Change of Command aboard the Space Station

The quarterly changing of command aboard the orbiting International Space Station occurred again tonight as the commander of the twenty-fourth expedition crew handed over control of the orbiting complex to a new commander.

In a traditional ceremony aboard the orbiting complex, Russian commander Alexander Skvortsov and his Soyuz crew of flight engineers Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko said goodbye to their three crew mates which rounded out the expedition 24 crew of six. They also thanked controlers on the ground around the globe in helping with their science chores over the last six months.

Launched to the station on April 2, the crew of three will enter their Soyuz TMA-18 spacecraft on Thursday, seal the hatches leading to the station at 6:20 pm EDT (2220 GMT), and undock tomorrow night at 9:35 pm (0135 GMT) for their trip home.

Landing in the desert region of Kazakhstan is set for Friday at 12:55 am EDT (0455 GMT).

New station commander Doug Wheelock and flight engineers Shannon Walker and Fyodor Yurchikhin will begin expedition 25 following the Soyuz's undocking on Thursday evening.

They will live and work aboard the space station until late-November.

Wheelock and his crew will spend the next two weeks alone, but preparing the complex for a busy month ahead.

On October 7, a new upgraded Soyuz TMA 01M will launch out of Kazakhstan with a new crew to begin their six month stay; and on November 1, the space shuttle Discovery is set to launch from Florida with fresh supplies and a new permanent Multi-Purpose Module which will be used for storage of cargo and trash.

During expedition 24, American astronauts Dyson and Wheelock performed three spacewalks in August to to install a 780 pound spare ammonia pump on the station's Starboard 1 truss segment to assist with future cooling needs.

Two Progress supply ships also brought up extra needed cargo and supplies which included fuel, oxygen and personal needs for the crew of six.

Russia Launches Cargo Craft to Space Station

A Russian Soyuz rocket lifts-off today from Kazakhstan.

The Russian Space Agency today launched an unmanned cargo craft into low earth orbit, beginning a three day chase to catch up with and dock with the International Space Station.

Loaded with 2.5 tonnes of supplies and fuel, the Progress M-07M supply ship lifted off aboard a Soyuz-U rocket at 6:22:57 am EDT (10:22 GMT) from launch pad 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the desert of western Kazakhstan.

Docking to the Russian Zvezda service modules aft section of the station is planned for Sunday at 7:58 am (11:58 GMT).

Today's successful launch was delayed two days due to high winds in excess of 32 mph in the launch area.

This newest supply trip is carrying 1,918 pounds of propellant; 110 pounds of oxygen, 375 pounds of water; and 2,645 pounds of spare parts, experiment parts and other supplies, according to NASA's Mission Control Center.

Hours after docking, the space station's crew of six -- Commander Alexander Skvortsov and Flight Engineers Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Mikhail Kornienko, Doug Wheelock, Shannon Walker and Fyodor Yurchikhin -- will open the hatches between the Progress and Zvezda and begin unloading their new found bounty of life supporting treasures.

SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 on Inaugural Flight

Falcon 9 successfully lifts-off on its inaugural flight. (SpaceX)

The inaugural flight of a rocket destined to carry cargo and supplies to the International Space Station successfully arrived in earth orbit this afternoon following a launch delay.

The 180-foot tall Falcon's nine Merlin 1C main engines came alive as it rose from launch complex 40 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 2:45 pm EDT and flew straight up before arcing out over the Atlantic waters.

"Tonight, we're gonna have a good time. Drink a few margaritas," Space Exploration and Technologies Corporation founder and chief Elon Musk stated following orbit insertion of the dummy Dragon module with the upper stage attached.

"Congratulations to SpaceX on today's launch of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle," NASA administrator Charles Bolden stated an hour following the launch." SpaceX's accomplishment is an important milestone in the commercial transportation effort and puts the company a step closer to providing cargo services to the International Space Station."

As the seconds ticked toward zero, the main engines ignited at T minus five seconds, followed by actual liftoff at T minus two seconds per the clock.

The white launcher darted straight up and through several cloud decks, setting off several grass fires including one near a shed.

Each Merlin 1C is fueled by a mixture of liquid oxygen and kerosene, and burned for nearly the first three minutes of ascent.

The first stage then separate and the second stage's single engine began it's five minute burn.

SpaceX reminded this reporter that both the first and second stages are reusable, and following splash down can be recovered for a future flight.

An hour earlier, the unflown rocket experienced an abort on the pad at about the T-1 second point, following a long hold in the countdown.

Today's 1:30 pm abort occurred two and one-half hours into the launch window.

