Crew Swap Begins Aboard Space Station
12 October 2007 12:56 p.m. EDT

A nine-day crew swap is now under way aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after the successful docking of a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT) today.

ISS Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor are now working with their Expedition 15 counterparts to take control of the orbital laboratory.

Shukor will return with the Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov, who are scheduled to land on Oct. 21.

"I feel very well," Shukor told flight controllers on Earth. "And I have lots of Russian and American friends up onboard with me here."

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking and hatch opening 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

Soyuz Astronauts Enter Space Station
12 October 2007 12:42 p.m. EDT

The two Expedition 16 astronauts and Malaysia's first spaceflyer have entered the International Space Station (ISS), with the outpost's three-man Expedition 15 greeting them with broad smiles and hearty hugs.

Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian spaceflyer Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor waved at ISS cameras. They docked at 10:20 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT) and opened hatches about two hours later.

"Everybody is smiling and happy, the fun is only about to begin," Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin said.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking and hatch opening 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 Open Hatches Between ISS, Soyuz
12 October 2007 12:25 p.m. EDT

The six astronauts of the International Space Station's Expedition 15 and Expedition 16 crews are sharing their orbital hellos after opening hatches between their two spacecraft at 12:22 p.m. EDT (1622 GMT) today.

"Well hello!" Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin said. "Welcome onboard!"

Yurchikhin and Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov and Clayton Anderson welcomed Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor aboard the ISS. A Russian Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft ferried the new crew to the station at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT).

Whitson and Malenchenko will relieve Yurchikhin and Kotov aboard the ISS while Anderson stays on for the first stage of Expedition 16. The Expedition 15 crew and Shukor will land on Oct. 21.

A video greeting between the joint Expedition 15/Expedition 16 crew and Russian Mission Control will begin shortly.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking and hatch opening 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

Soyuz Astronauts Set to Enter Space Station
12 October 2007 11:43 a.m. EDT

The three astronauts inside the recently docked Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft are preparing to enter the International Space Station (ISS) after today's 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT) docking.

The final leak checks between the two spacecraft are underway as the ISS Expedition 15 crew prepares to open the internal hatches connecting their vehicle with the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft.

Aboard the Soyuz, Expeditoin 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, are preparing to open their own connecting hatch to enter the ISS.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking 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

Leak Checks Underway Between Soyuz, ISS
12 October 2007 11:14 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the recently docked Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft are conducting leak checks as they prepare to open the hatches between their two vehicles.

The Soyuz, with Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor aboard, arrived at the ISS at 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT). Hatches between the two vehicles are slated to be opened between 11:50 a.m. EDT and 12:20 p.m. EDT (1550-1620 GMT).

A press conference is underway at Russia's ISS Mission Control.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking 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

Soyuz Astronauts Dock at Space Station
12 October 2007 10:54 a.m. EDT

The Russian-built Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft carrying Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS), with docking occurring on time at about 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT).

"Yuri, congratulations," Russian flight controllers told Malenchenko, who commanded the Soyuz's flight.

The two spacecraft were flying 220 miles (354 kilometers) above western Mongolia at the time of docking.

A series of hooks and latches will secure the two spacecraft to one another. After conducting leak checks, the two spacecraft crews are expected to open the hatches separating their two vehicles at about 11:50 a.m. EDT (1550 GMT), NASA said.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking 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

Soyuz Spacecraft Prepares for ISS Arrival
12 October 2007 10:43 a.m. EDT

The Russian-built Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft ferrying Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor to the International Space Station (ISS) is poised to dock at the orbital laboratory.

Docking is set for 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 GMT), with the Soyuz easily discernable in video recorded by cameras outside the ISS.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking 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

Soyuz Spacecraft Primed for ISS Fly Around
12 October 2007 10:33 a.m. EDT

Soyuz TMA-11 commander Yuri Malenchenko has guided his ship to within one kilometer of the International Space Station (ISS) and is preparing to fly the spacecraft around the orbital outpost.

Malenchenko, Expedition 16 commaner Peggy Whitson and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor are on track for today's planned 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 GMT) docking.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking 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

Soyuz Astronauts on Track for ISS Docking
12 October 2007 10:15 a.m. EDT

Preparations for today's Soyuz TMA-11 docking at the International Space Station (ISS) are going smoothly, with the Russian spacecraft nearing within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the orbital laboratory, NASA commentator Rob Navias said. 

Aboard the Russian-built Soyuz, Expedition 16 flight engineer and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko is commanding the vehicle's flight toward a planned 10:52 a.m. (1452 GMT) docking. ISS Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor are accompanying Malenchenko to the ISS.

Hatches between the Soyuz and ISS are expected to be opened as early as 11:50 a.m. EDT (1550 GMT).

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking 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

Soyuz Spacecraft Due at Space Station Today
12 October 2007 10:00 a.m. EDT

A Russian-built Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft is closing in on the International Space Station (ISS) to make a 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 GMT) docking later today.

Riding aboard the Soyuz are ISS Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysia's first astronaut Sheik Muszaphar Shukor. The three spaceflyers are completing a two-day trek to the ISS that began with a flawless Wednesday launch.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 docking 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

Soyuz Rocket Reaches Orbit with Space Station Crew
10 October 2007 9:36 a.m. EDT

The Russian Soyuz rocket hauling the new Expedition 16 crew and a Malaysian astronaut toward the International Space Station (ISS) has successfully reached orbit after a flawless evening launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Now in orbit aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft are Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.

The astronauts launched on time at 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT), though it was 12 minutes after sunset at their Central Asian spaceport.

Whitson and Malenchenko will replace Expedition 15 cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov.

A wrap up of today's Expedition 16 launch will be posted to SPACE.com's homepage shortly.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

Soyuz Rocket Hauls Astronauts Toward Orbit
10 October 2007 9:30 a.m. EDT

The second stage of the Russian Soyuz rocket hauling the new Expedition 16 crew and a Malaysian astronaut toward the International Space Station (ISS) has separated, with the third stage igniting. Four minutes of powered flight remain.

A short time ago the rocket shed its first stage boosters and escape tower. Inside the Soyuz TMA-11 rocket are Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer and Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

LIFTOFF! Soyuz Rocket Launches Astronauts Spaceward
10 October 2007 9:23 a.m. EDT

The next crew of the International Space Station (ISS) and Malaysia's first astronaut are rocketing toward space after the on-time 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT) liftoff of their Soyuz rocket.

Aboard the rocket's Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft are: Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, a NASA astronaut and the first female commander of the ISS; veteran cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, an Expedition 16 flight engineer representing the Federal Space Agency; Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, an orthopedic surgeon flying under a commercial agreement between Russian and his home nation.

It should take about nine minutes for the spaceflyers to reach orbit.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

Launch Time Nears for ISS-Bound Astronauts
10 October 2007 9:15 a.m. EDT

Less than 10 minutes remains now before the planned 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT) launch of a Russian-built Soyuz rocket carrying the Expedition 16 crew and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor toward the International Space Station (ISS).

