Russian Progress cargo craft docks to space station

Progress craft sails to a docking with space station. (NASA)

A Russian cargo craft loaded with equipment and supplies successfully docked to the International Space Station today.

The 24-foot long spacecraft spent two days traveling up to the orbiting outpost with fresh supplies for the crew of six living and working aboard.

Live video sent down by the supply craft's docking camera showed a nearly 910,000 pound space station alone in earth orbit draped with the blackness of space.

As the cargo craft passed the 3,280 foot distance point, Progress slowed down to a .5 m.p.h. closing rate and then down to .15 m.p.h. rate as the distance closed.

The craft then held a brief station-keeping position 540 feet from it's planned docking port on the Zvezda module, so that Russian ground controllers could ensure a safe docking.

Progress M-11M automatically docked to the Russian Zvezda module at 12:37 p.m. EDT (20:37 Moscow time) as the two crafts soared 235 miles above Kazakhstan.

"Once again, congratulations on the automatic docking," the Russian flight control team radioed the cosmonauts ten minutes later.

The station's Expedition 28 crew includes Russian cosmonaut and commander Andrey Borisenko, Alexander Samokutyaev, Sergei Volkov, NASA astronauts Ron Garan and Mike Fossum, and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.

A mass of 5893 pounds, including water, oxygen, propellant, medical supplies, hardware, video and photography equipment and personal crew items arrived following the relatively smooth docking.

Brief communication issues with the spacecraft, including loss of video and target information caused the station's crew to pay closer attention to Progress' approach.

As the craft neared it's arrival, Russian mission control had no data on the retraction of communications antenna on Progress.

Cosmonauts are scheduled to open the hatches leading into the Progress at 3:30 p.m., following a brief meal and leak checks between the docking port's seals.

New crew ready for exciting time aboard space station

New space station residents prepare for busy space flight. (NASA)

The next crew members bound for the International Space Station are in their final hours before launch to begin nearly six busy months of living and working in earth orbit.

Two space station veterans and a first time space flier will link up with the orbiting complex 222 miles above earth to begin a marathon mission.

Russia's Soyuz commander Sergei Volkov, along with NASA astronaut Mike Fossum and Japan's Satoshi Furukawaare are due to lift-off aboard a Soyuz FG rocket on Tuesday at 4:12:45 p.m. EDT (2012 GMT) from launch pad 1 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in western Kazakhstan.

Launch will occur from the very same launch pad which sent Yuri Gagarin aloft on mankind's first voyage into space fifty years earlier.

The boyish looking Volkov was born in 1973, and has logged nearly 200 days in space in 2008 as he flew his first spaceflight as commander of the 17th space station crew. He will perform his third spacewalk seven weeks after launching to the outpost.

His father is cosmonaut Alexander Volkov who spent 391 days in space on three spaceflights, including being aboard the Mir space station the months leading up to and after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The younger Volkov states that it was not his dream of being a cosmonaut as a child, as he sat and watched his father study all the time for exams associated with his flights and training.

"When I was a kid it was more minuses than pluses (to being a cosmonaut). Always busy, studying all day long, exams," Volkov explained.

He did want to become a pilot since an early age graduating from Tambov Air Force Pilot School in 1995, and that led him to cosmonaut training two years later.

Two time shuttle flier Mike Fossum has logged nearly 27 days in space, and has made six spacewalks outside the space station. He will perform his seventh orbital walk one month into his stay aboard the complex.

Japanese astronaut Furukawaare will serve as the Soyuz craft's co-pilot, and will be the only rookie riding into space this week.

A medical doctor from the University of Tokyo, Furukawaare began training to learn the Soyuz spacecraft in 2003 at Star City near Moscow; and the following year moved to Houston to begin Astronaut Candidate Training at the Johnson Space Center.

"My crew’s just awesome," Fossum stated recently as he spoke of his crew mates. "I’ve know Sergey Volkov for 11 years... he’s one of my best friends in the cosmonaut corps. I’ve known and worked with Satoshi since he showed up here to begin training."

"We’re three guys from three different countries and three different corners of the globe, but we get along great. We have a lot of fun working together," Fossum added.

Powered by a central core engine and four booster engines, the Soyuz FG will launch to the east, inclined 51.6 degrees to the earth's equator.

The space trio will ride inside their Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft, a new version of the older Soyuz crafts in which Russia will consider this flight a test flight.

Two days later, the Soyuz will slowly glide in and dock to the Russian Rassvet Module at about 5:00 p.m.