Smoke began to rise up from the base of the rocket, however an issue arose and stopped the countdown from reaching zero.

The launch team then began safeing the rocket and looked at options during the final hour of the launch window.

On March 13, the launch team performed a successful test firing of it's nine main engines for nearly four seconds.

A Falcon 9 is rated to carry as much as 23,050 pounds into low earth orbit, and up to 10,000 pounds into geostationary orbit.

NASA was watching over the shoulder of SpaceX as the space agency looks at using private companies in launching their astronauts and supplies to the Space Station.

Currently NASA has a contract with the Russian Space Agency in which American astronauts will use their Soyuz to reach earth's orbital outpost. NASA's direction under the Obama administration is to privatize space flight so that American's can ride their own vehicle's into earth orbit in the next two years beginning with Falcon 9.

The NASA directed Constellation program was scaled back to a lighter version of the Orion crew module, and will likely begin flying no earlier than 2015 from Kennedy Space Center.

A second Falcon 9 launch is targeted for late this summer, and will carry a full operational Dragon C1 on a multi-day flight in earth orbit. It will perform several burns and perform a reentry.

The nearly ten-foot high Dragon is a capsule styled module designed to carry several tons of supplies to station; and according to the company's founder Elon Musk will begin carrying as many as seven astronauts into orbit by 2013.

Falcon 9 second stage engine burns at T+206 seconds. (SpaceX)

Falcon 9 Aborts in Final Second of Countdown

The unflown rocket known as the Falcon 9 experienced an abort on the pad at about the T-1 second point this afternoon, following a long hold in the countdown.

Today's 1:30 pm EDT abort occurred two and one-half hours into the launch window.

Smoke began to rise up from the base of the rocket, however an issue arose and stopped the countdown from reaching zero.

The launch team then safed the rocket and looked at options during the final hour of the launch window.

SpaceX Inagural Launch of Falcon 9 on Hold

Under the secrecy of the day light hours, an American private company will launch a brand new rocket today as they prepare for future unmanned and later crewed flights to the International Space Station.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 remains in a Hold at T-15 minutes. The Hold time concludes at 2:45 pm, in which they must restart the countdown.

A troublesome range antenna is the issue for keeping the count in an extended hold.

Weather is overcast but remains go at this time.

Russian Proton Launches ArabSat's BADR-5

A Russian rocket lifted-off with an advanced direct to home broadcast satellite for Arab Satellite Communications as the company increases support for Saudi Arabia and Africa.

Arabsat's BADR-5 satellite will operate in an orbital plane close to the BADR-4 and 6 satellites, broadcasting direct to home network channels, and expand Arabsat's high def channels lineup.

Liftoff of the International Launch Services Proton-M from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in western Kazakhstan occurred on time this evening at 6:00 pm EDT (2200 GMT) from launch pad 39.

This was ILS's 60th Proton launch, and the sixth Proton launch of the year.

The Proton rocket soared into the dark morning skies of the predawn as it climbed eastward and across Kazakhstan.

The booster's six RD-276 engines provided a lift-off thrust of 2.5 million pounds to loft the 1.55 million pound fully fueled rocket up and away.

Two minutes into the ascent, the first stage dropped away and the second stage's three RD-0210 engines took over to power the rocket another three and one-half minutes.

Seconds after the third stage took over at 6:05:30 pm, the protective payload cover peeled away as the craft entered the last traces of the earth's atmosphere.

Powered by a lone RD-0213 engine, the third stage's trajectory kept the craft on a due east flight plan as it began to fly high over Mongolia.

The third stage later separated from the Breeze-M upper stage. This upper stage then began to steer and place the spacecraft into it planned geostationary orbit during a series of five long burns over the next several hours.

The Breeze-M uses one main engine which supports a thrust of 4500 pounds.

At the conclusion of five insertion burns by the Breeze-M, the 11,949 pound satellite will separate high over the equator east of Africa at 3:13 am EDT on Friday.

At this point, BADR-5 will be in a planned elliptical orbit of 22,236 x 3598 miles high. Over the next few weeks, the satellite's orbital low point will be raised to ensure the craft stays in a fixed point at 26 degrees East.

BADR-5 will be placed in a geostationary orbit over central Africa at 26 degrees East where it will utilize both it's Ku-Band and Ka-Band transponders to provide more channels to a larger footprint of the middle east region.

On Monday, the 191-foot Proton-M rocket was rolled out to it's desert launch complex via railway in a horizontal position. It was then raised up to the vertical position to be connected by ground umbilicals which will provide electrical power and fuel lines.

