Discovery's Payload Canister Arrives at Pad

The payload canister arrived at space shuttle Discovery's launch pad this morning as the calendar ticks down to a possible Easter Monday launch date.

The white, nearly 60 foot container which contains the entire cargo Discovery will carry to the International Space Station arrived early this morning, however NASA's Kennedy Space Center technicians told this reporter the payload will not be installed until after a critical meeting early next week.

Engineers are targeting March 24 to install the payload aboard Discovery.

One week ago, a possible leak was discovered in the starboard orbital maneuvering system pod tank on Discovery as the tanks in both OMS pods were being vented to prepare for the loading of fuel .

Over the last five days, technicians have begun leak checks and tests, and will perform one this weekend, to evaluate the condition of the leak.

"Engineers continue evaluating data from a pressurization test of Discovery's right reaction control system's helium system to verify the overall health of the regulators downstream of the helium isolation valves," KSC public affairs told me. "Preliminary data shows positive results for the tests."

Discovery is still targeted to lift-off on a major resupply mission to the space station on April 5.

In a worse case scenario, if there is a leak and NASA's Shuttle Management Team states they cannot fly as is, then Discovery will be returned back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for unmating to her tank.

Discovery would then be returned to her hanger for possibly two weeks of repairs, thus setting the space shuttle program back as much as two months due to the leak.

Discovery uses the OMS pod to maneuver in short bursts as the orbiter flies through space, and a leak could disable several thrusters.

A flight readiness review meeting is currently scheduled for next Friday morning at Kennedy to determine the readiness of everything associated with NASA's 131 space shuttle flight.

Once Discovery arrives on orbit, she and her crew spend two weeks in space, eight of those days docked to earth's orbital complex in space.

At the helm of Discovery will be commander Alan Poindexter. The STS-131 crew includes pilot James Dutton, Jr, and mission specialists Rick Mastracchio, Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Clayton Anderson.

Crew Departs Space Station Returns Home

The Soyuz capsule lands safely today in snowy Kazakhstan (NASA)

The recent American commander of the International Space Station and his Russian flight engineer departed the orbital complex this morning following a busy six-month stay.

The outgoing Expedition 22 commander Jeffery Williams and cosmonaut Max Suraev said their goodbyes to the three fellow residents of the new Expedition 23 crew, and climbed aboard their Soyuz TMA16 spacecraft to begin the return trip home.

Undocking by the Soyuz from the Poisk Mini-Research Module occurred at 4:03 am EDT this morning, as the orbital duo flew 220 miles above the Mongolian border near Russia.

Unlike the space shuttle, the Soyuz time in orbit following a station undocking is brief.

The Soyuz, piloted by Suraev, spent two orbits of the earth dropping their altitude prior to their four-minute deorbit burn which began at 6:33 am.

Meanwhile, aboard the space station, new station commander Oleg Kotev, and flight engineers Soichi Noguchi of Japan and astronaut Timothy J. Creamer watched the live video coverage of the landing via their laptop computer.

The next landing event saw the Soyuz equipment section separate from the crew module twenty-five minutes later. This manuver set the module up for it's firery atmospheric reentry.

That warmth inside the crew module was plesent as it began it's plunge at 7:02 am, unlike the cold which which would later greet the space duo minutes later.

The weather was cold as the sun began to set as the crew module sat down in the remote site of north central Kazakhstan, near the town of Arkalyk.

A temperature of 21 degrees F and winds out of the southwest at 15 mph created a real feel temp of 0 degrees F for the rescue ground personal.

A vast recovery group of twelve MI military helicopters, a fixed-wing aircraft, medical teams and both NASA and Russian Space Agency personal were on hand for the landing.

A series of parachutes began slowing the spacecraft down and just before landing, several thrusters on the bottom of the Soyuz performed a soft-landing firing.

Landing upon the snow covered wide open area of Kazakhstan occurred on time at 7:24 am (1124 GMT), just 202 minutes following their station undocking.

Touchdown site was located at 50.4 degrees North by 67.2 degrees East, or 60 km northeast of Arkalyk.

Seconds after landing, the Soyuz was buffeted by the winds and was tipped over on it's side and drug about twenty-five feet through three feet of snow.

During the next twenty minutes, as snow flurries began to coat the craft, recovery teams opened up the hatch, and removed Williams and Suraev and took them to a medical tent.

Russian Proton-M set to launch DISH-TV satellite

A Russian rocket will launch a new satellite for the DISH-TV cable system on Saturday as the company expands it's North America broadcast services in high definition.

An International Launch Services Proton-M rocket is set to launch the EchoStar XIV spacecraft from pad 200 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 20 at 2:27 pm EDT (1827 GMT).

Lift-off weight of the fueled rocket will be 1.55 million pounds.

This latest EchoStar will operate above the equator at 119 degrees west, and hold a position there to provide nearly 14 million Dish-TV subscribers in the United States high def television programming.

The 191-foot tall Proton rocket began it's horizontal move out to launch pad 39 on Tuesday evening to begin a standard three days of prelaunch hooks ups and preparations.

The Proton's first stage is powered by six RD-276 engines, which when ignited, will burn for just shy of two minutes. The engines burn an oxidizer fuel as a center tank feeds the fuel to six external tanks which line the outside of the rocket.

As the second stage takes over powered flight seconds later, it's three RD-0210 engines will push it's payload higher and faster during the next three minutes and 27 seconds.

Once the third stage takes over, the protective cover cone around the satellite will spit down from the tip and peel away at T+ 5 minutes, 47 seconds into the ascent. Stage three is powered for just over two minutes with just one RD-0213 main engine and a four nozzle vernier engine as the rocket continues it's eastward trajectory.

All engines are built by NPO Energomash which is located in Khimky outside of Moscow.

A little less than ten minutes into the ascent profile, the third stage will separate from the Breeze-M (BRIZ-M) upper stage. Two minutes later, at 2:38:44 pm EDT, the Breeze will begin a five minute, 30 second burn -- the first in a series of five burns.

As the Breeze-M carries its payload over Mongolia and the northeastern region of China, it's initial low orbit of 107 miles will slowly be raised over the next few hours as it maneuvers toward a geostationary orbit of 22,250 miles. The satellite's orbital inclination will be 26.7 degrees to the equator.

Following a series of five long burns by the upper stage, Dish-TV's newest satellite will separate from Breeze at 11:37 pm (0337 GMT) -- just over nine hours following launch as it flies high off the Somalia coast.