The new crew will join the three existing residents of station commander Andrey Borisenko, Alexander Samokutyaev and NASA astronaut Ron Garan two hours after arriving.

It will be the start of a busy second half of 2011 aboard the orbiting complex.

On June 23, a Russian resupply craft Progress M-11M is due to arrive and dock to the Zvezda service module, loaded with over two tons of fuel, water, fresh food and items for the crew of six.

NASA will launch the final space shuttle to the space station on July 8 to deliver supplies and help with stowage of new equipment brought up by Atlantis.

Fossum and Garan will perform a single six hour spacewalk on July 12 beginning at 8:00 a.m. during Atlantis' eight day stay.

The pair will remove a 1,400 pond failed ammonia pump module tank for storage inside the back section of the shuttle's payload bay.

NASA wants to learn why the pump failed very early in it's life for possible redesign.

"We’re going to the pump module right now is sitting on a stowage platform very close to the space station’s airlock, and Ron’s going to be getting onto the space station’s robot arm and we’re going to get this pump module ready to go," Fossum said of his single spacewalk's start.

Garin will ride the station's arm while holding on to the tank, while Fossum traverses over to a storage platform in Atlantis' bay.

Once latched down, the spacewalkers will switch places to begin the next task.

"I’ll jump on the arm, Ronnie will take the pedestrian route and then we’re going to pick up the RRM (Robotics Refueling Mission)," Fossum explained. "It’s a new kind of science payload that the shuttle’s bringing up, and we’ll put that onto a temporary stowage location on the station for a later install out at its permanent location."

The Goddard Space Flight Center's RRM will demonstrate the refueling of a spacecraft with a robot, likely DEXTRE. It will use fluids and not actual fuel for this experiment.

Two weeks later, Russian cosmonauts Borisenko and Volkov will venture outside to relocate a cargo platform from a Russian docking compartment to the Poisk module; and will they will deploy a mini transmitter containing messages of congratulations related to the golden anniversary of human kinds first voyage into space.

The docking compartment known as Pirs will be unlatched from the station and sent to a destructive reentry in Autumn of 2012.

The space duo will also install several experiments on Pirs to study how biological materials react to being exposed to space, and install a laser-based communications device to the Russian Zvezda module.

Russia's twenty-ninth space station-based spacewalk is planned for July 26.

Two more resupply Progress crafts are scheduled to arrive at the station on September 1 and October 28, stepping up from their traditional launch of every three months to two months following the July retirement of the space shuttle.

Borisenko, Samokutyaev and Garan will depart their home in space for their return to earth aboard their Soyuz TMA-21 craft on September 16. The trio left earth on April 5, arriving in time for the Gagarin anniversary one week later.

On the day prior to Soyuz undocking, Fossum will become the new space station commander. As the spacecraft undocks, Fossum will then become the commander of the new Expedition 29 crew.

Two weeks later, a new crew of three will replace the departed crew as they lift-off to earth's orbital outpost on Sept. 30 to begin their nearly six month stay.

Volkov, Fossum and Furukawaare will conclude their expedition aboard the space station on November 16 and land three hours later in a cold central Kazakhstan desert.

Shuttle Endeavour departs space station for the final time

Endeavour makes her way around the space station today. (NASA)

(UPDATED: 2:40 a.m. EDT) -- Completing her final mission to the International Space Station, shuttle Endeavour departed her home for the last twelve days to test a new navigation system and prepare for her voyage home.

It was a busy mission filled with the delivery of an international experiment designed to study dark matter in the universe; delivery of spare parts and fresh supplies; and four spacewalks to extend the station's robotic arm and extend the cooling supply from two American modules over to a Russian module.

Bolts driven to latch Endeavour to the space station's docking port were released and the orbiter slowly backed away with her belly moving forward in the direction of travel of the space station.

Separation occurred on time at 11:55:28 p.m. EDT on Sunday, as the orbital complex flew 215 miles high above northern Chile. Endeavour had spent eleven days, hours and minutes docked to the orbiting complex.

"Houston and station, we have physical separation," Endeavour commander Mark Kelly radioed.

Minutes later as the orbiter was nearly twenty feet out, the traditional bell was rung aboard the space station's Harmony node.

"Endeavour departing. Fair winds and following seas. It was a pleasure sailing with you boys," Station astronaut Ron Garan radioed to the departing shuttle.

Endeavour flew out to a distance of 460 feet in front of the complex before pilot Greg Johnson began the traditional 360-degree fly around of the space station high over western Europe twenty-five minutes following undocking.