On June 23rd, the European Space Agency will launch the Arabsat 5A from South America aboard an Ariane 5.

Space Station Crew Returns to Earth after 163 Days

Soyuz TMA17 fires breaking rockets prior to landing. (NASA)

A trio of crew members who spent six months living in space returned back to earth tonight just hours after undocking from the International Space Station.

Beautiful blue skies and 65 degrees greeted the returning crew at it's landing site in the isolated region in northern Kazakhstan.

Expedition 23 commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineers T.J. Creamer and Soichi Noguchi landed their Soyuz TMA 17 spacecraft on target tonight at 11:25 pm EDT (9:25 am Wednesday Kazakhstan time).

"It was really a success mission for us. I really appreciate all my crew members who helped me," outgoing station commander Kotov stated on Monday during a brief change of command ceremony. "And, Alexander, I give up command of this station."

Expedition 24 commander Alexander Skvortsov and flight engineers Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko will stay alone on the station for the next two weeks. A new crew of three -- Shannon Walker and Doug Wheelock from NASA and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikin -- will then embark on their six month voyage aboard the space station with their launch from Baikonor on June 16.

Earlier they officially closed their hatch at 4:54 pm EDT which led to the vestibule. The crew then begin a series of leak checks inside the Soyuz.

Then with Kotov at the Soyuz controls, the spacecraft undocked from the Russian Zevezda module at 8:04 pm to begin the journey home.

The Soyuz then made one and one-half revolutions of the earth prior to it's deorbit burn at 10:34 pm, which slowed the spacecraft down by 258 mph to drop out of an orbit of 220 miles up.

The Soyuz then began feeling the first effects of the earth's atmosphere 32 minutes later at an altitude of 62 miles high. The tug of gravity began to also overwhelm the spacecraft, the first moments of gravity the three men have felt in 163 days.

Several Parachutes then deployed minutes before landing, followed by several breaking rockets which fired seconds before touchdown slowing the craft's speed down to 21 mph and a soft landing (above).

The two astronauts and one cosmonaut launched 163 days ago from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 20, and docked two days later with the Russian Zarya segment of the station.

The crew were then slowly removed from the Soyuz and placed in recliner chairs, first Kotov then Noguchi and then Creamer. Noguchi enjoyed a green apple minutes later and was able to place a satellite phone call to his wife located back in south Houston, home to the Johnson Space Center.

Expedition 24 commander Alexander Skvortsov and flight engineers Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko will stay alone on the station for the next two weeks. A new crew of three -- Shannon Walker and Doug Wheelock from NASA and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikin -- will then embark on their six month voyage aboard the space station with their launch from Baikonor on June 16.

Creamer and Noguchi will spend much of Wednesday traveling back to America, expected to land at Ellington Field at 11:00 pm Houston time on that evening.

SpaceX Targets June 4 for Falcon 9 Launch

Falcon 9's March engine test at Cape Canaveral (SpaceX)

The private sector will gain new ground in the advancement of space flight as a future rocket destined for trips to the International Space Station prepares for it's inaugural launch next week.

A private company known as SpaceX was approved by NASA in 2008 to develop their Falcon 9 rocket in support of lofting an unmanned cargo craft to the space station and human space flights in a few years.

Scheduled for launch no earlier than June 4, the Falcon 9 will carry a dummy test payload which will double for the Dragon resupply craft. An official launch announcement could come as early as Monday afternoon.

The 180-foot tall Falcon will use nine Merlin 1C main engines as it rises from launch complex 40 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and arcs out over the Atlantic waters.

Each Merlin 1C is fueled by a mixture of liquid oxygen and kerosene, and will burn for nearly the first three minutes of ascent.

The first stage will then separate and the second stage's single engine will begin it's five minute burn.

SpaceX reminded this reporter that both the first and second stages are reusable, and following splash down can be recovered for a future flight.

On March 13, the launch team performed a successful test firing of it's nine main engines for nearly four seconds.

A Falcon 9 is rated to carry as much as 23,050 pounds into low earth orbit, and up to 10,000 pounds into geostationary orbit.

NASA is watching over the shoulder of SpaceX as the space agency looks at using private companies in launching their astronauts and supplies to the Space Station.

Currently NASA has a contract with the Russian Space Agency in which American astronauts will use their Soyuz to reach earth's orbital outpost. NASA's direction under the Obama administration is to privatize space flight so that American's can ride their own vehicle's into earth orbit in the next two years beginning with Falcon 9.