The EchoStar-14 (SS/L-1300 design) built by Space Systems/Loral, carries a mass of 14,034 pounds on-orbit, and is expected to be in service for nearly 15 years.

EchoStar carries 103 Ku-Band antennas for receiving and transmitting specific television cable networks for Dish-TV.

Saturday's launch will be the second Proton of the year, and the 58th ILS-launched Proton rocket.

NASA's MSFC recognizes SpaceLaunch News story

The public affairs office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville linked my story, 50 Years of Rocketry to their web page on Facebook today, and gave this author a big thumbs-up with the words "great piece".

I am not one to promote myself, but this was a great personal honor and I thank the Marshall team for their support.

Rick Smith, Marshall's media writer, emailed this journalist with his thoughts on the piece, "Thanks for the great writing! Keep it up!".

You can read my story on the Alabama space center here.

Space Station Residents Prepare for Return to Earth

Williams floats in the scenic Cupola module. (NASA)

The crew aboard the International Space Station are preparing today to begin a crew rotation which will see the departure of two and the arrival of three new residents.

Expedition 22 station commander Jeffery Williams and Flight Engineer Maxim Suraev are finalizing the loading of their Russian Soyuz-TMA 16 spacecraft for the return trip home to earth following 175 days in space.

Soyuz undocking is planned for Thursday morning at 4:03 am EDT (0703 GMT). The two will then return upon the deserts central Asia later that morning at 7:24 am.

The duo launched on September 30th from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and docked to station two days later.

Following the Soyuz undocking, three crew members will be left aboard to become the core for the new Expedition 23 crew, led by new commander Oleg Kotov. Flight Engineers Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer will round out the crew.

An official commander to commander handover is set for Wednesday morning at 7:45 am.

The trio will not be alone for long as new residents launch to earth's orbital outpost in April to begin their six month journey aboard station.

Alexander Skvortsov, Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko are set to lift-off aboard their Soyuz TMA18 spacecraft from Baikonur on April 2 at 12:04 am EDT (0404 GMT).

The Soyuz is scheduled to dock on April 4 at 12:28 am (0428 GMT), with hatch opening three hours later.

Three days later, seven guests will show up as the space shuttle Discovery returns to begin eight days of docked operations to resupply the space station.

In addition to fresh food, water, oxygen and personal supplies, Discovery will add a new ammonia tank and supply racks aboard station.

Marshall Space Flight Center: 50 years of Rocketry

The author stands below space shuttle Pathfinder recently.

Springtime vacations in the southeastern United States are always a fun and exciting time for families.

Whether it's taking in some sun on the beach; visiting scenic attractions and national parks; or the NASA space centers spread across four states -- there is always something cool to do.

One great destination is the site where the first rocket engine tests were performed and the space shuttle began to take shape -- The Redstone Arsenal and the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.

Located in beautiful Huntsville, this NASA space center sits in the foothills of the Appalachians, surrounded by the picturesque scenery of the north Alabama region.

Mark your calendar today and make a point to spend a few days in Huntsville as the center begins it's celebration of Marshall's fiftieth anniversary.

Officially dedicated in July 1960, MSFC began to grow following President Kennedy's challenge to land a man on the moon prior to 1970. The region was used by the Army in the early days of rocket construction and testing on the Redstone site.

The space center's first director, Wernher von Braun, is credited as the Father of NASA's first rockets. A German rocket scientist and engineer, von Braun and his team left wartime Europe for America to begin work on America's rocket plans in the mid-1940's.

Marshall is one of NASA's lead centers as it supports experiments, water recovery and data systems aboard the International Space Center; and also "developed and manages NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, which probes the mysteries of space with unprecedented X-ray images that help to reveal the structure and evolution of the universe", according to Marshall.

Apollo 16 module which orbited the Moon. (photos: C Atkeison)

Prior to the launch of the Skylab missions, Marshall developed the orbital workshop and the four Saturn launch vehicles which carried the space station in 1973 and the subsequent three Apollo crews to orbit during '73 and '74.

The center has also managed several parts which make up the space shuttle system: the external fuel tank; the orbiter's main engines and solid rocket boosters since the mid-1970's.

This aerospace reporter visited Marshall recently, and reflected back on the center's Golden Age as I spoke to several of it's employees as they face the shuttle program's conclusion later this year.

As one visits the center's grounds, one can easily find themselves taking several gigabytes of images and video of the region around them.

Located at the visitor's center is a space shuttle mock-up resting a top a full scale external fuel tank and a pair of solid rocket boosters attached on either side of the tank.

The exact scale space shuttle stack features the space shuttle Pathfinder, including a cluster of real main engines. Two of the three engines actually flew on the very first shuttle mission, STS-1, in 1981.

Constructed here at Marshall in 1977, the orbiter simulator (later named Pathfinder, above) was used as a test model to check a specific hoisting system later to be used by the space shuttle Enterprise.

During the summer of 1978, Pathfinder was used as a structural test article in dress rehearsals at the Kennedy Space Center to check clearances in the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, and at the Mate-Demate device at the shuttle runway.


In the 1980's, Pathfinder was given the honor of an orbiter vehicle number: OV-098. Shuttle Challenger was OV-099, Columbia was OV-102 and Discovery is OV-103, for example.

According to a Marshall document, the bright rust-colored external tank - known as MPTA098 - was also built in 1977 to help begin main engine cluster testing in Mississippi later that year.

The twin rocket boosters were built after 1987, however were never used in flight or in ground tests.

As one takes in the majestic Marshall skyline, a towering Saturn 5 scale mock-up stands vertically near the Davidson Center.

The 363-foot Apollo-era stack replica is the only one to stand erect. The Saturn 5 flight hardware at both Kennedy and the Johnson Space Center near Houston are showcased horizontal, and Marshall also has a third Saturn 5 which lays horizontal inside the Davidson Center, too.

To see this Saturn 5 standing up right as it did during the moon program of Apollo makes the sight truly unique.

The indoors Saturn 5 lies in an exploded configuration, exposing the second stage engines and that of the upper stage's single engine. All three NASA centers have an actual flight hardware vehicle which was to have been destined for the Nixon-canceled moon flights of Apollo's 18, 19 or 20.

Von Braun and his team were the chief architects of the Saturn 5.

Adjacent to the mighty Saturn rocket is it's predecessor, the Saturn 1B rocket. The smaller 1B is recognized by its checker board center collar and sits at the entrance to the Rocket Garden behind the visitor center's main building.

