for the shuttle Discovery.

Fossum is working to release the elbow cameras in the shuttle?s payload bay, which were held back to prevent them from bumping into the Japanese Kibo lab while it was being transported to the station.

Mike Fossum and Ron Garan officially began their spacewalk at 12:22 p.m. EDT (1622 GMT), and have started in on their six-and-a-half hou