Spacers

First Spacewalk Underway

The first spacewalk of the STS-129 mission is underway. Robert Satcher and Mike Foreman spent the night in the Quest airlock to prepare for the lower pressures required for spacewalking. This morning they suited up, headed outside and went straight to work installing an S-band antenna. This will be the 134th spacewalk in support of the ISS.


The spacewalk began at 9:24am and is expected to last for 6.5 hours.

This page will be updated as the spacewalk progresses.

[update: 12:27pm EST] Robert Satcher is at the JEM robotic arm performing activation tasks and lubricating the end effector mechanism.

[update: 12:35pm EST] Mike Foreman is installing a netork cable betweek the US Unity and Russian Zarya modules.

[update: 12:58pm EST] Spacewalkers are ahead of the timeline. Mission managers are planning get-ahead tasks.

[update: 1:55pm EST] Get-ahead task added to deploy an outboard payload attachment system.

[update: 2:40pm EST] Tough bolt causing problems at payload attachment system. Bolt remains stuck after using a pistol grip tool and a hammer.

[update: 2:55pm EST] Spacewalkers free stuck bolt. During the cooler temperatures of a night pass, Foreman banged the bolt with a hammer while Satcher wiggled it.


[update: 3:40pm EST] Cleanup underway, spacewalk 1 is nearly over.

[update: 3:48pm EST] Robert Satcher returns to airlock.

[update: 3:52pm EST] Mike Foreman returns to airlock.


[update: 4:01pm EST] Spacewalk 1 over. Total duration 6 hours 37 minutes.

SpaceHead

Atlantis Day 3 Round Up

After a successful docking to the ISS, the Atlantis crew set to work familiarizing themselves with the facility after a safety briefing and installing one of the two huge cargo carrier platforms loaded with spare parts on to the station's truss. Nicole Stott, formerly an ISS crewmember, officially joined the Atlantis crew as the seventh member and will ride home to Earth on the Shuttle. Stott will be the last station crewmember to use the Shuttle for station access, with Russia providing crew transport on Soyuz rockets until the new Ares I rocket is ready to fly.

The ISS crew have been having some problems with the new water recycling unit and have packaged up a broken distiller to return for repair on Atlantis. There is plenty of reserve water in the interim though, so the broken unit is of no cause for concern.

Atlantis crew Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher will sleep overnight in the Quest airlock to prepare for tomorrows spacewalk. They will purge their bodies of nitrogen to eliminate any chance of contracting an illness known as "the bends" after working in the reduced pressure environment of a spacesuit.

NASA are a little slow on this for some reason, but the Flight day 1 highlights are now up on YouTube. Enjoy!



Watch out for the highlights on NASA TV, which will be played on the hour every hour during the crew sleep period, beginning tonight at 9:00pm EST.

SpaceHead

Docking Day!

Atlantis is docked at the International Space Station (ISS). Earlier this morning the crew completed the final Terminal Initiation burn to syncronize orbit, appearing behind the station and then gliding gracefully underneath where it performed the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver - a backflip under the station to allow the astronauts on board to take detailed photographs of the heat shield tiles.


Over the next hour or so both the ISS and Atlantis crews will perform securing and leak checks as the two vehicles become firmly attached as one space vehicle. Hatches will then be open and the docked portion of mission will begin straight away. They waste no time and get straight to work with safety briefings and moving all the equipment into place. First up is the grappling of one of the equipment carriers in the paylaod bay, and the official handover of Nicole Stott to become a member of the Atlantis crew.

Keep an eye on NASA TV for live video of the crew ingress.

[update: 12:40pm EST] Leak checks complete. Hatch opening any minute.

[update: 1:10pm EST] Pressure equalization underway.

[update: 1:14pm EST] Harmony node and PMA hatches open. Only Shuttle hatch remains.

[update: 1:28pm EST] All hatches are open, Shuttle and ISS crews meet in space.




SpaceHead

Spirit Rover Remains Stuck

The Mars rover Spirit has been stuck in sand since April when it was driven on to a patch of terrain that turned out to be softer than anticipated. Plans have been drawn up in the intervening months to attempt a rescue of the plucky rover by literally driving it out of the sand using whichever of its six wheels that have the most traction. The team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) even replicated the conditions on Earth using a twin of the Opportunity rover and a sand pit, and today they got their first chance to free the rover.


