http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle en-us
Space shuttle Atlantis was towed into Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-2 following yesterday's employee appreciation event. Technicians will spend the next few weeks reconfiguring Atlantis after its final flight. Today, they will finish readying the shuttle and its hangar for the normal post-flight processing and begin draining residual cryogenic reactants. They'll continue deservicing work through the weekend.

Atlantis touched down yesterday on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The landing brought to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.

"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, " we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

The STS-135 crew consisted of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

"I really want to thank the space shuttle team and the Space Shuttle Program for just a tremendous effort today and throughout the entire history of the program. We gave them a tremendous challenge to fly and execute these missions and to finish strong and I can tell you today that the team accomplished every one of those objectives," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier as he addressed the media at the post-landing news conference. "I'd also like to thank the nation for allowing us to have these thirty years to go use the shuttle system."

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.]]> Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:09:14 GMT
Space shuttle Atlantis was towed into Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-2 following yesterday's employee appreciation event. Technicians will spend the next few weeks reconfiguring Atlantis after its final flight. Today, they will finish readying the shuttle and its hangar for the normal post-flight processing and begin draining residual cryogenic reactants. They'll continue deservicing work through the weekend.

Atlantis touched down yesterday on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at 5:57 a.m. EDT. The landing brought to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.

"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, "we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

The STS-135 crew consisted of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

"I really want to thank the space shuttle team and the Space Shuttle Program for just a tremendous effort today and throughout the entire history of the program. We gave them a tremendous challenge to fly and execute these missions and to finish strong and I can tell you today that the team accomplished every one of those objectives," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier as he addressed the media at the post-landing news conference. "I'd also like to thank the nation for allowing us to have these thirty years to go use the shuttle system."

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.]]> Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:17:23 GMT
"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, " we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

The STS-135 crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim.

"I really want to thank the space shuttle team and the Space Shuttle Program for just a tremendous effort today and throughout the entire history of the program. We gave them a tremendous challenge to fly and execute these missions and to finish strong and I can tell you today that the team accomplished every one of those objectives," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier as he addressed the media at the post-landing news conference. "I'd also like to thank the nation for allowing us to have these thirty years to go use the shuttle system."

"It is great to have Atlantis safely home after a tremendously successful mission -- and home to stay," said Bob Cabana, Kennedy Space Center director, referencing Atlantis' retirement at Kennedy's Visitor Complex.

"I'm unbelievably proud to be here representing the Space Shuttle Program and the thousands of people across the country who do the work," said Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager. "Hearing the sonic booms as Atlantis came home for the last time really drove it home to me that this has been a heck of a program."

"The workers out here and across the country in the Space Shuttle Program have dedicated their lives, their hearts and their souls to this program, and I couldn't be more proud of them," said Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director at Kennedy.

A welcome home ceremony for the astronauts will be held Friday, July 22, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television.

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:52:20 GMT
"It is great to have Atlantis safely home after a tremendously successful mission -- and home to stay," said Bob Cabana, Kennedy Space Center director, referencing Atlantis' retirement at Kennedy's Visitor Complex.

"I'm unbelievably proud to be here representing the Space Shuttle Program and the thousands of people across the country who do the work," said Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager. "Hearing the sonic booms as Atlantis came home for the last time really drove it home to me that this has been a heck of a program."

"The workers out here and across the country in the Space Shuttle Program have dedicated their lives, their hearts and their souls to this program, and I couldn't be more proud of them," said Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director at Kennedy.

A crew news conference with the STS-135 astronauts is scheduled for noon and will be carried live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.

Atlantis landed at 5:57 a.m. EDT, after 200 orbits around Earth and a journey of 5,284,862 miles.

The STS-135 crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. They delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module - including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

A welcome home ceremony for the astronauts will be held Friday, July 22, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television.]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:55:45 GMT
"Although we got to take the ride," said Commander Chris Ferguson on behalf of his crew, " we sure hope that everybody who has ever worked on, or touched, or looked at, or envied or admired a space shuttle was able to take just a little part of the journey with us."