Station soars 650 feet from Endeavour today over China. (NASA)

It was the final lap around the orbiting laboratory for Endeavour as she sails into the final days of her final space flight.

Johnson piloted the orbiter from in front of the nearly 905,000 pound space station, up and over to an area 600 feet behind, and then down and under back to an area in front of the station.

The shuttle then fired her jets to begin separating away and move out to a distance of 22,400 feet above and behind the complex.

Once at this distance, Kelly then fired the shuttle's jets once again at 2:40 a.m. to move Endeavour out to a distance of 30,000 feet.

A half hour later, the crew performed a mid-course correction burn to began the re-rendezvous maneuver to test America's next generation of navigational aides in space.

Endeavour then crossed into the minus V(elocity) Bar as the craft slowed down, reaching a peak distance of 29,969 feet at 3:03 a.m. before beginning to re-rendezvous.

Known as STORRM (Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation), this new navigation is tested for use in the upcoming Orion-styled Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle.

The multi-equipment setup for STORRM navigation includes a laptop on the flight deck, a sensor on the shuttle's port payload bay wall and a high def camera.

It is this docking camera which the crew will be unable to use due to an overheat of an electronics board which operates the system.

The space laboratory -- 357 feet from end to end along the Truss structure -- will see the final space shuttle arrival about July 10.

Endeavour prepares for her final space station undocking

Shuttle Endeavour's right wing during her final space flight. (NASA)

The crew of shuttle Endeavour spent a busy Saturday aboard the International Space Station, transferring supplies to the outpost and preparing their ship for Sunday's departure and test of a high tech navigation aide.

The nine astronauts and cosmonauts living and working at the space station moved the last supplies and water bags from the orbiter over to the complex, and performed maintenance work on one of several carbon dioxide removal systems aboard the station.

Endeavour's all veteran crew of commander Mark Kelly, pilot Gregory H. Johnson and mission specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori of the European Space Agency, arrived at earth's orbiting outpost on May 18.

The crew of six will say their goodbyes on Sunday morning to the station's crew of three, which includes station commander and Russian cosmonaut Andrey I. Borisenko, NASA astronaut Ron Garan and cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev.

The two crews will then close the three hatches leading between shuttle and station at about 7:10 a.m. EDT.

Endeavour is due to depart the space station for the twelfth and final time of her storied career on Sunday at 11:55 p.m., and then slowly travel out to a distance of about 400 feet.

Pilot Johnson will then begin flying Endeavour as he takes the orbiter on a 360-degree lap from above the space station nearly thirty minutes after undocking.

Endeavour will then perform a separation burn following the flyaround, and several minutes later will begin to test a next generation aide in navigating and docking in orbit by the future Orion spacecraft.

The Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation, or STORRM, can operate from three miles away to up to just five feet from the space station's docking target.

"Once we undock and separate from space station, we will re-rendezvous on a different type of profile to gather more data and be somewhat more similar to what Orion would do during a space station approach," Kelly explained several days before launch.

A second separation burn will move the spacecraft further out to a distance of about 18,000 feet before Kelly and pilot Johnson begin to reapproach the football field size complex again -- a first in the shuttle program.

Using a sensor in the shuttle's payload bay and a high-def camera tied to a laptop computer on the shuttle's flight deck, commander Kelly will guide Endeavour on a reapproach to the space station to test STORRM.

Two and one-half hours following undocking, Endeavour will begin a series of burns to close in using the advanced sensor system, while the space station is positioned for the test.

"The STORRM test will greatly enhance our knowledge of advanced laser-based navigation sensor technologies," manager Howard Hu of Orion system performance and analysis at the Johnson Space Center said. It will "provide safer and more robust rendezvous and docking capabilities for future spacecraft.”

Commander Kelly will perform the final separation burn at about 4:35 a.m. on Monday, to begin Endeavour's two day voyage home -- her final days sailing upon the ocean of space.

Endeavour is set to land at the Kennedy Space Center's shuttle landing facility's runway 15/33 on Wednesday at 2:35 a.m.

Shuttle astronauts mark milestones outside space station

Spacewalker Mike Fincke photographed the Cupola today. (NASA)

Shuttle Endeavour astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station one final time to perform several robotic chores as they marked a few milestones outside the outpost.

The fourth and final spacewalk by Endeavour's astronauts began earlier than planned at 12:15 a.m. EDT this morning, from the space station's Quest airlock.