The tenuous first steps were more about gathering data than actually escaping though. Panoramic photographs of the wheels show that there is possibly a rock impeding one of the wheels, which will greatly complicate the procedure. Essentially the move was a small reversal of the route that got the rover where it is currently stuck. The data is being carefully analyzed and the JPL team are in no hurry, preparing instead to take the time to get it right even if it takes a few weeks of small moves. The next attempt will be no earlier than Wednesday.

Spirit has been roving around Mars for nearly six years, much longer than its planned mission duration of 90 days. Together with its twin rover Opportunity, they have been one of the most successful Mars missions to date.

Wish Spirit good luck, Spacers!

SpaceHead

Atlantis Has Busy First Day

Spacers Mission Coverage: STS-129, Flight Day 2
Today is a busy first day in orbit for the Atlantis crew after their spectacular launch yesterday. The primary task is a comprehensive inspection of the Thermal Protection System - the black heat shield tiles covering the belly of the Shuttle. Since returning to flight after the Columbia disaster in 2002, NASA has required each Shuttle mission to inspect the tiles with the addition of a boom sensor that is grappled with the orbiter robotic arm. Packed with sensors, the boom is painstakingly maneuvered over every squared inch of the tiles and wing leading edges. The data is then analyzed on the ground and a decision is taken on whether it is safe for the orbiter to reenter.


The cause of the Columbia disaster was deemed to be a chunk of foam that fell from the external tank and impacted the wing during a critical period of the launch where supersonic winds can accelerate debris to dangerous speeds. NASA has since improved design and manufacture of the tank and reduced foam loss to minimize the possibility of repeating the impact.

So, what happens if they can't return home?
The remaining Shuttle flights are much safer now, but should the worst happen and the inspection reveals a breach, there are several options for tile repair that the astronauts could perform whilst in orbit. If the damage is considered too much to repair, the Shuttle crew can take refuge at the ISS and await a second Shuttle rescue mission.

Other tasks for the day include checking out spacesuits and grappling the Express Logistics Carrier 1. The crew also will install the centerline camera, extend the Orbiter Docking System ring and checkout rendezvous tools in preparation for docking.

Catch the mission live on NASA TV - see links to the right.

You can also check out the NASA TV Schedule for event times.

Next up for STS-129: Docking to the ISS, scheduled for Wednesday at 11:53am EST.

SpaceHead

STS-129 Launch Video HD

Awesome video of today's launch on YouTube HD. It might take a while to buffer up for a smooth playback but it is well worth the wait.



Enjoy!

SpaceHead

STS-129 Atlantis Launch Countdown

Spacers Launch!

Space Shuttle Atlantis looks good for a launch today at 2:28pm EST. Weather looks perfect and no issues are being worked. The crew has just been strapped into the vehicle, comm checks are underway, and any moment now tanking will begin.


This post will be updated as the launch countdown progresses.

Happy Launching Spacers!

[update: 12:33pm EST] Hatch is closed. The White Room crew has completed hatch closing procedures and the crew is sealed in to Atlantis.


[update: 12:42pm EST] Launch team troubleshooting small noise issue on pump power line. No impact expected on launch.

[update: 1:15pm EST] Fuel pump power noise problem is not an issue. Planned 10 minute hold begins.

[update: 1:25pm EST] Countdown resumes out of planned hold. White Room closeout crew prepares to leave.


[update: 1:40pm EST] Final planned hold underway. All systems and weather reports look good. No issues being worked.


[update: 2:08pm EST] Skies clearing, weather improving. 10 minutes remaining in planned hold.

[update: 2:18pm EST] Flight controllers polled, all go for launch.

[update: 2:22pm EST] Countdown resumes. Orbiter Access Arm retracted.

[update: 2:28pm EST] Atlantis launches!


[update: 2:31pm EST] Booster separation.


[update: 2:37pm EST] Main Engine Cutoff (MECO). Externatl tank separation. Atlantis is in orbit travelling 17,000mph.


A flawless climb to orbit for Atlantis to begin the STS-129 mission. Keep an eye on Spacers throughout the mission for all the updates including the docking on Wednesday morning. NASA TV covers every shuttle mission from launch to landing, so click that link and enjoy!
SpaceHead