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Discovery at Space Station; Joint Operations Underway

Preparations will also begin today for the first of five scheduled spacewalks.

(HOUSTON) - The Discovery crew entered the International Space Station for the first time after the hatches between the station and Space Shuttle Discovery opened at 10:39 AM EDT today.

One of the first major tasks is the station crew rotation. Mission Specialist Daniel Tani will switch places with Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson, who will be wrapping up a four-month tour of duty as an Expedition crew member.

Discovery Crew Inspecting Shuttle Heat Shield

Discovery is also delivering a new crew member to the station.

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.) - The STS-120 crew continues inspections of Space Shuttle Discovery’s heat shield and preparations for Thursday’s arrival at the International Space Station.

Crew members started the heat shield inspections at 6:39 a.m. EDT. They are using Discovery’s robotic arm and an attached boom extension to check the spacecraft’s nose cap and leading edges of the wings as well as hard to reach shuttle surfaces.

Space Shuttle Endeavour Lifts Off

The 22nd flight to the International Space Station, STS-118 will be the first flight for Endeavour since 2002.

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.) - Cheers and shouts can be heard throughout the Space Center as Endeavour, carrying the STS-118 crew, roars off the launch pad into the late afternoon sky to begin the 22nd mission to the International Space Station.

Mission STS-118 will be the first for Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago.

Bad Weather Pushes Space Shuttle Landing to Friday

Controllers and the Spaceflight Meteorology Group will closely monitor forecasts for Friday’s opportunities in Florida and at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

(HOUSTON, Texas) - The Atlantis crew is getting an extra day in space thanks to poor weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Space shuttle Atlantis has five landing opportunities available Friday, with the first at 2:18 PM EDT in Florida.

Thunderstorms in the vicinity of Kennedy forced flight controllers to wave off both opportunities Thursday.

Atlantis Closes Payload Doors; Mission Control Eyes Weather

A second landing opportunity is available today if flight controllers choose to pass on the first.

(HOUSTON) - The Atlantis crew closed space shuttle Atlantis’ payload bay doors this morning in preparation for a landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. landing, which is slated for 1:55 PM EDT, will mark the end of a successful mission to the International Space Station.

If flight controllers give STS-117 the go-ahead to land on Orbit 202, Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault will fire Atlantis’ thrusters at 12:50 PM to begin the descent to Florida.

Atlantis Undocks From Space Station

Atlantis’ first landing opportunity is at 1:54 p.m. Thursday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

(HOUSTON) - Atlantis constructive stay at the International Space Station came to a close today when space shuttle Atlantis undocked.

NASA: Russians Attempt to Fix Space Station Computers

About an hour and 20 minutes before this morning’s scheduled wakeup call, the crews were awakened by a false alarm on the station.

(HOUSTON, TX) - As Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station sail above Earth today, the STS-117 and Expedition 15 crews will continue retracting solar arrays and preparing for repair work during Friday’s spacewalk.

STS-117 Mission Specialists Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas will review procedures and practice techniques they will use during the spacewalk set to begin at 1:38 p.m. EDT Friday.

NASA Adds Two Days, Fourth Spacewalk to Shuttle Mission

At Spacewalkers Continue to Work Outside Space Station

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.) - During a post-mission management briefing held 8:00 PM EDT Monday, John Shannon, chair of the Mission Management Team, announced NASA will extend the Atlantis mission two extra days and add a fourth spacewalk to the mission.

Mission Specialists Jim Reilly and John “Danny” Olivas continue to work outside the International Space Station.

They are performing tasks to activate the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment that was attached to the station earlier today.

Atlantis Docks with International Space Station

Atlantis scheduled to undock June 17th and return to Earth on the 19th.

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida) - Space Shuttle Atlantis and crew arrived at the International Space Station at 3:36 PM, delivering a new truss segment and crew member to the orbital outpost.

STS-117 Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson will switch places with Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, who will be wrapping up a six-month tour of duty on the station.

The crews will prepare for Monday’s installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment and the first of three scheduled STS-117 spacewalks.

Atlantis Crew to Inspect Heat Shield, Prepare for Space Station Docking

Atlantis is also delivering a new crew member to the International Space Station.

(CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida) - During its first full day in orbit, the STS-117 crew will inspect Space Shuttle Atlantis’ heat shield and prepare for Sunday’s arrival at the International Space Station.

Crew members will use Atlantis’ robotic arm and an orbiter boom extension to check out the spacecraft’s underside, nose cap and leading edges of the wings.

The inspections are conducted to see if any damage occurred to the heat shield during the climb to orbit that began when Atlantis lifted off at 7:38 PM EDT from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.