Aboard their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft, Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko are strapped in alongside Shukor for the planned launch. Malenchenko will command the Soyuz flight to the ISS.

Liftoff is slated to occur about 12 minutes after sunset Local Time. Whitson is the first female commander of the ISS.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

Launch Service Structure Retracts from Soyuz Rocket
10 October 2007 8:55 a.m. EDT

The two fold-down halves of the Launch Service Structure have pulled away from the Soyuz rocket set to loft the Expedition 16 crew and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor into space today.

The countdown is on track for a 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT) launch today, though it will be 7:22 p.m. Local Time at the Soyuz rocket's Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Shukor are strapped into their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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 Strapped in to Soyuz for Launch
10 October 2007 8:43 a.m. EDT

Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor are strapped into their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft for today's planned 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT) launch to the International Space Station (ISS).

Malenchenko, as Soyuz commander, is seated in the center of the three-person spacecraft. Whitson sits in the left seat as Soyuz flight engineer with Shukor in the right seat. Malenchenko has chosen the Russian word for "Gemstone" as his Soyuz call sign.

It will be 7:22 p.m. Local Time, just before sunset, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in Central Asia at the time of today's planned liftoff.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

Launch Countdown Continues for ISS Crew
10 October 2007 8:24 a.m. EDT

With less than an hour remaining before their planned 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT) launch into space, Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor are preparing for liftoff.

NASA video of their prelaunch showed the spaceflyers arrive at their launch pad at the Central Asian spaceport of Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch pad is the same site that where cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin launched on April 12, 1961 to become the first human in space.

Shukor and the Expedition 16 crew are now aboard their Russian Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft as they prepare for today's launch.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

Astronaut Trio All Smiles Before Launch
10 October 2007 7:53 a.m. EDT

NASA video of the prelaunch activities for Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor show the spaceflyers to be all smiles as they prepare for a 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT) launch into orbit.

The astronauts have donned their blue and white Russian Sokol spacesuits that will protect them during the nine-minute ascent to orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

New Astronaut Crew Prepares for Soyuz Launch
10 October 2007 7:35 a.m. EDT

Space station commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor are counting down to their planned launch into space today.

NASA is broadcasting recorded video of the astronauts' prelaunch activities on NASA TV as the astronaut trio prepare to launch toward the International Space Station (ISS) at about 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT).

Whitson, the first female commander of the ISS, and Malenchenko will relieve two Expedition 15 cosmonauts as they begin their own Expedition 16 mission. Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, flight engineer Oleg Kotov and Shukor will return home on Oct. 21.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

New Astronaut Crew to Launch Toward ISS
10 October 2007 7:08 a.m. EDT

Two veteran spaceflyers and Malaysia's first astronaut are poised to launch toward the International Space Station (ISS) today.

ISS Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Shiekh Muszaphar Shukor are slated to ride their Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft into orbit at 9:21 a.m. EDT (1321 GMT) from the Central Asian spaceport of Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The launch will begin a 12-day crew swap aboard the ISS, with Whitson and Malenchenko replacing Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov. Shukor is due to return to Earth with the Expedition 15 crew on Oct. 21.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Expedition 16 launch 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

Soyuz Spacecraft Redocks at Space Station
25 September 2007 3:55 p.m. EDT

A Russian-built Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) after short Thursday trip to move the vehicle to a new berth.

Commanded by Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov, the Soyuz spacecraft docked at the aft end of the station's Zvezda module at 3:47 p.m. EDT (1947 GMT) to end a 20-minute spaceflight.

"Nice work," NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson, an Expedition 15 flight engineer, told Kotov after their returned to the ISS.

The Soyuz relocation clears an Earth-facing docking port on the station's Zarya control module for the Oct. 12 arrival of the new Expedition 16 crew. A series of hooks and latches will draw the two spacecraft together, with leak checks to follow in order to ensure they are safely connected.

A wrap up of today's Soyuz flight will be posted to SPACE.com's homepage.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Soyuz relocation 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 on Final Approach to Space Station
25 September 2007 3:48 p.m. EDT

The three astronauts of Expedition 15 crew are on their final approach to redock their Soyuz spacecraft at the International Space Station.

Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov is commanding Soyuz spaceflight, which will redock at the ISS as the station flies in orbital night.

Kotov, Expedition commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Clayton Anderson undocked from the station at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT) to move the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft to a new docking port.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Soyuz relocation 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 Fly Soyuz Around Space Station
25 September 2007 3:36 p.m. EDT

Flight controllers in Russia's International Space Station Mission Control have given the Expedition 15 crew the go ahead to fly around the orbital laboratory in their Soyuz spacecraft.

The Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft undocked from an Earth-facing port on the station's Zarya control module at 3:27 p.m. (1927 GMT) as vehicles flew 219 miles (352 meters) above the southeastern Pacific Ocean.

Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov is now guiding the Soyuz along a graceful to align it with an aft-facing docking port on the station's Russian-built Zvezda control module.

ISS commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Clayton Anderson are also aboard the Soyuz with Kotov. They are scheduled to redock at the Zvezda port at 3:45 p.m. EDT (1945 GMT).

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Soyuz relocation 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 Station Crew Undocks from Orbital Laboratory
25 September 2007 3:27 p.m. EDT

A Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft carrying three Expedition 15 astronauts has undocked from the International Space Station to begin today's short spaceflight outside the orbital laboratory.

Commands for the Soyuz TMA-19 spacecraft to cast off from its Earth-facing berth on the station's Zarya module were sent at 3:17 p.m. EDT (1917 GMT). The two spacecraft officially separated from each other at about 3:20 p.m. EDT (1920 GMT).

"Separation is nominal," said Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov, serving as Soyuz commander, after undocking.

Kotov, Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Clayton Anderson are inside Soyuz TMA-10, clad in Russian Sokol spacesuits, for today's brief spaceflight. The move clears the Zarya berth for the Oct. 12 arrival of a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft carrying the station's new Expedition 16 crew.

Kotov will keep the Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft about 30 meters away from the space station as he guides it to a docking port located on the aft end of the station's Zvezda service module.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Soyuz relocation 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 Station Crew Set for Soyuz Move
25 September 2007 3:02 p.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will move their Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft between docking ports today to clear a berth for the arrival of a new crew next month.

Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineers Oleg Kotov and Clayton Anderson, clad in their Russian Sokol spacesuits, will undock from the Earth-facing port on the station's Zarya control module at about 3:18 p.m. EDT (1918 GMT) today. After a short orbital hop, they'll redock their Soyuz TMA-10 vehicle at a clear port on the aft end of the station's Zvezda module at about 3:43 p.m. EDT (1943 GMT).

Kotov is expected to command the short jaunt. The move clears the Zarya slip for the Oct. 12 arrival of a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft carrying the station's new Expedition 16 crew.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Soyuz relocation 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

ISS Astronauts Prepare for Crew Change
25 September 2007 2:07 p.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are preparing their orbital home for their relief crew as they near the end of a six-month orbital mission.