Other exhibits you can view feature the latest in military technology; actual space crafts which flew including Apollo 16; a rock climbing wall for children and adults; and Space Camp, which is held nearly all year long. Watch my 2010 movie of the sights at MSFC.

Children ages 9 and above can attend Space Camp for a day to up to a week, and can even bring an adult for some of the camps they support.

Senators introduce bill to close spaceflight gap

This just in from Seator Hutchinson's office:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today introduced legislation to close the gap in U.S. human space flight that will occur if the space shuttle is retired before the next generation of space vehicle is developed.

Senator Hutchison’s bill would allow the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to extend the shuttle’s service as work continues on the next generation of American space vehicle.

Companion legislation is expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives next week by Reps. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Florida) and Bill Posey (R-Florida).

“We must close the gap in U.S. human space flight or face the reality that we will be totally dependent on Russia for access to space until the next generation of space vehicle is developed,” said Senator Hutchison. “If the space shuttle program is terminated, Russia and China will be the only nations in the world with the capability to launch humans into space. This is unacceptable.”

Hutchison said the Obama Administration’s budget proposal was “short-sighted and represents the wrong direction for U.S. space policy.”

The Administration proposes to retire the shuttle as scheduled while discontinuing years of work on development of a new launch vehicle and provides no short term solution to deliver critical equipment and components to the International Space Station that are essential to extending the life of the station until 2020.

“Not only are we turning our backs on 40 years of American space superiority, we are giving up vital national security and economic interests to other nations. This must not be an ‘either or’ proposition where we are forced to choose between continuing to fly the shuttle to service the station and maintain our independence in reaching space, or investing in the next generation of space vehicle. We can and must do both. By maintaining our independence from other nations in reaching space, the U.S. can fully realize the research potential of the space station as a national lab,” Hutchison said.

The Human Space Flight Capability Assurance and Enhancement Act would:

- Make shuttle retirement dependent on the availability of replacement capabilities for comparable size crew and cargo delivery, whether government-owned or commercial, (assuming a rate of 2 missions a year), or until it is conclusively demonstrated that the space shuttle cargo capabilities are not needed to ensure space station viability;

- Require International Space Station (ISS) operations and full utilization through at least 2020, and further establish the ISS National Laboratory operating mechanisms and procedures;

- Provide for the acceleration of a government-owned human space flight capability to as close to 2015 as possible;

- Expand support for Commercial Orbital Space Transportation (COTS) to support ISS -- both for cargo and for eventual crew launch capability;

- Reaffirm long-term goal of moving beyond low-Earth orbit whether to the Moon, Mars or alternative destinations;

- Provide for the near-term evaluation of heavy-lift rocket launcher design options, including shuttle-derived options, to enable the expansion beyond low-earth orbit and accelerate the start of vehicle design activity; and

- Authorize top-level funding for all of NASA's mission activities, but would only address the human space flight policy issues.

Private rocket's engine test shutdown in abort

A privately funded rocket standing secured to a launch pad at Cape Canaveral incurred an engine abort on the pad as it began to test fire it's first stage engines.

Owned and operated by Space X, the Falcon 9 rocket's core stage engines were ignited and abruptly shutdown at T-5 seconds at 1:42 pm EST, from complex 40.

A brief flash of fire at the base of the rocket and little smoke was the only indication this reporter saw in real time due to the lack of information coming from Space X officials.

The team notified the Kennedy Space Center officials that a target time of 1:30 pm would be supported, however that time came and went without an ignition.

After weighing their options, the Space X launch team decided to scrub for the day and possibly try again on Wednesday.

Delta IV launches GOES-P weather satellite

A ULA Delta IV launches tonight with the GOES-P (KSC)

(Updated at 11:20 pm) -- A next generation weather satellite was carried into space today to begin a decade long mission to study both the weather in the America's and in the vacuum of space.

The GOES-P high resolution weather satellite arrived successfully in orbit following a beautiful night launch.

The satellite will begin to photograph and study the weather for North America, and have an eye trained back at the Sun as it understands the effects of solar activity here on earth.

GOES-P will also serve to help locate and track distress signals from boaters and aircraft. The signals will give the Coast Guard a more accurate location to quicken the emergency response time.

Lift-off of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket occurred following a 40 minute delay tonight at 6:57:00 pm EST (2357 GMT), from launch pad 37 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

As the countdown was in a normal planned hold at T-5 minutes, several alarms lite the launch team's consoles. Those alarms then forced a delay in restarting the count.

That delay then saw the upper level winds go red, meaning that the wind's speeds of nearly 160 mph were to fast to allow the Delta to fly through up at the Jet Stream.

Residents along Florida's Atlantic coastline were able to enjoy an early evening launch as the flames of two rocket boosters and a main core engine carried the rocket due east on a 95 degree launch azimuth.

The 4800-pound spacecraft measures nearly 27 feet in length -- from solar panel to solar panel -- as it operates in a geostationary orbit of 22,300 miles above.

The Boeing 601 GOES-P spacecraft was then released on it's own at 11:18:26 pm tonight, as it soared 17,813 nautical miles over southern Singapore.

Tonight, the NOAA Satellite and Information Service said, "We should have the first image around April 1".

The next NOAA weather satellite will be the GOES-R, now planned for launch no earlier than 2015.

Delta IV fueled for Today's Sunset Launch

A Delta IV rocket stands ready to carry a high definition weather satellite into orbit tonight from America's Space Coast.

Lift-off remains targeted for 6:17 pm EST (2317 GMT) today from launch complex 37 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

(For a complete rundown on the flight click here.)

Fueling of the main stage tank has begun and technicians are looking for any leaks between the ground and the vehicle.

Launch Weather Officer Joel Tumbiolo of the 45th Weather Squadron here at Cape is forecasting a 95% chance of favorable weather at launch time.

Weather at the pad is clear skies and a temperature of 53 degrees F. This spacecraft will be an important addition to the GOES family of weather satellites.

GOES-P is the third of the current series of high resolution imaging satellites. GOES-P will also investigate and alert weather stations here on earth of recent solar flares which create solar weather.

This weather satellite will become an on orbit spare for several months.

Discovery's crew fields questions at launch pad

The seven member crew of the next space shuttle flight stood before their spacecraft and answered questions from the media this morning here at the Kennedy Space Center.

The crew flew into America's space coast on Monday for a week of launch pad training and a practice launch countdown on Friday.