In the shadow of Atlantis as it sat on the runway at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, the crew was welcomed back by senior NASA officials, including NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

"They have come to be known as the 'final four.' They did an absolutely incredible job," said Bolden. "They made us very proud."

A shuttle program post-landing news conference is set for 10 a.m. EDT, followed by a crew news conference at noon. Both will be carried live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv. Participants in the 10 a.m. panel will be Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, Bob Cabana, Kennedy center director, Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager, and Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director.

Atlantis landed at 5:57 a.m. EDT, after 200 orbits around Earth and a journey of 5,284,862 miles.

The STS-135 crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. They delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module - including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

A welcome home ceremony for the astronauts will be held Friday, July 22, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television.]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:10:31 GMT
It was the 25th night landing, the 78th landing at Kennedy and the133rd landing in shuttle history.

Atlantis’ main gear touched down at 5:57:00 a.m. followed by the nose gear at 5:57:20 and wheels stop at 5:57:54 a.m. At wheels stop, the mission elapsed time was 12 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes and 50 seconds.

The STS-135 crew consisted of Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim. They delivered more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module - including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for the next year. The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station.

A post-landing news conference at Kennedy is planned for 10 a.m. on NASA TV and http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. The participants will be Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, Bob Cabana, Kennedy center director, Mike Moses, space shuttle launch integration manager, and Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director.

Since STS-1 launched on April 12, 1981, 355 individuals from 16 countries flew 852 times aboard the shuttle. The five shuttles traveled more than 542 million miles and hosted more than 2,000 experiments in the fields of Earth, astronomy, biological and materials sciences. The shuttles docked with two space stations, the Russian Mir and the International Space Station. Shuttles deployed 180 payloads, including satellites, returned 52 from space and retrieved, repaired and redeployed seven spacecraft.

STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

A welcome home ceremony for the astronauts will be held Friday, July 22, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at NASA's Hangar 990 at Ellington Field. Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television.]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:18:04 GMT Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:57:10 GMT
Atlantis will head to the northeast across the west coast of Florida near Naples and trigger dual sonic booms as it slows to subsonic speeds at about 5:52 a.m. Commander Chris Ferguson will align Atlantis with Kennedy's northwest to southeast runway 15 and touch down at 5:56:58 a.m.

The STS-135 landing ground track is here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/news/landing.html]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:55:12 GMT
Weather is observed and forecast "go."]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:15:50 GMT
Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office Rick Sturckow is flying weather reconnaissance at Kennedy Space Center to provide real-time observations that will aid in the decision to land. Sturckow is reporting “severe clear” skies and no weather concerns. Weather is both observed and forecast “go.”

At 2:19 a.m., Entry Flight Director Tony Ceccacci is expected to give a “go” for Atlantis’ computers to begin running the Ops 3 entry software. At 2:49 a.m. a “go” is expected for crew suit up. The “go” for deorbit burn is expected by 4:29 a.m.

The deorbit burn is scheduled for 4:49:04 a.m. and will lead to a landing at 5:56:58 a.m.]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 06:27:46 GMT
Here is the official Spaceflight Meteorology Group landing forecast for Kennedy:

WEATHER SYNOPSIS:

KSC – The EOM weather outlook for KSC remains very favorable. Surface high pressure will continue to build across the southeast U.S. into Thursday with dry conditions and light winds expected for EOM. No weather flight rule violations are forecast for EOM+1 at KSC as the large scale weather pattern over east central Florida changes very little between EOM and EOM+1.]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:31:27 GMT
The STS-135 landing ground tracks for Thursday’s two Kennedy landing opportunities are here: http://1.usa.gov/qtBmwx]]> Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:41:03 GMT
Mission managers have cleared Atlantis’ heat shield for entry after reviewing results of the “late inspection” survey of the shuttle’s reinforced carbon carbon.

The STS-135 landing ground tracks for Thursday’s two Kennedy landing opportunities are here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/news/landing.html

The official Spaceflight Meteorology Group landing forecast for Kennedy remains very favorable.]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:08:07 GMT
They also deployed a small, eight-pound, 5" X 5" X 10" technology demonstration satellite, called PicoSat, from a canister in the shuttle cargo bay. The satellite will relay data back to investigators on the performance of its own solar cells for analysis and possible use on future space hardware. PicoSat was the 180th and final payload deployed in space shuttle history.