ISS Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineers Oleg Kotov and Clayton Anderson are awaiting the planned Oct. 12 arrival of the station's Expedition 16 crew. NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the Expedition 16 mission, with Anderson and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko serving as flight engineer.

The Expedition 15 crew will move their Soyuz spacecraft to a new port on Thursday to prepare for the Expedition 16 crew's arrival. 

-- Tariq Malik

After Docking Port's Move, ISS Crew Looses Robotic Arm's Grip
30 August 2007 9:30 a.m. EDT

Following the successful reinstallation of a docking port outside the International Space Station (ISS), astronauts have ungrappled the station's robotic arm used in the task.

 

NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson, an ISS Expedition 15 flight engineer, loosened the robotic arm's grasp on the docking port - known as Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) - after the successful move.

 

Anderson and his two Expedition 15 crewmates are now taking a break for lunch, which is typically the major meal of the day on the ISS. 

 

A wrap story on today's PMA-3 move will posted to SPACE.com's homepage shortly.

-- Tariq Malik

Astronauts Reattach ISS Docking Port
30 August 2007 9:08 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have reattached a docking port to the outer hull of the outpost's Unity connecting node.

 

The docking port, dubbed Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), was reattached at a new berth that faces the Earth. PMA-3 previously occupied a port side perch on Unity.

 

ISS Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin is now working through tasks to drive 16 bolts that will secure PMA-3 on the Earth-facing Unity port.

 

The relocation of PMA-3 between Unity module berths cleared the node's port side location for the October arrival of a new connecting node dubbed Harmony. Harmony is due to be delivered by the STS-120 astronaut crew aboard NASA's Discovery shuttle, and will serve as the foundation for future laboratories once completely installed.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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 Station Crew 'Go' to Reinstall Docking Port
30 August 2007 8:57 a.m. EDT

After a slow and steady move, an International Space Station (ISS) docking port is clear for reinstallation outside the orbital laboratory. The docking port is now just a few feet from its new home.

ISS Expedition 15 flight engineer Clayton Anderson delicately plucked the docking module, known as Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), from its perch on the port side of the station's Unity node at about 8:23 a.m. EDT (1223 GMT) using the outpost's robotic arm.

He then slowly moved it along the outside the station, staying within a few feet of the outpost's hull, to a predocking position on the bottom of the Unity node.

"Lucia, you and everyone else might want to go out and grab lunch while this is going on," Anderson told spacecraft communicator Lucia McCullough in Mission Control.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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 Begin Space Station Docking Port Move
30 August 2007 8:32 a.m. EDT

NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson and his Expedition 15 crewmates have begun the slow, hour-long move of a docking port outside the International Space Station (ISS).

The 2,607-pound (1,1820-kilogram) docking port, dubbed Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), is being relocated from its port-side perch on the station's Unity connecting node to an Earth-facing berth on the same segment. The move clears a spot for the planned October delivery of the station's new Harmony connecting node.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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 Station Crew Resumes Docking Port Move
30 August 2007 8:13 a.m. EDT

Mission Control has given the three-astronaut crew of the International Space Station (ISS) the go ahead to continue with today's planned move of a shuttle docking port after analysis of bolt load errors by flight controllers on Earth.

"Good decision, we like it," ISS Expedition 15 flight engineer Clayton Anderson.

Efforts to move the docking port, dubbed Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), encountered a series of intermittent bolt load fault messages as astronauts loosed 16 bolts latching the module to the port side of the Unity node. NASA mission managers are unsure whether the bolt fault messages were genuine or simply an instrumentation error, with some engineers postulating that they may be due to the more than six years PMA-3 has sat at its current location.

Mission managers opted to continue the with the PMA-3 relocation, leading the station's Expedition 15 astronauts to again don their bright yellow hard hats and resume the unbolting process.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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

ISS Docking Port Move Sees More Fault Messages
30 August 2007 7:21 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have again stalled work to pluck a shuttle docking port from its port-side perch on the outpost's Unity node after a brief resumption as Mission Control eyes additional bolt fault messages.

Flight controllers at NASA's Mission Control in Houston received a fault message as loads on one of 16 bolts reached zero inside the docking port, dubbed Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3). But after studying the fault indicator, mission managers concluded it would not impact today's module move or the planned October installation of the new Harmony connecting node in the same location. Similar messages followed after resuming the unbolting process, once more stalling efforts to remove PMA-3.

There are 16 bolts latching PMA-3 to its port-side berth on Unity. They are unbolted much like the lug nuts of a car tire, with each bolt retracted slightly to maintain an even connection on the docking port.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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

Finicky Bolt Stalls ISS Docking Port Move
30 August 2007 6:50 a.m. EDT

NASA continues to eye a fault indication from one of 16 bolts securing a docking port to the Unity node of the International Space Station (ISS), stalling efforts by the outpost's three-man crew to move the module to a new Earth-facing berth.

The fault indicator cropped up after the bolt apparently retracted as planned and pressure inside the docking port, known as Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), reached zero. Initial attempts to check whether the fault indication was merely an instrumentation error failed to clear the message on screens in NASA's Houston-based Mission Control.

Meanwhile, the stations three-man Expedition 15 crew - clad in yellow construction hard hats - continues to stand by for the fault indication to be resolved. Today's PMA-3 relocation will clear Unity's port-side berth for the planned October deliver of a new connecting node called Harmony.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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

ISS Crew Stands by to Unbolt Docking Port
30 August 2007 6:27 a.m. EDT

The three-man crew of the International Space Station (ISS) is standing by to retract 16 bolts linking a shuttle docking port to the Unity node of the orbital laboratory as flight controllers at NASA's Mission Control in Houston eye a system fault indicator.

ISS Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, who is overseeing the Common Berthing Mechanism system that controls the 16-bolt connection system, has reported that the equipment is operating as designed, said NASA commentator John Ira Petty.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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 Station Crew Grapples Docking Port for Move
30 August 2007 6:13 a.m. EDT

Wearing bright yellow construction hats, the three-man crew of the International Space Station (ISS) have latched onto a shuttle docking port on the outpost's Unity node.

Known as Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), the one-ton conical module will be moved from its port-side perch on Unity to an Earth-facing berth on the bottom of the node.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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 Station Crew to Move Docking Port
30 August 2007 5:47 a.m. EDT

The three-astronaut crew of Expedition 15 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is gearing up for the relocation of a shuttle docking port outside their orbital laboratory today.

The spaceflyers will wield the station's Canadarm2 to move the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3), a one-ton conical connecting module that can link ISS segments together or be used by NASA shuttles to dock at the orbital outpost. Expedition 15 flight engineer Clayton Anderson will latch onto the module at about 5:50 a.m. EDT (0950 GMT) for the slow and steady move.