Discovery's mission commander Alan Poindexter discussed his feelings on his crew's training this week at Kennedy, "It's a great exercise... it allows us to interface with the flight hardware. It allows us to exercise all the things were going to do an emergency egress".

Know as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, every shuttle crew participates in a series of drills and familiarization of the launch pad region; drive an armored emergency escape vehicle; and will suit up in their launch suits and board Discovery early tomorrow morning.

"We are so impressed by what's around us. I am touched by the banner 'We're behind you Discovery' ... its a team work," Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Discovery is scheduled to launch just before sunrise on April 5.

Once on orbit, the shuttle will dock two days later with the International Space Station and begin eight days of servicing and resupplying the outpost.

Discovery's crew will return home to south Houston late on Friday, and have this weekend off.

The next three weeks will focus on several practice sims as the crew perfects their on orbit duties and timelines involved. Every mission is based on rigid timelines which the crew must maintain during their day in space.

The crew will return back to Kennedy on April 1st for launch on Easter Monday.

Space shuttle Discovery arrives atop Pad 39A

The space shuttle Discovery was moved from her assembly building this morning out to her ocean side launch pad in preparation for her Easter Monday launch with a crew of seven.

The official first motion time for the STS-131 stack as it departed the Vehicle Assembly Building was 11:58 pm EST, on Wednesday evening.

Riding a top the mobile launcher platform at just 1 mph, the six hour, 3.5 mile journey was very quick as the space shuttle traveled through the darkness of a Florida wildlife preserve.

The uneventful trip out to launch complex 39 and pad A occurred under overcast skies, gusty winds and chilly temperatures this morning.

Discovery is currently set to launch on Monday, April 5 at 6:21:17 am EDT, on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Tucked inside the orbiter's payload bay is the Leonardo module loaded with several tons of supplies and experiments.

The crew will also conduct three spacewalks to retrieve a science experiment and perform maintenance work outside the station.

The flight crew is here at Cape Canaveral this week for launch pad training and a mock practice countdown. They were at the VAB to watch the rollout begin -- the orbiter's first steps toward getting to the space station.

At the helm of Discovery will be commander Alan Poindexter. The STS-131 crew includes pilot James Dutton, Jr, and mission specialists Rick Mastracchio, Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Clayton Anderson.

Discovery's crew arrives on the Space Coast

The crew of the next space shuttle flight arrived upon America's Space Coast Monday to begin three days of launch pad drills and emergency practices prior to their Easter Monday launch.

Led by mission commander Alan Poindexter, the seven member crew (above) includes pilot James Dutton, Jr, and mission specialists Rick Mastracchio, Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Clayton Anderson.

Known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, the seven astronauts will learn their way around launch pad 39-A this week, and even don their launch suits and climb aboard shuttle Discovery in a few days for a practice countdown.

Most flight crews arriving here at the Kennedy Space Center for TCDT perform a traditional fly by of their spacecraft as she sits passively on her launch site.

Today, Discovery remains inside her hanger awaiting to be rolled out to her ocean side launch pad just after midnight on Wednesday morning.

The nearly seven hour shuttle move will help set the stage for the crew's launch a day after Easter, April 5.

Late this morning, the crew will receive some hands on training as they ride and even drive the M113 personnel carrier near launch pad 39-A.

Russian Proton-M set for night launch today

Russia will launch a cluster of satellites into space in a few hours as it expands the navigational network and replaces several aging spacecraft.

A Proton-M rocket is to carry three GLONASS-M navigational satellites into orbit tonight at 4:19 pm EST (2119 GMT) or 00:20 Moscow time from launch pad 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

What America call the Global Positioning system or GPS, mulitple countries including Russia call their satellite constellation for navigation the Global Navigation Satellite System or GLONASS.

The first GLONASS satellites were launched in October 1982, and currently have 22 in orbit -- nineteen of which are operational.

Where the GPS orbits at an inclination of 55 degrees to the earth's equator, each of the GLONASS satellites orbit at an inclination of 64.8 degrees. The higher the number the larger the area of the eastern hemisphere is covered by the system. Each orbit is just over 11 hours long.

Each GLONASS spacecraft travels in a 11,893 mile high circular orbit. Each GPS satellite orbits

The GLONASS satellites provide realtime location data as well as the velocity of an object.

GLONASS Constellation Status as of today, March 1, 2010:


|GLONASS|Cosmos|Plane/|Frequ.|   Launch   |   Intro    |  Status   |
|number |number| slot |chann.|    date    |    date    |

|  730  | 2456 | 1/01 |  01  | 14.12.2009 | 30.01.2010 | operating |
|  728  | 2448 | 1/02 |  -4  | 25.12.2008 | 20.01.2009 | operating |
|  727  | 2447 | 1/03 |  05  | 25.12.2008 | 17.01.2009 | operating |
|  733  | 2457 | 1/04 |  06  | 14.12.2009 | 24.01.2010 | operating |
|  734  | 2458 | 1/05 |  01  | 14.12.2009 | 10.01.2010 | operating |
|  712  | 2413 | 1/07 |  05  | 26.12.2004 | 22.12.2005 | operating |
|  729  | 2449 | 1/08 |  06  | 25.12.2008 | 12.02.2009 | operating |
|  722  | 2435 | 2/09 |  -2  | 25.12.2007 | 25.01.2008 | operating |
|  717  | 2426 | 2/10 |  -7  | 25.12.2006 | 03.04.2007 | operating |
|  723  | 2436 | 2/11 |  00  | 25.12.2007 | 22.01.2008 | operating |
|  721  | 2434 | 2/13 |  -2  | 25.12.2007 | 08.02.2008 | operating |
|  715  | 2424 | 2/14 |  -7  | 25.12.2006 | 03.04.2007 |  unusable |
|  716  | 2425 | 2/15 |  00  | 25.12.2006 | 12.10.2007 | operating |
|  718  | 2431 | 3/17 |  04  | 26.10.2007 | 04.12.2007 | operating |
|  724  | 2442 | 3/18 |  -3  | 25.09.2008 | 26.10.2008 | operating |
|  720  | 2433 | 3/19 |  03  | 26.10.2007 | 25.11.2007 | operating |
|  719  | 2432 | 3/20 |  02  | 26.10.2007 | 27.11.2007 | operating |
|  725  | 2443 | 3/21 |  04  | 25.09.2008 | 05.11.2008 | operating |
|  726  | 2444 | 3/22 |  -3  | 25.09.2008 | 13.11.2008 |  unusable |
|  714  | 2419 | 3/23 |  03  | 25.12.2005 | 31.08.2006 | operating |
 
Note: All the dates (DD.MM.YY) are given at Moscow Time (UTC+0300)

Delta IV primed to launch new weather satellite

A new American weather satellite is ready to begin a decade long mission next week to photograph and study our planet and the effects solar weather has upon our big blue marble.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA are responsible for the GOES-P meteorological satellite which will be used to take high resolution detailed images of the planet's weather systems, and use computer generated data to make a more accurate forecast on expected weather trends.

Launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV is set for Wednesday, March 3 at 6:17pm EST (2317 GMT) -- the beginning of a one hour launch window -- from space launch complex 37-B here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Lift-off was targeted for two days earlier, however a flight readiness meeting on Feb. 26th pointed out the need to replace a solid rocket motor's steering control valve. And, on Monday, the ground crew needed extra time to replace a quick disconnect valve in a fuel line.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite -P will make observations of 60% of the earth's surface, including all of the western hemisphere from it's perch 22,300 miles above the equator.

Among the several instruments on board the GOES P is the Solar X-ray Imager. The SXI is an x-ray telescope which will monitor solar activity and it's effects on earth. The telescope will take a detailed image of the Sun each minute for analysis. This will help in early detection of huge solar flares which can interfere with radio and television broadcasts.

The Space Environment Monitor is a multi-instrument space weather detection device on the weather satellite, and will assist in special space weather forecasts for astronauts on the International Space Station and high altitude aircraft and jets.

This latest GOES satellite arrived at the Kennedy Space Center, touching down aboard a military cargo craft from it's manufacturing plant in California on December 17th.

The payload was then transferred west across the Indian River into Titusville and the AstroTech Facility for prelaunch preparations.

At launch, the Delta IV's main stage RS-68 engine will ignite followed by its twin solid fueled boosters as the spacecraft begins it's trip to orbit.

Launching in a flight azimuth of 95 degrees, the Delta IV will travel toward the east-southeast away from the Cape.

Following an on time launch, the twin boosters will burn out and then separate from the core booster at 6:20:40 pm, as it travels 17 miles above the coral waters 13 miles off Florida's coastline.

Spacecraft separation is planned for 10:40:26 pm later that evening.

In June 2009,the GOES-O launched from Cape Canaveral aboard a Delta IV.

Shuttle Shuffle: Discovery moved to the VAB

Discovery is moved today to the VAB at KSC. (KSC/NASA)

Technicians at the Kennedy Space Center moved the space shuttle Discovery from her hanger to the massive Vehicle Assembly Building this morning for mating to her fuel tank and rocket boosters in preparation for her Easter launch.

First motion of the orbiter transporter began at 10:19 am EST, as it backed the orbiter up and then traveled the short distance around the corner to the VAB.

It was the second move of a space shuttle today.

Earlier this morning, Endeavour -- having just returned from two weeks in space last night -- was the first to begin the shuttle shuffle as she was moved from the runway over to her hanger for processing.

Discovery was later attached to a huge yellow crane and will be lifted into a vertical position tonight for mating to her rust colored external tank. Following several days of electrical checks between the two, the STS-131 space shuttle stack will be moved out to launch pad 39A.

Rollout is currently scheduled for the first hours of March 2.

VIDEO: Endeavour completes STS-130 tonight

Endeavour makes a night landing at Kennedy Space Center tonight.

Endeavour lands upon America's Space Coast

Endeavour returns home to the Kennedy Space Center (NASA)

Dropping out of a dark Florida sky and through scattered clouds, the space shuttle Endeavour landed this evening following a milestone mission which saw her crew install our window on space and the world.

NASA's Spaceflight Meteorology Group kept their eyes on the weather all through the day, as several cloud decks and nearby rain showers threatened to delay the shuttle's landing in both Florida and her alternate landing site in California.

Endeavour glided over the Florida peninsula and into the Kennedy Space Center where her main gear slammed upon runway 15 at 10:20:31 pm EST, concluding a 5.75 million mile flight to the International Space Station.

"Houston, it's great to be home. It was a great adventure," Endeavour's commander George Zamaka exclaimed after the orbiter stopped.

"The landing today went as smooth as you can hope for... by the numbers," Shuttle Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses stated tonight after the crew departed the orbiter.

One of the interesting aspects as Endeavour left orbit and began reentry into the earth's atmosphere at 9:51 pm, was station astronaut Soichi Noguchi's photograph (below) which he sent to the ground via Twitter.

Noguchi, 216 miles aboard the space station, commented after the landing about his photograph, "I watched the shuttle atmospheric reentry from Cupola window. The view was definitely out-of-the-world. (Here) Space Shuttle Endeavour making S-turn during atmospheric reentry. The first time it was photographed from Space."

This STS-130 flight was Endeavour's twenty-fourth space flight, and was her tenth to the space station. Total mission duration since booster ignition was 13 days, 18 hours, 6 minutes and 24 seconds thru wheels stop at 10:22:10 pm.

Zamaka's crew included pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken.

"It was an outstanding mission. I can't be happier with the success we had and look forward to repeating that on our next mission," Moses added later as he bridged over to the next space shuttle flight this April 5th by Discovery.

Endeavour only has one more space flight left this summer before she is retired. The space shuttle program as a whole has only four flights left with discussion of a possible extra flight under review.

Endeavour GO for the De-Orbit Burn

The space shuttle Endeavour was given the go to leave orbit tonight in preparation for it's dark landing here at the Kennedy Space Center.

The deorbit burn is set for 9:14:51 pm EST. The twin orbital maneuvering system engines will burn for 2 minutes, 34 seconds to slow the orbiter down by 200 mph and drop her free fall out of orbit.

Landing is set for 10:20:36 pm upon runway 15. This will be the first night landing in nearly a year.

Main Space Station computer goes offline

A possible commanding issue caused a prime computer aboard the International Space Station to fail this morning as the five-member crew slept.

Commander Jeffery Williams and his crew began working with Mission Control in Houston to bring the computers back on line.

Command and control computer multiplexer/demultiplexer #1 went offline at about 8:55 am EST, due to the "ascending of commands from the ground", according to the space station control room.

By noon time, all three computers which have control of the space station were 'showing healthy'.

Computer #3 was set to primery, #2 remained as back-up, while #1 was moved to standby.

Mission control will be scatching their heads for a few hours to determine the cause of the computer shutdown this morning.

At 12:05 pm, there were still issues running between computers # 2 & #1 reported.