The digital imagery group has completed its review of Atlantis' heat shield and a final assessment will be reported later.]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:36:26 GMT
PicoSat was the 180^th and final payload deployed in space shuttle history.

The Flight Dynamics Officer in Mission Control has slightly updated the times for Atlantis’ two Thursday landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center:

Orbit 200
Deorbit burn - 4:49:04 a.m. EDT
Landing - 5:56:58 a.m. EDT

Orbit 201
Deorbit burn - 6:25:44 a.m. EDT
Landing - 7:32:55 a.m. EDT]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:53:29 GMT
The Flight Dynamics Officer in Mission Control has slightly updated the times for Atlantis’ two Thursday landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center:

Orbit 200
Deorbit burn - 4:49:04 a.m. EDT
Landing - 5:56:58 a.m. EDT

Orbit 201
Deorbit burn - 6:25:44 a.m. EDT
Landing - 7:32:55 a.m. EDT]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:43:39 GMT
Soon, the crew will “hotfire” Atlantis’ 44 reaction control system thruster jets to verify their ability to steer the shuttle through its entry profile before it encounters the atmosphere.

The Flight Dynamics Officer in Mission Control has slightly updated the times for Atlantis’ two Thursday landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center:

Orbit 200
Deorbit burn - 4:49:04 a.m. EDT
Landing - 5:56:58 a.m. EDT

Orbit 201
Deorbit burn - 6:25:44 a.m. EDT
Landing - 7:32:55 a.m. EDT]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:24:50 GMT
Atlantis’ astronauts will begin the job of preparing their shuttle for landing at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. They will begin stowing items no longer needed for their mission, test the flight control surfaces and fire all the thrusters to ensure they will operate correctly for entry back to Earth. Later in the day they will deploy a small 5” X 5” X 10” technology demonstration satellite, called PicoSat, from a canister in Atlantis’ payload bay. The satellite will relay data back to investigators on the performance of solar cells that cover the nanosatellite for analysis and possible use on future space hardware. The crew then will do communications checks with ground stations and field questions from network reporters.]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 02:49:40 GMT
Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center just before 6 a.m. on Thursday.]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:24:39 GMT
This marks the final use of the shuttle’s robotic arm, dating back to its inaugural flight on the shuttle Columbia in October 1981on the STS-2 mission, operated by Commander Richard Truly and Pilot Joe Engle for approximately 10 hours of checkout operations. Canadarm deployed and retrieved its first payload, the Plasma Diagnostic Package, on Columbia's STS-3 mission of Commander Jack Lousma and Pilot Gordon Fullerton.]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:45:53 GMT
Today's mission status briefing is scheduled for 7:30 a.m.

Today's Mission Management Team Briefing is scheduled for 1 p.m.]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:56:52 GMT
At 6:19 a.m., the "late inspection" of Atlantis' heat shield will commence, and today's Mission Status Briefing will air on NASA Television at 7:30 a.m.]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:21:30 GMT
Over the 37 missions devoted to assembling and maintaining the space station, shuttles were docked for 276 days, 11 hours and 23 minutes – almost 40 weeks.

Pilot Doug Hurley now is moving Atlantis to a distance of 600 feet in front of the complex, where he will halt the shuttle for 27 minutes while the space station yaws 90 degrees to present its longitudinal axis to Atlantis. This will provide Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus the opportunity to snap digital pictures of the station from angles the shuttle never has seen before during a fly-around. Hurley will move Atlantis to a point 600 feet above the station, and then behind it. He then will fire Atlantis’ thrusters to move below the station, and at 4:18 a.m. he will perform a final separation burn to depart the vicinity of the station.

With the two spacecraft separated, Atlantis’ crew will focus on preparing for landing at Kennedy Space Center early Thursday morning. The time of landing has changed slightly, to 5:56 a.m. EDT. Ground tracks have been posted here: http://1.usa.gov/qtBmwx]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 06:30:58 GMT
Hurley will guide Atlantis away from the International Space Station on a half-lap fly-around about an hour after the shuttle undocks at 2:28 a.m.]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:04:54 GMT
Wakeup at 9:59 p.m. EDT will begin undocking day in space, as a space shuttle leaves the station for the final time.]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:36:58 GMT
The hatches between the spacecraft were open for seven days, 21 hours and 41 minutes.