PMA-3 is being moved from a port-side berth to an Earth-facing port on the station's Unity connecting node, clearing its former perch for the planned October installation of the new Harmony node.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's PMA-3 relocation 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 to Move ISS Module
27 August 2007 5:34 p.m. EDT

The three-astronaut crew of Expedition 15 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will move a conical connecting node to make room for a new room outside the orbital laboratory.

Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineers Oleg Kotov and Clayton Anderson will use the station's robotic arm to pluck the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) from its perch on the port-side of the outpost's Unity connecting node. With Anderson wielding the arm, the astronauts will then slowly maneuver the conical space station piece to an empty, Earth-facing berth on Unity.

The planned five-hour relocation will clear Unity's port-side perch for the planned October delivery of Harmony, a new connecting node, by the STS-120 astronaut crew of NASA's shuttle Discovery. That mission, slated to launch on Oct. 23, is due to dock at the ISS no earlier than Oct. 25.

-- Tariq Malik

ISS Crew Host Shuttle Mission
11 August  2007 4:45 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON The three-astronaut crew of the International Space Station is hosting NASA's STS-118 construction mission. The shuttle Endeavour is hauling fresh cargo, spare parts and the new Starboard 5 truss to the orbital laboratory.

Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Scott Kelly, Endeavour's seven-astronaut crew includes teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who originally joined NASA in 1985 as the agency's backup civilian Teacher in Space.

For full space shuttle-ISS mission coverage, visit SPACE.com's special report by clicking here.

-- Tariq Malik

Russian Cargo Ship Takes Firm Hold of ISS
5 August 2007 2:52 p.m. EDT

The unmanned cargo ship Progress 26 has taken a firm hold on its docking port at the International Space Station after a flawless Sunday afternoon docking.

The Russian spacecraft's hooks and latches closed on the station's Pirs docking compartment to secure its grasp on the orbital laboratory. Progress 26 docked at the ISS at 2:40 p.m. EDT (1840 GMT) after a three-day spaceflight that began with an Aug. 2 launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

A wrap up of today's Progress 26 docking will be posted to the SPACE.com homepage shortly.

NASA provided live coverage of today's Progress docking 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

Russian Cargo Ship Docks at Space Station
5 August 2007 2:42 p.m. EDT

The automated cargo ship Progress 26 has successfully docked at the International Space Station, delivering a cargo hold packed with 2.5 tons of fresh supplies for the outpost's three-astronaut crew.

Progress 26 docked at the station's Russian-built Pirs docking compartment 2:40 p.m. EDT (1840 GMT) as both spacecraft flew over central Europe.

A series of hooks and hatchers are expected to deploy between the two spacecraft to link them firmly together, followed by leak checks to ensure they are connected safely for hatches between them to be opened later today.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Progress docking 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

Russian Cargo Ship Closes in on Space Station
5 August 2007 2:36 p.m. EDT

The unmanned cargo ship Progress 26 is now minutes away from docking at the International Space Station as it prepares for a 2:38 p.m. EDT (1838 GMT) arrival.

The spacecraft is nearing the station's Pirs docking compartment in what appears to be a smooth, automated approach. It is within 164 feet (50 meters) and closing on its docking berth.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Progress docking 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

Russian Cargo Ship Prepares to Dock at ISS
5 August 2007 2:26 p.m. EDT

The unmanned cargo ship Progress 26 is about 659 feet (200 meters) from the International Space Station as it prepares for a 2:38 p.m. EDT (1838 GMT) docking.

Cameras aboard the space station's exterior show the Russian-built spacecraft backdropped by a blue Earth as it prepares for its Sunday afternoon rendezvous. Meanwhile, ISS Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, a Russian cosmonaut, stands ready to take remote control of Progress 26 should its automated systems fail to perform.

So far, the spacecraft is performing flawlessly as it hauls 2.5 tons of cargo towards the ISS

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Progress docking 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

Russian Cargo Ship Flies Around Space Station
5 August 2007 2:15 p.m. EDT

The automated cargo ship Progress 26 is flying around the International Space Station to align itself with an Earth-facing docking port on the outpost's Russian segment.

Launched on Aug. 2, Progress 26 is carrying more than 2.5 tons of fresh food, water, spare parts and other vital supplies for the space station's Expedition 15 crew. Docking at the Russian-built Pirs docking compartment is set for 2:38 p.m. EDT (1838 GMT).

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Progress docking 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

Russian Cargo Ship Closes in on ISS
5 August 2007 2:05 p.m. EDT

Cameras aboard the Russian-built Progress 26 cargo ship are within visual range of the International Space Station for today's planned 2:38 p.m. EDT (1838 GMT) docking between the two spacecraft.

Progress 26 is within 2.5 miles (four kilometers) and closing on the space station for today's orbital arrival. Aboard the station, Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineers Oleg Kotov and Clayton Anderson are watching over the cargo ship's approach.

The astronauts are standing ready at a remote control console to take control of the unmanned Progress 26 spacecraft should its onboard computers fail to bring it in automatically as planned.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Progress docking 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

Russian Cargo Ship to Dock at Space Station Today
5 August 2007 2:00 p.m. EDT

The Russian-built Progress 26 cargo ship is bearing down on the International Space Station for a planned 2:38 p.m. EDT (1838 GMT) docking today.

Laden with more than 2.5-tons of supplies, the spacecraft will dock at the station's Russian Pirs docking compartment after a three-day spaceflight to catch up with the ISS. A Soyuz rocket launched the unmanned cargo ship on Aug. 2 from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 1:34 p.m. EDT (1734 GMT).

NASA is providing live coverage of today's Progress docking 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

Both Astronauts Inside ISS Airlock, Spacewalk Ends
23 July 2007 2:08 p.m. EDT

NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson has reentered the U.S. Unity airlock shortly after Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, and both have closed the hatch.

Hatch closure and repressurization occurred at 2:06 p.m. EDT (1604 GMT) for a total spacewalk time of seven hours and 41 minutes.

Flight engineer Oleg Kotov operated the station's robotic arm from within the International Space Station (ISS) to shuttle Anderson around the floating laboratory.

A wrap up of today's spacewalk will be posted to the SPACE.com homepage shortly.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronauts Begin to Reenter Unity Airlock
23 July 2007 1:41 p.m. EDT

Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin began to reenter the U.S. Unity module's airlock today, beginning the end to a spacewalk that has lasted more than 7 hours and 12 minutes.

U.S. astronaut and spacewalk leader Clayton Anderson is following close behind Yurchikhin.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

ISS Crew Begin to Wrap Up Spacewalk
23 July 2007 1:18 p.m. EDT

U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson is loosening the last of several bolts on a fluid tray on node 2, which is located on the S0 truss. The loosening of the bolts will make way for the installation of the Harmony module later this year.

Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, meanwhile, is photographing the materials exposure experiment, wherein various materials are exposed to the vacuum of space in open, briefcase-like containers.

