NASA STS-117 Status
Report #23
(20 June 2007) Space shuttle Atlantis
wrapped up an eight-day visit to the International Space Station, undocking at
9:42 a.m. today.
Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clay Anderson
wished his former crewmates Godspeed, as they left him behind on the station.
Mission Specialist Suni Williams replaced Anderson aboard the shuttle for the
return trip home after six months in space, setting a new record for time spent
in space by a female.
They haven't gone far yet, however. Pilot Lee
Archambault took control of Atlantis shortly after undocking and lapped the
station at a distance of 600 feet as crewmembers documented the larger, more
capable station and their handiwork with video and photos.
During the
eight days, 19 hours and six minutes docked to the station, the combined
shuttle and station crews helped build the station into a near-symmetrical
configuration, adding a new starboard truss segment and solar array pair, while
folding another array in preparation for its relocation later this
year.
Atlantis' trip to the station brings the cumulative time spent by
all space shuttles at the station to 151 days, four hours and 52
minutes.
After the fly-around, Archambault fired thrusters to separate
Atlantis to a safe distance for the night while fellow crewmembers performed
additional scans of the wing leading edges and nose cap. The imagery will be
evaluated overnight by ground engineers in Houston to ensure Atlantis incurred
no micrometeoroid debris damage during its time in space.
The crew is
scheduled to go to sleep at 9:08 p.m., and wake up at 5:08 a.m. Wednesday to
check out entry systems and pack up equipment ahead of Thursday's planned
landing at the Kennedy Space Center. The next STS-117 status report will be
issued Wednesday morning or earlier if events warrant.
(source: NASA
Johnson Space Center)