Atlantis' crew will spend the remainder of today preparing for Tuesday's early morning undocking. The station crew goes to sleep at 1:29 p.m. and the shuttle crew follows at 1:59 p.m.]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:36:36 GMT
The 21-foot-long, 15-foot-diameter Raffaello is filled with nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station that will be brought back to Earth. Over nearly eight days, crews aboard the shuttle and station unloaded 9,403 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies from Raffaello - including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for the next year.

Atlantis and station Expedition 28 crew members will say farewells and close hatches between the spacecraft at 9:19 a.m.]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:53:34 GMT From the International Space Station's cupola, astronauts Sandy Magnus and Doug Hurley have grasped the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module with Canadarm2, the station's robotic arm. Raffaello's hatch was closed at 1:03 a.m. EDT today and the Harmony side of the hatch was closed at 3:23 a.m. Raffaello, which was attached to the Harmony node at 11:07 a.m. on July 10, will be transported through space back to Atlantis' cargo bay for its return to Earth.]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:14:35 GMT Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:20:27 GMT
This is the last full day a space shuttle will spend docked to the International Space Station. After buttoning up the Raffaello multipurpose module, the astronauts will use the station’s robotic arm to move Raffaello from the Harmony node’s Earth-facing port to the cargo bay of shuttle Atlantis. At 9:19 a.m. the shuttle and station crews will say farewell and close the hatches between the two spacecraft.]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 02:53:09 GMT
The 9,400 pounds of equipment and supplies brought up by the multi-purpose logistics module have been moved to the International Space Station. The loading of Raffaello with almost 5,700 pounds of unneeded station equipment and trash also is almost finished.

The Raffaelo module is scheduled to be unberthed early Monday from the station’s Harmony node and secured in space shuttle Atlantis’ cargo bay for the ride home. At the controls of the station’s Canadarm2 will be Atlantis Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus, who served as load master for the complex and demanding cargo transfer, and Pilot Doug Hurley.

The crew is scheduled to awaken at 10:29 p.m.]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:05:10 GMT Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:55:55 GMT
The crew will enjoy off duty time beginning around 7:30 a.m.

Today’s Mission Status Briefing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., at the same time Atlantis’ crew goes to sleep.]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:42:40 GMT
Here is a NASA web page that explains GPCs:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/flyfeature_shuttlecomputers.html]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:10:48 GMT
This is the last full day the crews aboard space shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station will spend transferring equipment between the two spacecraft and into the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module. Tomorrow, Raffaello will be returned to Atlantis’ payload bay for the return to Earth.]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2011 03:08:46 GMT
The shuttle crew is scheduled to awaken at 10:59 p.m.

To view the STS-135 crew’s space shuttle tribute video featuring the STS-1 U.S. flag, go to:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=101615961]]> Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:07:43 GMT
Ferguson said the flag will remain at the station until the next crew launched from the United States arrives at the outpost. That crew will bring the flag back to Earth, until it once again is carried into space with the first crew to launch from the United States on a journey of exploration beyond Earth orbit.

The Mission Status Briefing planned for 3:30 p.m. EDT has been cancelled.]]> Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:25:18 GMT Sat, 16 Jul 2011 08:42:28 GMT Sat, 16 Jul 2011 07:08:42 GMT
Today, the crews will focus on transferring equipment and supplies back and forth between the space station and the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module. The crew is more than 70 percent done with the transfer activities.]]> Sat, 16 Jul 2011 03:37:26 GMT
Tomorrow, Flight Day 9, once again will be spent moving supplies and equipment back and forth between the space station and the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module. The crew is more than 70 percent done with the transfer activities.