The astronauts have been working outside of the International Space Station for approximately six hours and 51 minutes.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronauts Begin Cleaning Up After Day In Space
23 July 2007 12:30 p.m. EDT

Fyodor Yurchikhin, a cosmonaut and member of today's spacewalk has finished cleaning the common berthing mechanism (CBM), a fine silicon seal that ensures an airtight docking. Yurchikhin is now making sure the tools spread around the station's exterior make it back into the U.S. Unity module's airlock.

Meanwhile, U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson has begun unbolting a fluid tray in preparation for further expansion of the International Space Station (ISS).

Earlier today, Anderson jettisoned two large pieces of equipment: A 212-pound (96-kilogram) piece of camera support equipment and a 1,400-pound (635-kilogram) ammonia tank.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronaut Removes Faulty GPS Antenna
23 July 2007 12:17 p.m. EDT

U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson has removed a faulty global positioning satellite (GPS) antenna from the S0 truss outside of the International Space Station.

The device is one of four GPS antennas on the space station, and its removal is a get-ahead task for this spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Half of Silicon Seal Cleaned By ISS Astronaut
23 July 2007 11:51 a.m. EDT

From one of the space station's common berthing mechanisms, cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin has finished scrapping off about half of the spots of what he described as hair, paper and oily residue.

The cleaned silicon seal on the Unity node will ensure an airtight lock when the upcoming STS-118 crew move a pressurized mating adaptor there in late August.

While Yurchikhin makes things tidy, U.S. astronaut and lead spacewalker Clayton Anderson is preparing to remove a faulty global positioning satellite (GPS) antenna.

Five hours and 20 minutes into today's spacewalk, NASA reports that the two-man spacewalking crew is ahead of schedule.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

ISS Spacewalkers Clean Silicon Berthing Seal
23 July 2007 11:25 a.m. EDT

Following U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson's jettison of a large ammonia tank, cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin has begun cleaning spots of grit from a silicon seal on the Unity node of the International Space Station (ISS).

The seal, also known as a common berthing mechanism (CBM), will ensure an airtight lock when the upcoming STS-118 crew move a pressurized mating adaptor there in late August.

Anderson has detached himself from the robotic arm, which cosmonaut Oleg Kotov has been controlling from within the ISS during the spacewalk.

"This is the first day and the first time a Russian cosmonaut has operated, in orbit, the U.S. robotic arm," Anderson said, adding his appreciation for Yurchikhin's participation. "I'm very appreciative of their work."

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronaut Tosses Refrigerator-Sized Tank Into Space
23 July 2007 10:37 a.m. EDT

With a lean and a big push, astronaut Clayton Anderson heaved a refrigerator-sized tank of ammonia towards the Earth 4 hours and 14 minutes into today's spacewalk.

"Jettison!" Anderson said aloud from the end of the International Space Station's robotic arm after tossing it into space. Once the object was freed, he told mission control in Houston, Texas to tell his family he "just threw a 17,500-mile-an-hour fastball."

NASA expects the tank to mostly burn up in the Earth's atmosphere within a year's time, but noted any remaining pieces should land in water. The previously jettisoned flight support equipment is expected to fully burn up.

After the spacewalk finishes today, the space station's orbit will be boosted at 6:06 p.m. EDT (2206 GMT) to avoid a future collision with the jettisoned objects.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronaut Prepares to Toss Refrigerator-Sized Object
23 July 2007 10:10 a.m. EDT

After successfully tossing a small piece of unneeded support equipment towards the Earth, U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson is preparing to jettison a 1,400-pound (635-kilogram) object into space.

"I can't see anything on the other side of this refrigerator," Anderson said while towing the ammonia coolant tank into position.

Cosmonaut Oleg Kotov is controlling the robotic arm Anderson is riding on this spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

1,400-Pound Ammonia Tank Unbolted
23 July 2007 10:01 a.m. EDT

Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson have unbolted a 1,400-pound (635-kilogram) ammonia tank on their spacewalk outside of the International Space Station (ISS).

By controlling the station's robotic arm, cosmonaut Oleg Kotov will shuttle Anderson to a position distant from the ISS with the giant tank.

Once in position, Anderson will then lean back, push forward and toss the early ammonia servicer towards Earth. Most of it is expected to burn up in the atmosphere.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Mission Control: First Space Junk Toss A Success
23 July 2007 9:35 a.m. EDT

"Nice job," mission control told U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson after he threw a 212-pound (96-kilogram) piece of equipment off of the International Space Station (ISS). "It looked like a great throw from here."

"It looks pretty cool, like a huge star, and the brightness of it changes as it rotates," Anderson said. He joked about the success of the throw.

"I'll be sending my bill in the mail for garbage disposal," he told mission control in at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas during the spacewalk.

The support staff on the ground confirmed with Anderson that the toss was in a 30-degree "cone of acceptance," using both camera views and reports from Anderson.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Space Junk Tossed Towards Earth from ISS
23 July 2007 9:20 a.m. EDT

U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson has thrown a 212-pound (96-kilogram) piece of equipment off of the International Space Station (ISS), which is expected to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere within 330 days.

Oleg Kotov controlled the ISS robotic arm holding Anderson above the Earth, and positioned cameras to monitor the jettison.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronaut Almost Ready to Toss 212 Pounds of Space Junk
23 July 2007 9:15 a.m. EDT

While strapped to the International Space Station's robotic arm, U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson is preparing to throw a 212-pound (96-kilogram) piece of equipment into orbit around Earth.

"There's a beautiful moonrise coming," Anderson said as he moved the VSSA above the South Atlantic Ocean during the spacewalk. "(The view) is amazing."

Fyodor Yurchikhin, a cosmonaut on his third spacewalk, began stowing unneeded cabling attached to a 1,400-pound (635-kilogram) ammonia tank while Anderson tossed the equipment. Anderson will also toss the tank later in the spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronauts Prepare to Toss First Space Junk
23 July 2007 8:55 a.m. EDT

U.S. Astronaut Clayton Anderson has climbed aboard the International Space Station's (ISS) robotic arm and has secured his 55-foot (17-meter) safety tether.

Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin has unfastened two of the bolts securing some unneeded flight support equipment, and Anderson is now unfastening the other two.

Once the 212 pounds (96 kilograms) of camera stanchion flight support equipment is free, Anderson will throw it towards earth during the spacewalk.

From inside the space station, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov will maneuver the robotic arm away from the ISS for a clear toss.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

ISS Robotic Arm Maneuvered to Astronauts
23 July 2007 8:30 a.m. EDT

Inside the International Space Station, cosmonaut Oleg Kotov is maneuvering the space laboratory's robotic arm towards external stowage platform 2 (ESP2).

At ESP2, cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin is unbolting the 212 pounds (96 kilograms) of camera stanchion flight support equipment, which Anderson will soon throw away from the ISS during the spacewalk.