The NASA directed Constellation program was scaled back to a lighter version of the Orion crew module, and will likely begin flying no earlier than 2015 from Kennedy Space Center.

A second Falcon 9 launch is targeted for this Fall, and based on a successful flight in June, will deploy the Dragon C1 for a multi-hour flight in earth orbit.

The nearly ten-foot high Dragon is a capsule styled module designed to carry several tons of supplies to station; and according to the company's founder Elon Musk will begin carrying as many as seven astronauts into orbit by 2013.

Former space shuttle and space station expedition astronaut Ken Bowersox will oversee the astronaut training from the Florida launch site.

ULA Delta 4 Launches Advanced GPS Satellite

An advanced Global Positioning System satellite was carried into orbit tonight which will provide the United States military aviation and land vehicles with a greater signal accuracy.

The United Launch Alliance Delta IV lifted-off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's launch complex 37 at 11:00:01 pm EDT, this evening, on a 105.28 degree flight azimuth.

It was the second Delta IV launch of the year, and the thirteenth Delta IV launch overall since 2002.

Fueled by a core engine and twin solid boosters, the Delta rocket sped away from her pad and into the cloudy dark skies over the space coast as it headed southeastward out over the Atlantic waters.

For some observers at Port Canaveral, they quickly lost sight after one minute of flight due to a cloud deck.

One hundred seconds into the flight, the spent twin solid fueled boosters separated from either side of the main stage as the liquid-fueled RS-68 engine continued to burn for a few more minutes.

The Global Positioning System 2F 1 will assist the U.S. military with both aviation and land based support giving them two times better signal accuracy than the GPS 2R series. Schriever AFB's 50th Space Wing in Colorado will take over control of the new satellite following space craft separation.

Spacecraft separation will occur in a few hours at a planned time of 2:33:03 am (0633 GMT).

The second stage seconds later will perform a brief burn to quickly have it fall away so that the two do not collide.

The new GPS will operate in an orbit 11,000 miles above earth, and will assist civil aviation with it's new L5 signals. L5 is replacing the old standard of L1 and L2 as it enhances range measurements. L5 will be the only standard used on future 2F and 3 GPS satellites.

Advanced GPS Satellite set to Lift-off Tonight

United Launch Alliance will try again tonight to launch a Delta IV rocket with an advanced GPS satellite for the U.S. Air Force.

Tonight's launch window begins at 11PM EDT and lasts for 19 minutes. The current weather outlook forecasts a 70 percent chance of good weather in support of both fueling and launch operations here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

This will be the fourth attempt in the past week to get Delta IV off the pad, following launch scrubs due to mechanical issues.

The latest scrub on Monday evening involved a countdown abort at T minus six seconds when the right hand solid rocket booster's nozzle steering vector control system relayed bad data to the control center.

The fifty-three foot long twin boosters on the Delta ignite at T-0 and burn the first 94 seconds of flight. Six seconds later they separate as the main stage RS-68 cryo-fueled engine burns for the next two and one-half minutes.

This evening's launch will mark the Delta program's golden anniversary of flight. This will be the twelfth Delta IV launch since it's first flight in 2002.

The mission's payload is the Global Positioning System 2F SV1 spacecraft for the Air Force. This enhanced tracking satellite is designed to operate for nearly twelve years as it soars high above earth in the GPS orbital plane of 11,000 miles high.

GPS 2F will assist the military with both aviation and land based support giving them two times better signal accuracy than the GPS 2R series. Schriever AFB's 50th Space Wing in Colorado will take over control of the new satellite following space craft separation.

The GPS 2F will separate from the Delta's smaller second stage at 2:33:03 am on Friday morning based on an on time launch from pad 37.

Shuttle Atlantis Returns to America's Spaceport

Atlantis concluded her thirty-second mission today. (KSC)

Streaking out of the blue Florida sky, shuttle Atlantis returned home to the Kennedy Space Center today concluding twelve days and 186 orbits of the earth.

Atlantis commander Kenneth Ham and pilot Tony Antonelli fired the shuttle's breaking engines to slow the orbiter down by 220 miles to allow the craft to begin her fall out of an orbit 220 miles high.

Atlantis soared into the dawn of an orbital sunrise as she approached Central America just minutes before landing upon America's Space Coast.

A former Air Force pilot, Ham pitched the orbiter's nose up from the craft's steep glide in and Antonelli dropped the landing gear as Atlantis approached the center line of the three mile long runway.

Atlantis' main gear slammed upon runway 33 at a speed of 212 mph at 8:48:11 am EDT, this morning.