The crew is scheduled to awaken at about 11:29 p.m. to another special wake up song, which – along with the mission’s previous wakeup calls - will be posted online at: http://1.usa.gov/ov7qD3.]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:56:09 GMT
At today's Mission Status Briefing, STS-135 Lead Shuttle Flight Director Kwatsi Alibaruho said that the mission continues in an outstanding fashion. The crew remains on the timeline with transfer operations. The crew expects to have completed transferring about 70% of total mass tomorrow.]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:33:43 GMT
The combined crews of Atlantis and Expedition 28 will talk to President Obama at 12:29 p.m. EDT. The VIP call will be carried live on NASA TV, with replays scheduled at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:29:09 GMT
Here is a NASA web page that explains GPCs:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/flyfeature_shuttlecomputers.html

The Mission Status Briefing originally planned for 4 p.m. EDT has been moved to 10:45 a.m. with STS-135 Lead Shuttle Flight Director Kwatsi Alibaruho.]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:51:28 GMT
While troubleshooting is underway on GPC 4, GPCs 1 & 2 are operating Atlantis’ systems and GPC 3 is in a standby mode. The first step in today’s procedure is underway, transmitting the memory of GPC 4 to Mission Control for evaluation.]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:02:39 GMT
The crew slept 30 minutes longer than originally planned after dealing with a computer issue early in the sleep shift. General Purpose Computer (GPC) 4 failed and was replaced by GPC 2 as the systems computer. Troubleshooting of GPC 4 is planned for today.

The combined crews of Atlantis and Expedition 28 will talk to President Obama at 12:29 p.m. They are about 70 percent complete transferring equipment and supplies between Atlantis, the Raffaello multi-purpose module, and the International Space Station, and will continue that work today. They also will conduct a series of media interviews and hold a joint crew news conference with reporters from around the world.]]> Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:04:16 GMT Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:06:04 GMT
Raffaello is to be reloaded with almost 5,700 pounds of gear from the station, mostly unneeded equipment and trash. It is to be replaced in Atlantis’ cargo bay Monday morning for return to Earth.

A little before their midday meal, about 7 a.m. EDT, shuttle commander Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus talked with representatives of FOX News Radio and KTVI-TV and KSDK-TV, both in St. Louis. All four shuttle crew members chatted with WBBM-TV of Chicago, KTVU-TV of Oakland, Calif., and WTXF-TV of Philadelphia at about 9:20 a.m.

Afterward the shuttle crew had most of the afternoon off. Station crew members also had some free time early in their afternoon.

The crew’s supper was special. That All-American Meal was initially scheduled for July 4 but wound up being enjoyed today because of Atlantis’ launch delay. Grilled chicken, corn, baked beans, cheese and more, topped off with apple pie, were on the menu.

The crew is scheduled to awaken at about 12:29 a.m. to another special wake up song, which – along with the mission’s previous wakeup calls - will be posted online at: http://1.usa.gov/ov7qD3.]]> Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:45:50 GMT
After spending several hours transferring equipment into the International Space Station and fielding questions from reporters, the crews of Atlantis and the station will enjoy off duty time for the remainder of the day.

The station crew goes to sleep at 3:59 p.m., followed by the shuttle crew at 4:29 p.m.

At 5 p.m., NASA TV will air today's Mission Status Briefing with STS-135 Lead Space Station Flight Director Chris Edelen.]]> Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:48:36 GMT
Stipe provided the following information:

I recorded 'Man On The Moon' for NASA in Venice, Italy, where Galileo first presented to the Venician government his eight-power telescope, and in 1610 wrote 'The Starry Messenger'(Sidereus Nuncius), an account of his early astronomical discoveries that altered forever our view of our place in the universe.
--Michael Stipe, July 2011

Atlantis and Expedition 28 crews are about halfway done transferring equipment and supplies from the shuttle middeck and the Raffaello multi-purpose module to the International Space Station. They will continue that work today, field questions from reporters, and enjoy some well deserved time off.]]> Thu, 14 Jul 2011 05:38:55 GMT
Station lead flight director Chris Edelen said at an afternoon briefing that about half of the cargo had been moved from Raffaello and the shuttle’s middeck to the space station. Almost 5,700 pounds of unneeded equipment and supplies from the station will be packed aboard the module for return to Earth.