While Yurchikhin unscrews the bolts, Anderson is attaching a foot restraint on the robotic arm.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

ISS Equipment Disconnected by Astronauts
23 July 2007 8:15 a.m. EDT

NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson continues to disconnect "umbilical" devices to the large ammonia tank, also known as the early ammonia servicer.

Later in the spacewalk, Anderson will toss the 1,400-pound (635-kilogram) tank from the robotic Canadarm2 of the International Space Station (ISS).

While Anderson finagled with the cabling, Fyodor Yurchikhin returned some equipment no longer needed during the spacewalk to the U.S. Quest airlock.

Yurchikhin is now moving to an external stowage platform to begin disconnecting flight support equipment used for the VSSA, which has been installed on the Starboard 0-Port 1 (S0-P1) truss.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronauts Maneuver to ISS Components
23 July 2007 7:43 a.m. EDT

U.S. astronaut and lead spacewalker Clayton Anderson climbed across the space station onto the Z1 truss, where he'll begin to disconnect some cabling in preparation for removing the early ammonia servicer, or EAS. Later in the spacewalk, cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin will help Anderson grab the 1,400-pound ammonia tank and toss it from the ISS.

Yurchikhin has removed a circuit breaker and is beginning to install a new one. The repair that will provide redundant power to a railcar that helps astronauts transport heavy equipment across the station.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronauts Bolt Down Camera Stanchion
23 July 2007 7:20 a.m. EDT

As U.S. astronaut and lead spacewalker Clayton Anderson held the VSSA television camera stanchion, cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin bolted down the support device.

Later in the spacewalk, the two astronauts will assist each other to toss the equipment, along with a 1,400-pound ammonia tank, away from the ISS.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

ISS Crew Unbolt VSSA, Begin Tow to Truss
23 July 2007 7:07 a.m. EDT

After exiting the hatch International Space Station (ISS) astronauts have unbolted a VSSA, or television camera stanchion.

Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin used a pistol grip tool to unbolt the stanchion and is now hauling the device with U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson. They plan to attach it to a truss, later unbolt the remaining 212 pounds (96 kilograms) of equipment which Anderson will toss away from the ISS.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronauts Exit the Hatch and into Space
23 July 2007 6:35 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have left the hatch to begin work in outer space.

"I look good," said U.S. astronaut Clayton Anderson, who was the first to exit the hatch.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

Astronauts Leave the Hatch into Space
23 July 2007 6:24 a.m. EDT

After depressurizing the U.S. Quest airlock, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have opened the hatch and are about to begin their spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-- Dave Mosher

ISS Astronauts Unlock Hatch
23 July 2007 6:15 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are depressurizing the outpost's U.S. Quest airlock in preparation for today's planned 6.5-hour spacewalk.

ISS Expedition 15 flight engineer Clayton Anderson and commander Fyodor Yurchikhin are preparing to step outside the airlock at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) for a spacewalk primarily aimed at tossing out unneeded items and making repairs. 

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

ISS Astronauts Depressurize Airlock for Spacewalk
23 July 2007 6:15 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are depressurizing the outpost's U.S. Quest airlock in preparation for today's planned 6.5-hour spacewalk.

ISS Expedition 15 flight engineer Clayton Anderson and commander Fyodor Yurchikhin are preparing to step outside the airlock at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) for a spacewalk primarily aimed at tossing out unneeded items and making repairs. 

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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 Prepare to Begin Third Spacewalk
23 July 2007 6:00 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are less than an hour from kicking off the third planned spacewalk of their Expedition 15 mission.

ISS commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Clayton Anderson have donned their U.S.-built spacesuits and are inside the station's Quest airlock, the starting point today's planned 6.5-hour spacewalk. Hatch opening is set for 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT).

Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov will stay inside the ISS to wield its robotic arm and watch over his crewmates during the spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

ISS Astronauts Prepare for Third Spacewalk
20 July 2007 1:48 a.m. EDT

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are gearing up for the third planned spacewalk of the Expedition 15 mission.

Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Clayton Anderson will don U.S. spacesuits for a planned 6.5-hour excursion to discard unneeded equipment and make some repairs. Flight engineer Oleg Kotov will stay inside the ISS to wield its robotic arm.

Led by Anderson, the spacewalk will begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) on Monday, July 23.

NASA will provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

ISS Crew to Host Shuttle Mission
9 June 2007 11:54 p.m. EDT

The three-astronaut crew of the International Space Station is welcoming the arrival of NASA's STS-117 mission. The shuttle Atlantis is hauling new solar arrays, trusses and a new crewmember to the orbital laboratory.

For full space shuttle-ISS mission coverage, visit SPACE.com's special report by clicking here.

-- Tariq Malik

Spacewalk Concludes for ISS Crew
6 June 2007 3:54 p.m. EDT

Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov have shut the outer hatch of the Pirs docking compartment, ending today's spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

Hatch closure occurred at 4:00 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) for a total spacewalk time of five hours and 37 minutes.

A wrap up of today's spacewalk will be posted to the SPACE.com homepage shortly.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

Wednesday's spacewalk marked the second for the Expedition 15 crew. Yurchikhin and Kotov spent more than five hours working outside the ISS on May 30 for total time of about 11 hours and two minutes of spacewalking work.

-- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Reenter ISS Airlock
6 June 2007 3:54 p.m. EDT

Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov have reentered the Pirs docking compartment aboard the International Space Station and are nearing the end of today's spacewalk.

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

Once the outer Pirs hatch is closed, the spacewalk will be officially complete.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalkers Head Back to ISS Airlock
6 June 2007 3:41 p.m. EDT

Expedition 15 spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov are nearing the end of today's spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) and have returned to the outpost's Pirs docking compartment.

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

Yurchikhin and Kotov completed all of their planned tasks during the spacewalk, which began at 10:23 a.m. EDT (1423 GMT) and has passed the five-hour mark.

The spacewalkers installed a new Russian science experiment to the Pirs docking compartment, ran a computer Ethernet cable along the outside of the station's Zarya module and attached a dozen new aluminum shields to the exterior of the Russian-built Zvezda module for added protection against micrometeorites and orbital debris.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalkers Complete ISS Shield Installation
6 June 2007 3:11 p.m. EDT

Expedition 15 cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have finished work to attach new orbital debris shields to the hull of International Space Station (ISS).

The two spacewalkers attached a dozen new aluminum panels, each about one inch (2.5 centimeters) thick, to the space station's Russian-built Zvezda service module to help protect it from impacts by micrometeorites and other space junk.

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

Yurchikhin and Kotov also installed a Russian science experiment to the ISS exterior and threaded a 43-foot Ethernet cable through a series of 33 handrails atop the station's Zarya control module. The new cable will, once additional work is complete, allow ISS astronauts to control the outpost's Russian segment from its U.S. module if required.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Cosmonauts Install 8 of 12 Debris Shields Outside ISS
6 June 2007 2:35 p.m. EDT

Expedition 15 cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have installed eight of 12 metal orbital debris shields to the hull of International Space Station as they continue today's spacewalk.