Antonelli then deployed the drag chute to help slow the orbiter down to keep the extra stress off the braking system during the rollout.

"It was smooth as silk," Commander Ham stated of the approach into Kennedy. "We were clearly riding in the middle of a fireball, and it was spectacular. The windows, all of them, were bright, brilliant orange. One of the neatest things was when we flew right into orbital sunrise."

For most of the workers who gathered to watch the landing, it fired off a cannon of personal memories of their work with NASA's twenty-five year old spacecraft.

Some at NASA feel that her thirty-second mission will be her final mission, while a select few feel that the space agency's administrator Charles Bolden and President Obama will allow for her to fly the final space shuttle mission.

Technicians will begin today preparing Atlantis for a 'launch on need' flight in support of Endeavour's mission this February -- the final planned space shuttle flight.

As Endeavour launches toward the space station next winter, Atlantis will stand ready in high bay 3 of the vehicle assembly building stacked to her external tank and twin boosters.

If Endeavour is deemed unsafe to return back to earth due to flight damage, Atlantis will be rolled out to her seaside launch pad and launched three weeks later with a crew of four.

A safe return by Endeavour two weeks after her launch could mean one additional final flight by Atlantis a few months later, likely in July 2011, on STS-135. A decision on what direction NASA will take will be known in prior to July 1st.

Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steven Bowen and Piers Sellers round out Atlantis' crew of six veteran astronauts.

Over the last ten days, Atlantis delivered to the International Space Station a new Russian module to the station known as Rassvet. The crew also delivered six fresh batteries for the port 6 truss solar array; a new high gain antenna; over 1,310 pounds of water; and fresh oxygen, nitrogen and supplies to the expanding space station.

Three crew members performed three spacewalks to remove the old batteries and install the new set of six; and install a new Ku-Band antenna to the station.

"We're thrilled because we accomplished the mission that was put in front of us," Ham added today. "We've been hearing stories about how folks have been having fun and enjoyed watching us have fun, and that's really important to us."

The crew is scheduled to depart Florida late on Thursday morning for their homes near Houston.

Atlantis' Crew Prepares for Wednesday Landing

The six member crew of the space shuttle Atlantis spent Tuesday checking out the orbiter's systems in preparation for their homecoming tomorrow at the Kennedy Space Center.

Atlantis' commander Kenneth Ham, pilot Tony Antonelli and flight engineer Mike Good powered up a single auxiliary power unit this morning, testing the shuttle's reaction control system jets at 4:50 am EDT, and the steering systems such as the elevon, rudder and speed brake.

The crew also took time out this morning beginning at 8:15 am to answer questions from ABC news and comedian Steven Colbert of the "Colbert Report".

Colbert, whose in "training' to become an astronaut, asked questions such is the batteries which were changed out were AA; and the retirement of the shuttle and that his decision to become an astronaut may be bad timing.

Atlantis spent seven days docked to the International Space Station in which they delivered a new Russian module; replaced six 400-pound batteries on the Port 6 truss; and delivered fresh supplies, water and fuel to the outpost.

Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Steven Bowen and Piers Sellers round out Atlantis' crew. The astronauts will also spend the day stowing equipment and preparing the orbiter for a morning landing upon America's Space Coast.

Landing of NASA's 132nd space shuttle flight would see the orbiter fire her braking engines at 7:41 am EDT, slowing the orbiter down by about 220 mph and begin her freefall out of orbit.

Atlantis is set to touchdown at Kennedy's runway 33 on Wednesday morning at 8:48 am.

Mission control CAPCOM astronaut Charlie Hobaugh told Atlantis' commander today that there is likely a 50-50 chance of a landing upon America's space coast tomorrow.

"They are carrying a chance of rain showers within 30 miles, they've been watching it today, and a low that's about 600 miles off shore will move a little tomorrow and hopefully keep some of those showers at bay," Hobaugh radioed the crew. "It's just something we'll have to watch tomorrow."

The below ground track would see Atlantis land on her 186th orbit of the planet, following nearly twelve days in space.

If weather precludes a Wednesday landing, then NASA will only call up Kennedy on Thursday.

Atlantis ground track to KSC on Wednesday. (NASA)

Atlantis and Space Station Crews Bid Farewell

The crew of the International Space Station said their good byes today to the crew of Atlantis as they parted ways following seven days of work to resupply earth's orbital outpost.

Over the last week, Atlantis delivered a new Russian module to the station; six fresh batteries for the port 6 truss solar array; a new high gain antenna; and fresh oxygen, nitrogen and supplies to the expanding space station.