Crew members opened Pressurized Mating Adaptor 3, attached to the Tranquility node, and stored some of the material from Raffaello there. On Tuesday spacewalkers had put an insulating cover on the outside of PMA-3 to protect it from temperature extremes.

A little before 1 p.m. EDT, all four shuttle crew members talked with representatives of WBNG-TV and WICZ-TV in Binghamton, N.Y., near Pilot Doug Hurley’s home town of Apalachin, and KGO-TV of San Francisco. Mission Specialist Rex Walheim is from nearby San Carlos.

The crew will awaken at 1:29 a.m. to another special wake up song, which – along with the mission’s previous wakeup calls - will be posted online at: http://1.usa.gov/ov7qD3.]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:11:51 GMT
Aboard the docked Atlantis/International Space Station complex, the combined 10-member crew is wrapping up its busy day of transfer work. The space station crew goes to sleep at 4:59 p.m., followed by the shuttle crew at 5:29 p.m.

The crew will awaken at 1:29 a.m. to another special wake up song, which – along with the mission’s previous wakeup calls - will be posted online at: http://1.usa.gov/ov7qD3.]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:04:50 GMT
The crew members also took some time out of their work schedule to talk with reporters from WBNG-TV and WICZ-TV in Binghamton, New York, and KGO-TV of San Francisco.

Today’s Mission Status Briefing is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT and will air on NASA Television and http://www.nasa.gov/ntv]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:25:27 GMT
Atlantis and Expedition 28 crews will spend much of the day transferring equipment and supplies from the Raffaello multi-purpose module to the International Space Station.

In addition, the crew will be taking some time out of its work at 12:54 p.m. to talk with reporters from WBNG-TV and WICZ-TV in Binghamton, New York, and KGO-TV of San Francisco.]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:40:25 GMT
Inside the shuttle-station complex, transfer of material from the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module began. The work to unload the more than 9,400 pounds of supplies and equipment brought up by Raffaello and then repack it with 5,700 pounds of equipment, supplies and trash to return home will continue for much of Atlantis stay at the station.

The crew is scheduled to awaken just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:33 GMT Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:48:18 GMT
It was the 249th spacewalk by U.S. astronauts, the seventh for Fossum, totaling 48 hours and 32 minutes, and the fourth for Garan, totaling 27 hours and 3 minutes. It was the 160th spacewalk in support of International Space Station assembly and maintenance, totaling 1009 hours, 9 minutes, and the 119th spacewalk out of station airlocks.

Today’s Mission Status Briefing planned for 4:30 p.m. will be delayed to 5:30. Participants are STS-135 Lead International Space Station Flight Director Chris Edelen, Lead Spacewalk Officer Glenda Brown, and Deputy Project Manager for the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office Benjamin Reed.

It will air on NASA Television and http://www.nasa.gov/ntv]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:27:07 GMT
This was Fossum's seventh spacewalk and Garan's fourth. Fossum and Garan collaborated on three spacewalks during the STS-124 space shuttle mission in June 2008.

This was the 160th spacewalk supporting assembly and maintenance of the space station and the 249th excursion conducted by U.S. astronauts.]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:58:18 GMT Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:24:32 GMT
The multi-layer insulation (MLI) grounding wire was stuck in a latch door, and Fossum tucked it under Velcro tabs and put the MLI back in place. Fossum performed the same operation on a second latch door and checked the remaining two latch doors. http://1.usa.gov/odJBPq]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:21:19 GMT Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:01:22 GMT
In the future, the RRM will demonstrate robotic refueling technology and techniques using Dextre, four unique RRM tools and an RRM enclosure filled with refueling components and activity boards. The tests will demonstrate that remote-controlled robots can perform refueling tasks in orbit, using commands sent from controllers on Earth. RRM is expected to reduce costs and risks, and lay the foundation for future robotic servicing missions.]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:43:12 GMT Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:36:21 GMT
This is Fossum's seventh spacewalk and Garan's fourth. Fossum and Garan collaborated on three spacewalks during the STS-124 space shuttle mission in June 2008.