"Everything is excellent," Yurchikhin said at one point. "I guess we're lucky."

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

Yurchikhin and Kotov are installing a dozen one-inch (2.5-centimeter) thick metal panels to the exterior of the station's Russian-built Zvezda module to guard the area against strikes by micrometeorites or other orbital debris.

The task follows up on similar work performed during a May 30 spacewalk, when five panels were installed by the two cosmonauts. In 2002, spacewalkers installed six other panels for a total of 23 debris shields.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalkers Continue ISS Debris Shield Installation
6 June 2007 2:00 p.m. EDT

Spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have installed two of three bundles of orbital debris shields to the hull of International Space Station today's spacewalk and are slightly ahead of schedule.

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

The two Russian cosmonauts are about 15 minutes ahead of their planned timeline and have installed six of 12 metal debris shields to the exterior of the space station's Zvezda service module. 

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalkers Attach New Shields to ISS
6 June 2007 1:24 p.m. EDT

Spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov are hard at work installing a set of 12 new metal plates to the hull of the International Space Station in what is the primary goal of today's spacewalk.

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

The cosmonauts are working on a section of the station's Russian-built Zvezda service module that tapers towards a smaller diameter near a connection node to other ISS segments.

There, they are installing the first three of a dozen metal plates, each about two feet by three feet (0.6 by 0.9 meters) in area and weighting between 15 and 20 pounds (about seven to nine kilograms). The plates are about one inch (2.5 centimeters) thick.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalking Cosmonauts Begin ISS Shield Installation
6 June 2007 12:41 p.m. EDT

Expedition 15 spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have begun the third and final task today's spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

Working on or just slightly ahead of schedule, the two Russian cosmonauts are now preparing to install a set of one dozen new metal plates that will shield the space station's Zvezda service module against micrometeorite and orbital debris strikes.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalkers Spot Damage to ISS Hull
6 June 2007 12:20 p.m. EDT

Spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have spotted what they report to be a small dent or hole in the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) as they continue with today's spacewalk.

"We found a dent or a hole from a meteorite," Yurchikhin told Mission Control in Russia as he and Kotov pulled themselves along the station's Zarya control module. "It looks like a bullet hole. I want to say the size is about five to six millimeters."

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

Damage from micrometeorites or other orbital debris is one of the top risks to the ISS, NASA officials have said. A severe debris strike could breach the station's inner hull and decompress its living area, forcing astronauts aboard to evacuate the ISS.

It is reduce that risk that Yurchikhin and Kotov are expected to install one dozen one-inch (2.5-centimeter) thick metal plates to the outer hull of the station's Zvezda service module during today's spacewalk. The added shielding should help protect against serious damage from debris strikes, NASA officials said.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalkers to Take a Break Outside ISS
6 June 2007 11:52 a.m. EDT

After more than one hour and 20 minutes of orbital work, Expedition 15 cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov will take their first break of the day as they continue their tasks for today's spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS).  

The cosmonauts will take a 10-minute break from threading a 43-foot Ethernet cable among a series of handrails along the exterior of the space station's Russian-built Zarya module. They are about two-thirds complete with the orbital task.

[Click here for NASA's LIVE TV webcast.]

Unlike most Russian-controlled spacewalks outside the ISS, the Expedition 15 crew will rest in daylight since the station's current orbit keeps in near constant sunlight, NASA officials said. Spacewalkers typically rest as the ISS passes over the night side of Earth during Russian spacewalks.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing live coverage of today's spacewalk 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

Spacewalkers Reel Out New ISS Computer Cable
6 June 2007 11:24 a.m. EDT

Expedition 15 cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have reeled about half of a 43-foot Ethernet cable to the hull of the Russian-built Zarya control module outside the International Space Station and continue to work ahead of schedule during today's spacewalk.

The spacewalkers are installing the Ethernet cable -- which will help upgrade the station's computer network -- to a series of 33 handrails that run the length of Zarya.

[Click here for NASA TV webcast. ]

Earlier, the cosmonauts reported seeing what appeared to be ice particles floating away from their worksite. But after closer inspection, the particles appear to be flecks of paint floating off the Zarya module's handrails.

"The paint is really flaking off," Yurchikhin said.

The Ethernet cable task is the second of three primary goals for today's spacewalk, which began at 10:23 a.m. EDT (1423 GMT) at the station's Russian-built Pirs docking compartment.

Yurchikhin and Kotov have already installed a new Russian science experiment to Pirs.

Once the Ethernet cable is installed, the spacewalkers will head onto to their final task: attaching one dozen new orbital debris shields to the hull of the station's Zvezda control module.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing  live coverage of today's spacewalk on NASA TV beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Complete First Task Outside ISS
6 June 2007 10:50 a.m. EDT

Spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have successfully outfitted the International Space Station with a new Russian science experiment and are ahead of schedule for today's orbital excursion.

The high-flying cosmonauts mounted the Russian Biorisk experiment to the exterior of the station's Pirs docking compartment and are now about 20 minutes ahead of schedule, NASA officials said.

[Click here for NASA TV webcast. ]

Today's spacewalk began at 10:23 a.m. EDT (1423 GMT). Other tasks on tap for today include the routing if an Ethernet cable along the exterior of the station's Zarya control module and the installation of 12 orbital debris shields on the outpost's Zvezda service module.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA is providing  live coverage of today's spacewalk on NASA TV beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Spacewalk Officially Begins Outside Space Station
6 June 2007 10:29 a.m. EDT

Spacewalkers Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov have opened the outer hatch of the Pirs docking compartment, an action that officially kicks off today's spacewalk.

"The hatch is open," Yurchikhin said as he cracked open the Pirs hatch.

Hatch opening occurred at 10:23 a.m. EDT (1423 GMT), about seven minutes ahead of schedule. The space station was flying 220 miles (354 kilometers) over the horn of Africa as the spacewalk commenced, NASA said.

[Click here for NASA TV webcast. ]

Yurchikhin and Kotov plan to spend more than five hours working outside the ISS to install a new science experiment, route an Ethernet cable along its exterior and attach new orbital debris shields to the outpost's hull. Yurchikhin is wearing an Orlan spacesuit with red stripes while Kotov's sports blue stripes.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

The spacewalkers are gathering the tools required for their first task: the installation of the Russian Biorisk experiment to study the effects of weightlessness on microorganisms.

NASA is providing  live coverage of today's spacewalk on NASA TV beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Prepare to Exit Space Station
6 June 2007 10:08 a.m. EDT

Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov have donned their Russian-built Orlan spacesuits and are depressurizing the Pirs airlock aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in preparation for today's spacewalk.

Hatch opening for today's spacewalk is on target for 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT).  

[Click here for NASA TV webcast at 10:00 a.m. EDT. ]

NASA is providing  live coverage of today's spacewalk on NASA TV beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT. 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 Station Crew Ready for Second Spacewalk
6 June 2007 7:45 a.m. EDT

Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov are gearing up for their second spacewalk in about a week to install protective panels and other hardware on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS).