Mission control has also reported that the crew was not in any danger, nor did it affect the life support systems on board.

The station did loose both KU and S-band communications with the ground for an hour due to the failed prime and backup computers. They then again lost communications for a brief time again an hour later. KU-band provides the live video and high speed data traffic from the station to the ground.

By 1PM, the KU-band was still not operative.

The space shuttle Endeavour -- some 665 miles ahead of the station in orbit --had undocked just 37 hours earlier following the installation of the new node 3 Tranquility and cupola observation module.

There were commands in the Tanquility which did not sync up with earlier commands from the ground.

At 12:31 pm, controlers on the ground were working specific commands to a key computer on board Tranquility. A few minutes later, they uplinked the new commands.

The crew awoke this morning at 1AM, and were enjoying an off-duty day following a buy last ten days of joint docked operations with Endeavour's crew.

Endeavour prepares for Space Coast landing tonight

The six member crew of the space shuttle Endeavour spent this morning preparing their ship for tonight's planned landing upon America's Space Coast -- weather permitting.

After nearly 14 full days in space, Endeavour will leave orbit and glide in for a landing here at the Kennedy Space Center at 10:20 pm EST. If weather prompts a delay, there is also a back up landing time at 11:55 pm.

If weather goes further to rule out both Florida landing opportunities, NASA has called up Edwards, AFB for tonight and will work to get Endeavour down in southern California at either 1:25 am or 3:00 am EST.

Currently, low clouds at 6,000 feet and a chance of rain showers within a 30 nautical mile radius of the landing strip is forecast for both landing sites.

If Endeavour does not land overnight tonight, then the crew will spend an extra day in space and try again Monday night, however the weather forecast remains poor in Florida while California's Edwards looks much better.

Entry Flight Director Norm Knight this morning discussed the outlook for Monday, "For end of mission plus one, which is Monday, for KSC the current forecast indicates the site is degrading. That system that's moving across the central U.S. encroaches Florida and it brings thunderstorms, rain, high crosswinds and ceilings to the site. So if the forecast holds true for KSC, it doesn't look good for Monday".

Once Endeavour is cleared to land on the first opportunity tonight, the crew will suit up a few hours earlier in their partial pressure suits, drink plenty of fluids and strap in for the deorbit burn planned for 9:14 pm.

The burn by the shuttle's twin oms (orbital manuvering system) engines will slow the spacecraft's orbital velocity by a few hundred feet, just enough to being it's drop out of orbit.

The 130th space shuttle crew includes commander George Zamaka, pilot Terry Virts and mission specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken.

Endeavour departs newly upgraded Space Station

The space shuttle Endeavour departed the International Space Station tonight after ten days of spacewalks and the addition of two key components as earth's orbital outpost sails into a new decade.

Endeavour separated from the space station at 7:54 pm EST, as the orbital duo sailed 209 miles over the north Atlantic Ocean following 9 days, 19 hours and 48 minutes of joint operations.

Prior to the shuttle's departure tonight, the space station was rotated 180-degrees from the Russian side of the station in the direction of travel to the space shuttle as the lead in it's orbital path.

Bolts and springs were then released popping Endeavour's orbital docking system outward from the station's docking port and sending the shuttle toward a Sunday evening Florida landing.

Endeavour pilot Terry Virts, operating from the aft flight deck, flew Endeavour forward in the direction of travel and leading the station.

The orbital complex now weighs 799,045 lbs, and is 98% completed by volume following the orbiter's delivery and mating of the Tranquility node and the cupola observation module this week.

"Thank-you for the great hospitality," shuttle commander George Zamaka radioed to the five member Expedition 22 crew of the space station.

"U.S. space shuttle Endeavour departing!", station commander Jeffery Williams announced, and then performed the traditional clanging of the gold bell from inside in true nautical formation. "God speed guys, we'll see you back on the planet."

Twenty minutes following undocking, a beautiful view of Endeavour's shadow on one of the space station's solar arrays became visible, and this reporter captured a video still as the pair flew 400 feet apart.

Minutes later at 410-feet out, Virts then began flying the orbiter in a 360-degree fly around of the station complex.

Led by commander Zamaka, the 130th space shuttle crew includes Virts and mission specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken.

Later tonight, the crew will take close up views of the orbiter's thermal protection system to look for possible micrometeorite hits on the wing leading edges and nose section.

Landing remains set for Sunday night at 10:16 pm, here at the Kennedy Space Center.

Hatches closed, Endeavour set for Station Undocking

Patrick pauses to enjoy the view out cupola yesterday. (NASA)

The hatches between the International Space Station and shuttle Endeavour were closed this morning in preparation for this evening's undocking following ten days of joint operations.

The hatches between the two crafts were sealed and locked at 3:08 am EST this morning, following a brief farewell ceremony in which the five Expedition 22 crew members on station gave hugs and handshakes to Endeavour's crew of six.

Endeavour's crew led by commander George Zamka, pilot Terry Virts and mission specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken, arrived at station at midnight on Feb. 10, and added two new sections to the orbital outpost -- Tranquility node and the cupola observation platform.

Late last night -- which is the middle of the day space station time -- the two crews gathered in the newly installed Tranquility for a ribbon cutting ceremony to commission the cupola platform.

Floating next to station commander Jeffery Williams, Zamka spoke to the planet earth these words, "We are here in Tranquility standing above the cupola to formally open the cupola for use by other crews that will be here on the space station. Arguably, mankind has been after this view for centuries, this perspective, this view of the world. And we finally have it, and we're going to take advantage and enjoy it."

The ceremony also addressed the small moon rocks which were brought up to station on Endeavour's flight and will be housed in the cupola "as a reminder of man's reach and man's grit as they go out and explore," Zamka added.

The space station's description of the cupola as their "window on the world" not only means the beautiful 360-degree observation of earth and the space around, but will serve as a 'crow's nest' for incoming manned and unmanned spacecraft as well.

Endeavour is set to conclude a day multifaceted flight on Sunday evening. The orbiter will begin firing her twin breaking engines to begin the drop out of orbit at 9:13 pm. Landing is planned at the start of the 218th revolution of the earth on Runway 15 here at the Kennedy Space Center at 10:16 pm -- the first of two landing opportunities. The back-up landing time is on the next orbit at 11:51 pm.

NASA's mission management team will call up the Edwards, AFB landing site for Sunday night as well due to unfavorable current weather trends along the Space Coast.