Astronauts Mike Fincke and Greg Chamitoff went to work on the first task which will double the length and extend the reach of the space station's robotic arm.

Endeavour's orbiter sensor boom extension which was used to survey the orbiter's thermal protection system earlier on this flight for damage, was handed over to the space station to become a permanent fixture.

The orbital duo moved the boom over to the station's side for future use to double the reach of the existing arm to over 100-feet long.

It was also the final American equipment to be installed on the orbiting laboratory 220 miles high.

"Space station assembly is complete," Endeavour's commander Mark Kelly radioed his crew with pride.

"Assembly complete, amazing. Boy, this is a big space station," Chamitoff radioed back moments later from outside the complex.

Chamitoff also became the final shuttle astronaut to return inside an airlock as he followed Fincke to closeout this 159th spacewalk to construct and maintain the nearly one million pound complex.

The astronauts wrapped up their 7 hour and 24 minute spacewalk today at 7:39 a.m., completing 28 hours and 44 minutes of spacewalks performed during Endeavour's final flight.

The astronauts surpassed the 1000th hour of spacewalking time at 5:02 a.m. in support of constructing and maintaining the space station.

Since 1998, American, Russian, Canadian, European and Japanese astronauts have now spent 1,002 hours and 37 minutes of spacewalking time outside the station.

Today's spacewalk was also the final spacewalk performed by a space shuttle crew.

All future spacewalks will be performed by space station astronauts, including the single orbital walk planned during shuttle Atlantis' flight in July.

Also later today at 8:00 p.m., Fincke will become the American astronaut with the most time spent in space as he surpasses his boss Peggy Whitson's 377 days in space.

Whitson serves as the Chief of the Astronaut Corps at the Johnson Space Center.

Fincke served two six month tours aboard the station in 2004 and 2009, the later as the commander.

His two previous space flights ended with landings in Kazakhstan aboard Russian Soyuz spacecrafts. This flight aboard Endeavour is his first space shuttle flight.

Endeavour astronauts perform third spacewalk of mission

Astronauts perform the third spacewalk aboard space station. (NASA)

Shuttle Endeavour astronauts worked outside the International Space Station today stringing fiber optic cables and back-up power cables to an aging Russian segment.

Astronauts Drew Feustel and Mike Fincke began the third of four planned spacewalks during Endeavour's final flight at 1:46 a.m. EDT today, and minutes later began floating out of the station's Quest airlock.

The orbital duo grabbed their tools and moved over to the very first element launched to begin building the orbiting lab in 1998, Zarya.

Once they set up their tools and removed three cap covers on the module, they moved back to the Quest airlock to retrieve the main goal of the spacewalk, the installation of the Power Data and Grapple Fixture.

The PDG Fixture is designed to be attached to the exterior of the Russian module at three connections. They then installed a video signal converter near the PDGF and three cables between the two newly installed equipment.

Two long fiber optic cables and two power jumper cables based from the American Harmony and Unity nodes and running over to the PDG fixture were then hooked up.

Today's spacewalk concluded at 8:37 a.m., as the astronauts concluded six hours and 54 minutes on spacesuit internal power.

Today's spacewalk was the 247th by NASA astronauts dating back to 1965, and only the 117th spacewalk based from the space station.

Endeavour's astronauts have now spent 21 hours and 20 minutes outside of the space station, with nearly seven hours planned for Friday's orbital walk in space.

American, Russian, Canadian and European astronauts combined have spent 995 hours and 13 minutes "spacewalking" in support of construction and maintenance of the space station, NASA's mission control explained.

"It was an amazing sunrise and the view was amazing," Fincke exclaimed as he radioed Feustel near the end of the spacewalk.

One more journey outside the orbiting complex is planned to begin on Friday at 12:46 a.m., by astronauts Fincke and Greg Chamitoff.

The astronauts will mark the start of the 1,000th hour of spacewalking work outside the space station at 5:33 a.m. based on an on time start to the 'walk.

Friday's final spacewalk of Endeavour's mission will also be the last by space shuttle astronauts in the program's thirty year history.

The first space shuttle spacewalk occurred on the first flight of Challenger in April 1983.

The next and final space shuttle flight will be flown by Atlantis on STS-135, and her crew of four will not perform a spacewalk.

One walk in space is planned during Atlantis' visit, however it will be performed by space station astronauts.

Also on Friday morning, Fincke will become the American astronaut with the most time spent in space as he surpasses the current Chief of the Astronaut Corps Peggy Whitson's 377 days.