Over 1,310 pounds of water -- a byproduct made by the electrical producing fuel cells of Atlantis -- were transferred over to station in large clear bags during the week.

In all, 28,792 pounds of mass was delivered to the space station by Atlantis' crew during the past week, according to Mission Control near Houston.

In contrast, Atlantis received 8,220 pounds of equipment and trash to return back to earth including the old six batteries and several critical experiments.

The two of the main three hatches between the station and shuttle were officially closed at 8:43 am EDT this morning, after six days and 20 hours opened.

At the helm of Atlantis is commander Kenneth Ham and pilot Tony Antonelli -- both pilots in the U.S. Navy. Mission specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers round out the crew of NASA's 132nd space shuttle mission.

Reisman, Bowen and Good each performed two spacewalks in support of upgrading hardware and changing out those six batteries on the station.

The six crew members aboard earth's orbital outpost -- Russian commander Oleg Kotov; American astronauts Timothy J. Creamer and Tracey Caldwell Dyson; Japanese flight engineer Soichi Noguchi; and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko -- comprise the Expedition 23 crew.

Atlantis will undock at 11:22 am this morning to begin the three day trip home to the Kennedy Space Center.

And on June 2, Expedition 23's Kotov, Creamer and Noguchi will board their Soyuz TMA 17 spacecraft for the return home with a landing later in the day in northern Kazakhstan.

Expedition 24 with a crew of three will officially begin their three month reign with the Soyuz undocking. A new crew of three will then depart Kazakhstan on June 15 with the launch of a Russian Soyuz TMA 19 at 5:35 pm EDT (2135 GMT).

Astronauts Return Cargo Carrier Back to Atlantis

Atlantis will undock from station on Sunday (NASA)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station returned a cargo carrier back to the shuttle Atlantis' payload bay having delivered six fresh batteries and a new high gain antenna.

The eight-foot long cargo pallet was installed into Atlantis' bay at 5:50 am EDT this morning, by astronauts Piers Sellers and Garrett Reisman who used the station's robotic arm to slowly guide it over and stow it into place.

The carrier is now host to six old batteries which had been located on the station's Port 6 truss solar array for nearly ten years. On Wednesday and Friday, spacewalking astronauts replaced the old batteries with the new ones Atlantis carried to orbit on the carrier.

The crews are also transferring fresh supplies such as 10 lbs of nitrogen, nearly 20 pounds of oxygen and 1200 of 1300 pounds of water from Atlantis to the orbital complex.

During Atlantis' final full day docked with the orbital outpost, the combined crews of twelve will complete several last minute transfer of supplies to and garbage from the station.

Atlantis will also return a large number of experiments, old clothes, air and water samples for testing back on earth.

The crew's will also relax and enjoy several hours of off-duty time before going to bed at 4:50 pm.

On Sunday, the combined crews will hold a nearly one-hour traditional in-flight news conference beginning at 6:25 am.

Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the station later that morning at 11:22 am EDT, to begin her return trip back to the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.

Fiftith Ariane 5 Successfully Launches Satellites

The European Space Agency's Ariane 5 rocket marked her fiftieth flight today successfully delivering two satellites into earth orbit.

Carrying dual satellites -- ASTRA 3B and COMSATBw-2 -- this first Ariane flight of 2010 was delayed nearly two months due to technical issues at the pad during it's first launch attempt in March.

A quality review board investigated the Ariane 5 launch campaign for this flight to learn why the issues occurred and to ensure a clean launch vehicle.

As the countdown neared zero, the core stage's Vulcain 2 engine ignited, and at 6:01:07 pm EDT (2201 GMT) the twin rocket boosters ignited launching Ariane 5 on it's golden flight into a dark sky from Kourou, South America.

Cutting through a few cloud layers, Ariane headed out over the central Atlantic waters as it headed toward the western coast of Africa.

The twin boosters then were commanded to separate 140 seconds into the ascent at an altitude of 43 miles high, followed by the release of the payload fairing a minute later as the vehicle climbed higher and traveled faster above the atmosphere.

The core booster then arrived minutes later into it's planned initial elliptical orbit of 154 x 22,350 miles high.

The ASTRA 3B traveled into space riding a top of the COMSATBw-2 inside the vertical payload fairing.

Astra was the first to leave the nest as it separated from the upper stage at 6:28 pm, followed by COMSATBw-2's release about six minutes later.

Astra 3B will operate in a geostationary orbit located at 23.5 degrees east, and will support audio and television broadcasts for 109 million homes across Europe via a collection of 52 active Ka-band transponders.