SpaceLaunchNews.com will carry LIVE television of the entire mission, including Sunday's landing.

Animation: Cryosat 2 on orbit

The ESA Cryosat 2 on orbit 445 miles above earth.

President Obama calls Space Station crews

Obama speaks with astronauts on Station today. (White House)

President Obama called up the crews of the International Space Station and the docked shuttle Endeavour today to send congratulations and ask questions as students and congressional leaders looked on.

Speaking from the White House's Roosevelt room, the president spoke directly to the eleven residents aboard earth's orbital outpost beginning at 5:19 pm EST.

"Hey Guys... well its great to talk to you guys," Obama began as large group of students, teachers and government officials surrounded his chair. "We have a bunch of excited young guys here."

"I just wanted to let you know how proud we are of all of you," the president added.

The 23-minute discussion included questions to the astronauts from middle school students who traveled to the nation's capital from Michigan, Florida and North Carolina.

Today's White House photo-op comes three weeks to the day in which the president canceled NASA's Constellation project which was to carry Americans to the space station in 2015 and the moon some five years later.

"We just wanted to let you know that the amazing work that's being done on the International Space Station, not only by our American astronauts but also our colleagues from Japan and Russia, is just a testimony to human ingenuity. A testimony to extraordinary skill and courage that you guys bring to bear, and it's also a testimony to why continued space exploration is so important. And it's part of the reason why my commitment to NASA is not wavering," the president radioed the crews.

Constellation's cancellation will cause thousands of professionals their jobs here on America's Space Coast.

Space station panoramic observation windows opened

The two crews aboard the International Space Station opened the outside shutters on their new panoramic observation platform -- opening their view upon the earth and space.

Astronauts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick performed a nearly six hour spacewalk early this morning to remove insulation blankets from around the cupola observation module. Then, Endeavour's pilot Terry Virts at 12:25 am EST, today began using a control button inside cupola to open each of the seven protective shutters which cover each window.

"Hey Bob and Nick. Welcome back to the airlock. Great job raising the curtains on the bay window to the world," Endeavour mission specialist Kay Hire radioed to the spacewalkers who had just returned to the Quest airlock.

Today's third and final spacewalk of Endeavour's current docked mission to the space station concluded at 3:03 am. It was the 140th American-based spacewalk over the last eleven years in support of station construction, and the 233rd American spacewalk since Ed White's orbital walk in June 1965.

Endeavour's STS-130 astronauts Behnken and Patrick completed three spacewalks totaling 18 hours and 14 minutes.

The cupola has six trapezoidal windows around its diameter, and one large 31 1/2-inch window on top (image). And, like most homes here on earth, the cupola's windows do have shutters.

The heavy duty steel shutters swing open and closed on a hinge at it's bottom. Each night before the station crew goes to sleep, they will close the shutters to protect the windows from micrometeorites and space debris as they travel 17,250 miles around our beautiful planet.

The eleven astronauts which combine make up both Endeavour's and space station's two crews, will go to bed for eight hours at just after 8AM today.

Looking ahead to Friday, Endeavour's crew of six -- commander George Zamaka, Virts, Hire, Behnken, Patrick and Steve Robinson -- will prepare the orbiter for undocking and the return home to Florida.

Landing is currently planned for Sunday evening at 10:20 pm, here at the Kennedy Space Center.

Endeavour astronauts begin orbital walk in space

Two crew members of the space shuttle Endeavour began their third and final spacewalk of the mission this evening which will see them connect power cables and open the shutters on earth's orbital bay window.

Tonight's spacewalk began at 9:15 pm EST, as the International Space Station flew 220 miles high above the southern Pacific Ocean.

Astronuts Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick left the Quest airlock minutes later to begin their six and one-half hour orbital walk in space.

Behnken began work by opening up a second coolant loop which will flow ammonia into the new Tranquility node.

Later tonight, the pair will remove the protective covers from the windows of the newly installed cupola observation module. Once the covers are removed, station crews will have a panaromic 360-degree field view of the earth and the space beyond as they sail upon the ocean of space.

Next space shuttle launch delayed until April 5

The flight of the next space shuttle mission has been pushed back two weeks due to several weather delays in preparing space shuttle Discovery for the next launch.

Discovery's move from the orbiter processing facility bay to the massive vehicle assembly building has already been delayed several days due to cold temperatures and rain here at the Kennedy Space Center. Rollover is now targeted for this weekend.

Technicians do not want the shuttle exposed to the extra cold temperatures due to it's effect on the 44 steering thrusters which surround the vehicle.

Space shuttle mission managers met this afternoon to approve a new time table for processing Discovery for her thirty-eighth flight.

Launch which had been planned for March 18, is now retargeted for Monday, April 5 at 6:27 am EDT -- the middle of a ten minute launch window.

Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be connected to her rust-colored external tank and rocket boosters a top the mobile launcher platform. The seven hour rollout to launch pad 39-A would then occur one week later.

Discovery new launch date is also based on the launch of a Russian Soyuz TMA with the next expedition crew bound for the space station on April 2.

The Soyuz would then dock on the 4th, allowing Discovery to then later dock on April 7th.

Stay tuned to SpaceLaunchNews.com for new developments on the next space shuttle flight.

Station crew relocate mating adapter tonight

Crew members aboard the International Space Station tonight relocated a docking port and preparing spacesuits for a Tuesday night orbital walk.

The crews of both the space shuttle Endeavour and station awoke today at 4:14 pm EST, to begin another complex day of robotics and outfitting the newly installed Tranquility nodeand cupola observation module.

They awoke to the music of Tool and the song "Parabola", for Endeavour astronaut and spacewalker Robert Behnken.

Endeavour astronaut Kay Hire used the space station's 57-foot robotic arm to grapple the Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 at 5:40 am this morning. PMA 3 has been unused and resting on the Harmony module. The mating adapter was delivered to the station by Discovery on STS-92 in October 2000. Station commander Jeffrey Williams and flight engineer Soichi Noguchi began operations to unlatch the docking port from Harmony.

With Robert Behnken and Nicholas Patrick at the controls, the station's arm slowly moved the PMA 3 over to the forward end of Tranquility where the cupola had been docked a day earlier.

At 9:02 pm, the adapter was docked to the node, and 26 minutes later was firmly latched using 16 bolts. Also tonight, the crew will begin outfitting the cupola observation module, as well as more work setting up Tranquility.

Later this evening, the crews will receive some 'off-duty' time which will be used to rest and catch up on select unperformed chores; and Behnken and Patrick will begin preparations for Tuesday night's third and final spacewalk of Endeavour's flight.