Fossum, EV-1, is the lead spacewalker and is wearing a suit with red stripes, while Garan, EV-2, wears an all-white spacesuit. Fossum's helmet camera displays the number 20 and Garan's the number 18.

Atlantis Mission Specialist Rex Walheim is at the rear flight deck of Atlantis, choreographing the activities and coordinating communications between the spacewalkers and Mission Control in Houston. Shuttle Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus will operate the station's 58-foot-long robotic arm to maneuver the spacewalkers around during the spacewalk.

Once outside, the spacewalkers will retrieve a pump module (PM) from an external stowage platform and store it in Atlantis' cargo bay for return to Earth. Garan will climb aboard the station's robotic arm and grab the pump module while Fossum releases a bolt that holds the PM in place. Grasping the 1400-pound module, Garan then will ride the arm from the stowage platform near the Quest airlock to a carrier in Atlantis' cargo bay. He will place the PM into the carrier and Fossum will bolt it in place. The pump module failed in 2010, shutting down half of the space station's cooling system. Engineers will evaluate the PM to determine the cause of the failure and plan to refurbish it for use as a spare.

Next, Fossum will trade places with Garan and climb onto the station arm. He will grab the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) experiment from the shuttle bay and ride the arm to Dextre, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. The spacewalkers will dock the RRM to a platform on Dextre that is used to hold equipment for the robot to use. The RRM will demonstrate and test tools, technologies and techniques that could be used to robotically refuel and repair satellites in space. Data from the tests could help reduce the cost and risk of future robotic refueling missions.

Fossum and Garan will deploy the Optical Reflector Materials Experiment, a portion of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) 8 that was installed on the External Logistics Carrier 2 during STS-134. They also will take photos of the material samples. MISSE 8 will be retrieved late next year.

Next, the pair will troubleshoot a protruding grounding wire on a Zarya module payload data grapple fixture that was installed on STS-134. The multi-layer insulation (MLI) grounding wire is stuck in a latch door, where power and data connectors mate with connectors behind the door. With the wire extending out, there is concern the door could interfere with the robotic arm. The spacewalkers will pull back the MLI, insert a hook into the latch door to free the wire, then pull it back to the outside of the grapple fixture where it belongs. They will tuck the wire under Velcro tabs and put the MLI back in place. Fossum and Garan will perform the same operation on a second latch door and check the remaining two latch doors.

The spacewalkers will install a cover on the end of pressurized mating adaptor 3, which receives a great deal of sun.

This is the 160th spacewalk supporting assembly and maintenance of the space station and the 249th excursion conducted by U.S. astronauts.]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:27:58 GMT
Today’s Expedition 28 spacewalk preparations are running slightly behind schedule. The excursion, scheduled to begin at 8:44 a.m. EDT, likely will start 9:10 a.m.]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:41:08 GMT
Expedition 28 Flight Engineers Mike Fossum and Ron Garan will conduct the mission’s only spacewalk today, a 6.5-hour excursion with several important tasks. They will retrieve a failed pump module from an external stowage platform and stow it in Atlantis’ cargo bay for return to Earth. Next, they will transfer the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment from the shuttle bay to a platform on Dextre, the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. They also will deploy a portion of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) 8, which was installed during STS-134, troubleshoot a protruding wire on a Zarya payload data grapple fixture and install a cover on pressurized mating adapter 3.]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:05:02 GMT
They attached the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Harmony node at 6:45 a.m., opened the hatch at 12:10 p.m. and began offloading 9,403 pounds of spare parts, equipment and supplies. They also prepared for the mission’s only spacewalk, which will be conducted by station crew members Mike Fossum and Ron Garan beginning at 8:44 a.m. EDT Tuesday.]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:26:06 GMT
At 4 p.m. EDT, Mission Management Team Chairman and Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager LeRoy Cain will brief reporters on NASA Television: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:52:48 GMT Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:15:34 GMT
The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello is packed with 9,403 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment, and other supplies – including 2,677 pounds of food - that will sustain space station operations for a year. Raffaello carries eight Resupply Stowage Platforms (RSPs), two Intermediate Stowage Platforms (ISPs), six Resupply Stowage Racks (RSRs) and one Zero Stowage Rack.

