NASA STS-117 Status
Report #20
(18 June 2007) The astronauts on space
shuttle Atlantis got up this morning looking ahead to time off duty and
awaiting word on when they'll undock from the International Space
Station.
Wakeup sounded at 6:08 a.m. CDT today with the song
"Redeemer" by Nicole C. Mullen, played for Mission Specialist Patrick
Forrester. The shuttle astronauts are scheduled off duty during the first half
of their day, and to complete transfers between Atlantis and the station by
late afternoon Houston time. Farewells and hatch closing are scheduled to begin
at 5:23 p.m.
This morning the shuttle will maneuver the Atlantis/ISS
complex into position for a water and wastewater dump, and after it maneuvers
back about 9:15 a.m. it will hand over attitude control to the Russian
segment's terminal computer for a test of its ability to fire Russian thrusters
and maintain station attitude. If that test is successful, shuttle and station
program managers are expected to confirm the plan for Atlantis to undock from
ISS at 9:42 a.m. Tuesday.
Commands sent from the ISS Flight Control Room
overnight activated the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint and tested its
rotation; the new joint was put into autotrack test mode at 7 a.m.
Once
that test is complete ISS will have four U.S. solar array wings tracking the
sun through each orbit of the Earth. Those arrays are capable of generating
enough electricity to power the modules already on orbit and the next
pressurised modules due to arrive: the second connecting node, Harmony; the
European Space Agency laboratory, Columbus; and the Kibo laboratory, from the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
The next STS-117 status report will
be issued Monday evening or earlier if events warrant.
(source: NASA
Johnson Space Center)