The satellite was built by Astrium, and is a product of the company's newly advanced Eurostar E3000 product line.

COMSATBw-2 is the second of a series of military defense satellites for the German Ministry of Defense.

From it's location at 13.2 degrees east above the equator, COMSATBw will cover and track other military movements from North America over toward the Middle East region, and is designed to operate through 2025. It will also provide secure military communications of it's regional military as it operates with it's twin COMSATBw-1 -- which launched last October.

The German satellite was the 34th military payload launched by an Ariane rocket, according to Arianespace.

This Ariane flight was the first of seven planned for 2010. The next Ariane 5 is scheduled for mid-June with one comsat and one weather satellite.

Second Spacewalk of Atlantis' Mission Underway

Atlantis astronauts today are performing the second of three planned spacewalks outside Earth's orbital outpost to install fresh batteries and repair a snagged cable on a sensor boom.

Mission specialists Steven Bowen and Michael Good switched their spacesuits to internal power officially beginning today's planned six and one-half hour spacewalk at 6:38 am EDT.

The first task the orbital duo began was to free a snagged cable at the camera on the orbital boom sensor.

"The cable was inhibiting a camera from maneuvering correctly. Bowen adjusted the cable and used a plastic tie to hold it in position," Mission control near Houston stated today.

This job only lasted only fifteen minutes, but when they finished it was fifty-one minutes into the spacewalk.

The second task the astronauts went to work on outside the space station is the replacement of at least three of six batteries at the Port 6 truss solar array.

The astronauts will replace each 375 pound battery at the array's integrated electrical assembly by releasing two hold down bolts. Once the battery is free, the two astronauts will hand-off the battery back and forth as they transition down the truss segment to store the battery.

The first new battery, battery A, will then be removed from the Intergrated cargo carrier which Atlantis brought up to orbit and houses all six fresh batteries.

In support of the spacewalk, Atlantis astronauts Garrett Reisman and Piers Sellers operated the station's fifty-foot robotic arm with the portable foot restraint attached.

A Friday spacewalk will install the final three batteries in the same region of the station.

Japanese Spacecraft to Study Venus Atmosphere

Akatsuki will arrive in Venus' orbit in November. (JAXA)

(UPDATED from May 5, 2010) -- A Japanese space observatory will depart Earth on Friday bound for Venus as it begins a multi-year mission to study the planet's mysterious atmosphere.

The Venusian atmosphere as a whole is one of the great mysteries in our solar system -- from it's make up and fast rotating upper atmosphere to why it differs so much from it's twin planet, Earth.

Launch of the JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) H-2A-200 rocket with the Venus Climate Orbiter "Akatsuki" spacecraft is scheduled for May 20 at 5:58:22 pm EDT (2158 GMT), or 6:58 am local time on May 21, from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.

The Akatsuki observatory, also known as PLANET-C, will spend nearly five years investigating the make-up of Venus' high carbon dioxide atmosphere with high resolution mapping.

The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Venus this November.

"Akatsuki is the world's first planetary probe that deserves to be called a meteorological satellite," JAXA project scientist Dr. Takeshi Imamura explained. "The unique feature of this mission is that it will map the movement of the Venusian atmosphere in three dimensions, by taking continuous images of a broad swath all at once, using different wavelengths ranging from infrared to ultraviolet."

The planet's atmosphere of 96% carbon dioxide creates surface temperatures which average 860 degrees Fahrenheit. Venus' heavy atmosphere, which includes nearly 4% nitrogen, is ninety-two times heavier than that here on Earth.

The box-shaped spacecraft will orbit the planet once every 30 hours as it flies an elliptical orbit of 186 x 49,710 miles above.

Earth's sister planet orbits the Sun from a mean distance of 67 million miles, and has no natural satellites of it's own.

Akatsuki will carry several science instruments and cameras, including an ultraviolet imager and a Longwave infrared camera.

"Akatsuki is equipped with five cameras," Imamura explained in a recent interview. "One of them, a near-infrared camera, will be able to peer through the thick clouds of sulfuric acid and observe the surface of Venus, which is normally completely obscured by these clouds. In addition to studying meteorological phenomena, we might be able to see whether Venus has any active volcanoes."

Venus does have over 160 volcanoes which have added a vast amount of sulfuric acid to the planet's atmosphere.

A secondary payload which will become a test bed for future solar sail spacecrafts will accompany the planetary probe as they leave earth orbit.

A small Japanese solar power sail experiment known as IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-Craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun) will depart Earth and speed toward Venus as well.

