Jacques van Oene
July 29th 05, 04:11 AM
Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 4:30 p.m. CDT
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
07.28.05
STATUS REPORT: STS-114-05
STS-114 MCC Status Report #05
The Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station
smoothly and right on time Thursday morning, after doing a planned back flip
so Station crewmembers could photograph its thermal protection system.
Discovery Commander Eileen Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly flew Discovery
through the rendezvous pitch maneuver about 600 feet below the Station about
an hour before docking. The photos taken by Station Commander Sergei
Krikalev and NASA Science Officer John Phillips were transmitted to the
ground before docking occurred at 6:18 a.m. CDT.
Discovery, the first Shuttle to visit the Station since late 2002, and the
orbiting laboratory linked up over the southern Pacific Ocean west of the
South American coast. The photos from Discovery's approach and many others
from ground, aircraft and Shuttle and Station cameras are being carefully
analyzed by a team of about 200 people to ensure Discovery's thermal
protection system is safe for re-entry.
After the initial hugs and handshakes Krikalev gave a safety briefing for
the new arrivals, Collins, Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi of
the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas,
Wendy Lawrence and Charlie Camarda.
Among early tasks for the joint crews was preparation for additional robotic
arm surveys of the orbiter. Tomorrow's schedule includes time for additional
focused inspections.
Kelly and Lawrence, with help from Phillips, used the Station's Canadarm2 to
lift the Orbiter Boom Sensor System from Discovery and hand it to the
Shuttle arm. Camarda and Thomas steered the Shuttle arm, which cannot grasp
the boom directly with the Station in the way.
Robinson and Noguchi, who will make three spacewalks at the Station, spent
about an hour and a half getting equipment ready.
Tasks on the spacewalks Saturday, Monday and Tuesday include testing thermal
protection system repair techniques, replacement of one of four Station
control gyros (which control the orbiting laboratory's orientation in space)
and restoration of power to another. The spacewalkers also will install an
external spare parts carrier on the outside of the Station's Quest airlock.
Crewmembers were briefed on the loss of a piece of foam insulation from the
external tank shortly after launch. The foam, seen by a camera on the tank
making the first Shuttle flight in that position, did not appear to touch
the orbiter. Shuttle managers determined that the cause of the foam loss
needs to be understood and the problem fixed before Shuttle launches can
resume.
Discovery and Station crewmembers began scheduled sleep periods about 2:40
p.m. CDT.
The next STS-114 mission status report will be issued after the crews
awaken, or earlier if events warrant.
- end -
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
07.28.05
STATUS REPORT: STS-114-05
STS-114 MCC Status Report #05
The Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station
smoothly and right on time Thursday morning, after doing a planned back flip
so Station crewmembers could photograph its thermal protection system.
Discovery Commander Eileen Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly flew Discovery
through the rendezvous pitch maneuver about 600 feet below the Station about
an hour before docking. The photos taken by Station Commander Sergei
Krikalev and NASA Science Officer John Phillips were transmitted to the
ground before docking occurred at 6:18 a.m. CDT.
Discovery, the first Shuttle to visit the Station since late 2002, and the
orbiting laboratory linked up over the southern Pacific Ocean west of the
South American coast. The photos from Discovery's approach and many others
from ground, aircraft and Shuttle and Station cameras are being carefully
analyzed by a team of about 200 people to ensure Discovery's thermal
protection system is safe for re-entry.
After the initial hugs and handshakes Krikalev gave a safety briefing for
the new arrivals, Collins, Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi of
the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas,
Wendy Lawrence and Charlie Camarda.
Among early tasks for the joint crews was preparation for additional robotic
arm surveys of the orbiter. Tomorrow's schedule includes time for additional
focused inspections.
Kelly and Lawrence, with help from Phillips, used the Station's Canadarm2 to
lift the Orbiter Boom Sensor System from Discovery and hand it to the
Shuttle arm. Camarda and Thomas steered the Shuttle arm, which cannot grasp
the boom directly with the Station in the way.
Robinson and Noguchi, who will make three spacewalks at the Station, spent
about an hour and a half getting equipment ready.
Tasks on the spacewalks Saturday, Monday and Tuesday include testing thermal
protection system repair techniques, replacement of one of four Station
control gyros (which control the orbiting laboratory's orientation in space)
and restoration of power to another. The spacewalkers also will install an
external spare parts carrier on the outside of the Station's Quest airlock.
Crewmembers were briefed on the loss of a piece of foam insulation from the
external tank shortly after launch. The foam, seen by a camera on the tank
making the first Shuttle flight in that position, did not appear to touch
the orbiter. Shuttle managers determined that the cause of the foam loss
needs to be understood and the problem fixed before Shuttle launches can
resume.
Discovery and Station crewmembers began scheduled sleep periods about 2:40
p.m. CDT.
The next STS-114 mission status report will be issued after the crews
awaken, or earlier if events warrant.
- end -
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info