The two spacewalkers will don their Russian-built Orlan spacesuits and are due to exit the space station's Pirs docking compartment, which doubles as an airlock to the station's Russian segments, at about 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT).

[Click here for NASA TV webcast at 10:00 a.m. EDT. ]

The primary goal of today's spacewalk is to install new micrometeorite and orbital debris shields to the outside of the station's Russian-built Zvezda module. The spacewalkers will also install an Ethernet cable to help overhaul the station's computer system, and wrap up their activities by attaching a new Russian science experiment to the Pirs docking compartment.

Click here for SPACE.com's preview of today's spacewalk.

NASA will prove live coverage of today's spacewalk on NASA TV beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Click here for SPACE.com's NASA TV feed or follow the NASA TV link at the upper left of this page.

-- Tariq Malik

Spacewalkers Wrapping Up
30 May 2007 8:19 p.m. EDT

The spacewalkers have completed all of their scheduled tasks and are entering back into the Pirs airlock.

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Doing some ISS Rewiring
30 May 2007 6:10 p.m. EDT

The spacewalkers have taken a break from the retrieval and installation of the shielding panels and switched over to their second major task: the rerouting of a Global Positioning System cable to a navigation antenna that will guide the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) during its docking with Zvezda. The ATV is an unpiloted cargo carrier with almost twice the storage capacity of the current Progress cargo craft; it is slated to make it maiden flight later this year.

After testing to make sure the GPS cable works, Yurchikhin and Kotov will begin installing the SMDP panels, the last scheduled task of this spacewalk.

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Taking a Breather
30 May 20075:16 p.m. EDT

The spacewalkers have completed securing the "Christmas Tree" bundle containing the shielding panels to the forward section of the Zvezda service module. Russian mission ground controllers have asked Yurchikhin and Kotov to take a brief rest before resuming their activities. The attachment of the Christmas Tree to the end of the Stella 2 robotic boom took longer than expected, causing the spacewalk to be about 25 minutes behind schedule. Mission ground controllers are hopeful the time can be made up.

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Reeling Kotov Back
30 May 20074:25 p.m. EDT

Kotov has retrieved the shielding panels from the "Christmas Tree" stowage mount on the Unity Node of the ISS while attached to the end of a robotic boom, called Strela 2, controlled by Yurchikhin. Kotov and the panels are now being reeled back to the Zvezda module, a distance of about 60 feet.

The spacewalk began about 45 minutes late, but it is just about back on schedule now because the spacewalkers were able to work through periods of darkness, aided by the light of a nearly-full moon.

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Spacewalk Proceeds Smoothly, Spacewalkers Joke Around
30 May 2007 3:45 p.m. EDT

The spacewalkers have passed through an orbital sunset, but are working under the illumination of an almost full moon. Mission ground controllers are hopeful the spacewalkers can work through the night period and finish their tasks on schedule. Spacewalkers and mission controllers exchange some light-hearted banter as they go about their duties:

"Look at the cities on the Earth. There have been a lot of thunderstorms that we have seen."

"How do you guys feel?"

"We are comfortable. The temperature in the suits are good. Of course, it will get hotter once we pass over Africa, which will occur soon. How are you guys?"

"We are good here in mission control. The temperature is the same all year-round."

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Kotov Set to Retrieve Shield Panels
30 May 2007 3:18 p.m. EDT

Kotov has exited the Pirs airlock and is maneuvering his way aorund Zvezda to get to Strela 2, one of the hand operated cranes at the base of Pirs. Kotov will attach himself to Strela 2, after which Yurchikhin will take control of the boom and move Kotov a distance of about 60 feet, to a point over the Pressurized Mating Adaptor 3 (PMA-3).

Kotov will then retrive three bundles of Service Module Debris Protection (SMDA) panels attached to the outside of PMA-3 and return it to Zvezda, where the panels will be installed.

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Hatch Opened, Spacewalk Begins
30 May 2007 3:10 p.m. EDT

The hatch of the Pirs airlock is open, and Yurchikhin and Kotov have been given the green light to proceed with the spacewalk. The official start-time of the spacewalk is 3:05 p.m. EDT (1905 GMT). Expedition 15 flight engineer Sunita Williams is in the Destiny laboratory module, providing support for the two spacewalkers.

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Spacewalk Start-Time Pushed Back
30 May 2007 2:32 p.m. EDT

The spacewalk is running late due to problems encoutered during communication checks. The problems have been resolved, and preperations are continuing, albeit about 40 minutes behind schedule. The new spacewalk start time is 3:00 pm EDT (1900 GMT).

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

Spacewalk Preperations Going Smoothly
30 May 2007 1:43 p.m. EDT

Russian cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov are suited up in the Pirs airlock of the ISS, undergoing final preperations for a spacewalk to install shielding panels on the space station's Zvezda service module. The spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 2:20 pm EDT (1820 GMT) today, will be the first for both cosmonauts. Yurchikhin will be the lead spacewalker, EV1, and wear the Russian Orlan spacesuit with red stripes. Kotov, EV2, will wear the suit with blue stripes.

The cosmonauts' first task will be to retrieve the shielding panels from a stowage rack attached to Pressurized Mating Adaptor 3 (PMA-3) on the ISS. The stowage rack holds three bundels of shielding panels and has been dubbed the "Christmas Tree."

NASA provided live coverage of today's spacewalk 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.

-Ker Than

New Cargo Ship Takes Firm Hold of Space Station
15 May 2007 1:35 a.m. EDT

A set of hooks aboard the Russian-built Progress 25 have latched onto the docking port at the International Space Station (ISS), securing the cargo ship to the orbital laboratory's Zvezda service module, NASA officials said.

Corresponding hooks and latches on the docking port are also due to lock into place, effectively securing the two spacecraft to one another. In addition to the hooks and latches, a series of leak checks will be conducted to ensure that today's 1:10 a.m. EDT (0510 GMT) docking at the ISS occurred as planned.

The space station's Expedition 15 crew is expected to begin unloading the spacecraft at about 6:00 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT), NASA said.

Click here for SPACE.com's initial launch story.

A wrap up of today's docking activities will be posted to SPACE.com's home page shortly.  

-- Tariq Malik

Fresh Cargo Ship Docks at Space Station
15 May 2007 1:13 a.m. EDT

The unmanned Russian cargo ship Progress 25 has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS), with the two spacecraft meeting right on time at 1:10 a.m. EDT (0510 GMT).

Progress 25 arrived at the aft end of the space station's Russian-built Zvezda service module as the ISS flew 220 miles above the northeastern coast of Australia, NASA officials said.

"Congratulations on a successful docking," Russian ISS flight controllers told the station's three-astronaut Expedition 15 crew.

Click here for SPACE.com's initial launch story.

NASA provided live coverage of today's docking activities on NASA