A circular core will begin moving out into outer space and begin to rotate at 20 rotations per minute. Then two weeks later, it will deploy a 20-meter (66 feet) diagonal square solar array blanket which will surround the rotating core.

The solar sail is only .0075 mm or .0003 of an inch thick, according to JAXA.

The solar array blanket is supported by four masts, and it will be these masts which will support the very thin polyimide solar cells.

The IKAROS demonstration will pave the way for a larger platform which will span 50 meters (164 feet) across as JAXA launches a solar sail probe toward Jupiter late this year.

Japanese Rocket Launch Scrubbed Due to Rain

A Japanese rocket set to carry a planetary observation satellite into space and toward Venus was scrubbed today due to inclement weather at the Tanegashima Space Center.

The Japanese Space Agency scrubbed the launch at T-5 minutes, due to rainy weather, high winds and low clouds over and around launch pad 1. The launch team will try again on Tuesday afternoon.

The H-2A rocket was to have lifted-off at 5:44 pm EDT.

Atlantis Astronauts Begin Station Spacewalk

Two of shuttle Atlantis' astronauts began an orbital walk in space this morning to install a new high gain antenna and perform several chores in support of the International Space Station.

Spacewalkers Garrett Reisman and Steven Bowen began the first of three planned 'walks at 7:54 am EDT today, as they switched their suits to internal power while in the Quest airlock of the station.

Running under the call sign nicknames of Big-G for Reisman and Steve-O for Bowen, the pair spent a few minutes getting accustomed prior to their planned six and one-half hour extra vehicular activity.

Today's spacewalk is the 144th devoted to space station construction and maintenance. At the start of today's spacewalk, astronauts and cosmonauts have logged a total time of 893 hours and 93 minutes outside the orbital complex.

First up saw Reisman began to transition over to the station's port 1 truss to the Ceta cart to pick up a portable foot restraint in which he will stand upon as he rides the station's robotic arm this morning. He completed installation of the PFR at 8:39 am.

Meanwhile, Bowen began removing several bolts at 8:36 am, removing the Ku-Band antenna dish which was mounted to the intergrated cargo carrier -- an eight foot long cargo support structure which Atlantis delivered to station on Sunday.

Operating the space station's fifty-foot robotic arm is Atlantis' Piers Sellers.

"There's a spectacular light show underneath us", Big-Garrett stated as he viewed lightning storms over Taiwan during the nighttime pass at 8:45 am.

At the helm of Atlantis is commander Ken Ham and pilot Tony Antonelli. Mission specialists Reisman, Michael Good, Bowen and Sellers round out the crew of NASA's 132nd space shuttle mission.

Orbiting high above earth in an orbit of 220 x 212 statue miles, the largest complex ever to fly in space with Atlantis docked now weighs in at 1.06 million pounds.

Cargo Carrier Attached to Space Station

The multiple hatches between the International Space Station and the newly docked shuttle Atlantis were opened today kicking off a task filled week in space.

After Atlantis docked this morning at 10:28 am EDT, the region between the hatches of the two spacecraft was pressurized to 14.7 psi - the normal atmospheric pressure felt at sea level here on earth.

Atlantis also spent thirty minutes reorienting the space station's attitude 180-degrees so that the belly of the orbiter would be in the direction of travel. This is typically performed so that orbital debris and micrometeorites do not impact delicate scientific experiments in the payload bay or the orbiter.

Mission control near Houston then gave the go ahead for the two crews to open their respective hatches.

Hatch opening occurred at 12:18 pm, as the station-shuttle complex flew 212 miles high above the Pacific coastline of Ecuador.

Atlantis' commander Kenneth Ham first floated into the station's Destiny module after being welcomed by the station's commander Oleg Kotov. Ham then darted in the microgravity environment right toward the two lone Americans living on the space station -- Tracy Caldwell-Dyson and Tim J. Creamer -- and all three embraced in a big hug.

The joint crew of twelve all passed out hugs and handshakes of greetings followed by a traditional safety briefing conducted by Kotov.

The first big task of the crew's busy day is the unstowage of the massive Intergrated Cargo Carrier from the bay of Atlantis.

The ICC was slowly lifted from the payload bay by the space station's fifty-foot robotic arm and placed onto the station's mobile transport.

The eight-foot long ICC is loaded with nearly six thousand pounds of hardware such as six huge batteries and a new high gain space-to-ground antenna.

The new items will be removed from the carrier during a planned six and one-half hour spacewalk beginning on Monday morning by Atlantis astronauts Garrett Reisman and Steven Bowman.