The duo will enter the Quest airlock and close it's hatch at 7:25 am on Tuesday. They will then depressurize the airlock down to 10.2 psi as they prebreathe pure oxygen to purge the nitrogen out of their systems to keep from getting what underwater divers get known as the bends.

Cupola Observation Module installed on Node

A newly arrived observation platform known as cupola was positioned upon the Tranquility node this morning giving the crew aboard the International Space Station an out of this world view of the earth and beyond.

Astronauts Kay Hire and Terry Virts moved the station's 58-foot robotic arm over to and grappled cupola at 10:22 pm EST, on Sunday night. The grapple came later than planned following a few delays in depressurizing the domed structure.

A series of bolts would not release a half-hour later to allow for it's release. The crew worked with the ground to get those bolts unjammed.

Space station commander Jeffery Williams then called over to Hire and his crew, "We're go for cupola de-berth."

Once the bolts released the cupola from the end of newly installed Tranquility node, Hire began the nearly one hour short move at 12:25 am today to relocate cupola to the nadir side of Tanquility.

Sporting a thermal white jacket, the cupola was attached and firmly bolted down to its new port on the earth-facing side of Tranquility at 1:31 am. Four latches and then 16 bolts are used to secure this soon to be pressurized section to the node.

Endeavour's commander George Zamka radioed Mission Control today, "This is the payoff, it all went very smoothly today. The cupola's been an idea that's been around since the early '90s and we got it home".

The 1.6 ton cupola observation module is a pressurized work station in which station crew members will use to perform photography and studies of the earth. They will also use it to track approaching spacecrafts.

What exact does cupola mean? -- CUPOLA: noun: 1. Architecture a. A vaulted roof or ceiling. b. A small dome set on a circular or polygonal base or resting on pillars. c. A domelike structure surmounting a roof or dome, often used as a lookout or to admit light and air.

The cupola has six trapezoidal windows around its diameter, and one large 31 1/2-inch window on top. And like most homes here on earth, the cupola's windows do have shutters.

Prior to bed time, the space station crew will close the external shutters from inside the observation module. According to NASA, the "shutters are closed to protect the glass from micrometeoroids and orbital debris and to prevent solar radiation from heating up the Cupola or to avoid losing heat to space".

A Tuesday evening spacewalk will remove the seven protective insulation window covers from around cupola.

BREAKING NEWS: NASA to add extra Shuttle flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- SpaceLaunchNews.com has learned that NASA will announce an extra space shuttle flight to be added late this fall or early-2011, according to a source at the Johnson Space Center near Houston. 

 

The much anticipated announcement could come in the coming weeks or sooner. The mission would fly following the September 16th launch of Discovery on mission STS-133 -- a resupply flight to the International Space Station. 

To support Discovery in case the orbiter is damaged en route to orbit, NASA's Kennedy Space Center will have a rescue space shuttle stack awaiting in the high bay of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Known internally at NASA as rescue mission STS-335, the shuttle would roll out to launch pad 39-A and launch during the second week of October. 

Discovery, meanwhile, would stay docked to the space station as her crew lives aboard the orbital outpost. The specific space shuttle for the STS-335 flight would likely be Atlantis. If Discovery returns home following a successful mission, then the STS-335 stack would then become known as the STS-135 flow. 

The newly manifested STS-135 mission would likely take place in mid-November or early February 2011. Currently, there are only four more shuttle flights planned thru September before the program concludes. 

Following the Obama administration's cancellation of the follow-up to the space shuttle program -- know as Constellation -- many NASA centers would love to see the fisical year 2011 budget include an extra shuttle flight or two. 

If STS-135 does fly and the orbiter is damaged during ascent, NASA would then put into standby mode two Russian Soyuz TMA capsules already located on the space station which would then ferry the STS-135's four astronauts, and two space station cosmonauts back to earth. 

A typical crew trains for nearly one year for their flight, and February is quickly nearing March. STS-135 would be used to ferry large equipment and supplies to the space station, and return used experiments and garbage back home. Items which would be too much for a Soyuz or unmanned cargo craft.

Astronauts connect support cables on Spacewalk

Two of space shuttle Endeavour's astronauts performed an orbital walk in space to connect support cables and hoses between the International Space Station and the newly installed Tranquility node.

Astronauts Robert Behnken and Nick Patrick began the second space walk of Endeavour's flight at 9:20 pm EST on Saturday night, and then departed the U.S. Quest airlock to begin over six hours of work.

The orbital duo went to work to begin routing avionics and supply cables from the Destiny laboratory to Tranquility node. Meanwhile, inside the new node, crews of the station and shuttle worked to begin powering up and testing electrical systems.

As Patrick performed work to open a cap on a quick disconnect valve, a small amount of ammonia was released in the direction of Patrick. At midnight EST, Behnken went over to inspect his partner's white spacesuit for any signs of ammonia (below). He was considered clean and the pair went back to work.

The Johnson Space Center informed this reporter tonight, "The astronauts will spend additional time in the airlock to allow for any possible flakes to be cleansed from their suits through the airlock environmental system".

Patrick and Behnken then began to wrap the hoses in protective insulation which will shield them from micrometeorites as the station complex speeds around earth at 17,250 mph.

At 12:55 am this morning, Behnken began opening the four valves to allow the ammonia to begin flowing from Destiny to the node.

They then transitioned over to the nadir, or earth-facing port, on Tranquility to prepare it for Sunday evening's placement of the newly arrived cupola dome from the end of Tranquility to this new location. They opened up four petals on the cover of the common berthing mechanism is support of the cupola's arrival.

Inside the station, the crews installed the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device -- a computer controlled software system which helps guide the astronaut through a specific exercise regiment during his six-month stay on the space station.

The ARED is Windows-based and the astronaut uses a touchscreen computer tablet to input what desired exercise he or she would like to perform. The data of the exercise and how well the astronaut does is then transmitted down to the medical staff at the Johnson Space Center south of Houston.

This new software could become useful here on earth such as in submarines and naval ships on long tours.

Also, NASA's Mission Management Team elected to keep Endeavour in space one extra day to ensure all the tasks are performed. Endeavour's six-person crew will assist the station's five member crew in relocating several key components inside station such as the Waste Hygiene Compartment and Oxygen Generation System into the Tranquility node.

Landing is now targeted for a night landing at the Kennedy Space Center next Sunday evening, February 21st.