Sixteen bolts hold Raffaello firmly in place. The crew will conduct leak checks to verify a good seal before activating the module at 11:24 a.m. and entering it at 1:39 p.m.

Over the next several days, crew members will spend nearly 130 person-hours transferring items from Raffaello into the station and more than 5,600 pounds of discarded station gear into Raffaello for return to Earth.

Today’s Mission Status Briefing with space station Flight Director Jerry Jason, originally planned for 9:30 a.m., has moved to 9:45 a.m.

After a software reload, space shuttle Atlantis’ General Purpose Computer (GPC 3) is working again and is back online. The GPC failed on Sunday when it was activated to support rendezvous and docking. All five GPCs now are functioning normally.]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:51:41 GMT
Raffaello is packed with more than 8,000 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment, food and other supplies that will sustain space station operations through 2012. Raffaello carries eight Resupply Stowage Platforms (RSPs), two Intermediate Stowage Platforms (ISPs), six Resupply Stowage Racks (RSRs) and one Zero Stowage Rack.

Mission Control has verified that the track of a piece of orbital debris will not be a threat to the International Space Station and space shuttle Atlantis. No adjustments to the docked spacecraft’s orbit will be necessary to avoid the debris, which is part of satellite COSMOS 375 and one of more than 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in Earth’s orbit.]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:18:29 GMT
After breakfast, the crews aboard Atlantis and the International Space Station will get to work. The primary task will be moving the 12.5-ton Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module from the shuttle cargo bay to the Earth-facing port on the station’s Harmony node. Shuttle Pilot Doug Hurley and Magnus will be at the controls of the station robotic arm, Candarm2, to perform the delicate task.

Raffaello is 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter and is packed with more than 8,000 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment, food and other supplies that will sustain space station operations through 2012. Raffaello carries eight Resupply Stowage Platforms (RSPs), two Intermediate Stowage Platforms (ISPs), six Resupply Stowage Racks (RSRs) and one Zero Stowage Rack.

Mission Control has verified that the track of a piece of orbital debris will not be a threat to the International Space Station and space shuttle Atlantis. No adjustments to the docked spacecraft’s orbit will be necessary to avoid the debris, which is part of satellite COSMOS 375 and one of more than 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in Earth’s orbit.]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 07:09:20 GMT
Ferguson and Hurley used the shuttle arm to take its 50-foot extension boom from the station’s Canadarm2 operated by station Flight Engineers Ron Garan and Satoshi Furukawa. The station arm had plucked the boom from its stowage position on the shuttle cargo bay sill. The handoff was to prepare to use the boom for any needed shuttle heat shield inspection later this week. Magnus worked with TV setup and Walheim transferred spacewalk gear.

Docking had gone just as planned. Ferguson and the crew of space shuttle Atlantis began their final approach to the station from about eight miles distance with the terminal initiation burn at 8:29 a.m.

About 600 feet below the station, Atlantis did a backflip to enable station crew members to photograph the shuttle’s heat shield. The photos were sent to mission control to be evaluated by experts on the ground to look for any damage.

Flight controllers began monitoring reports from the Department of Defense’s U.S. Strategic Command that a piece of orbital debris may come near the station and shuttle complex about noon on Tuesday. The debris, part of satellite COSMOS 375, is one of more than 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in Earth’s orbit. The team expected updated tracking information following today’s docking to help determine if a maneuver using the shuttle’s thrusters is necessary to avoid the debris.

The crew sleep period is scheduled to begin at 6:59 p.m. Flight Day 4 begins with crew wake up at 2:59 a.m. Monday.]]> Sun, 10 Jul 2011 22:04:14 GMT
NASA Television will air a Mission Status Briefing with STS-135 Lead Shuttle Flight Director Kwatsi Alibaruho at 1:30 p.m., or immediately following the standard welcome ceremony between the crews.

At 4 p.m., chairman of the Mission Management Team and Deputy Manager of the Space Shuttle Program LeRoy Cain will hold a news conference on NASA TV.]]> Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:59:13 GMT
This was the 12th and final time Atlantis docked to the space station. It was the 46th shuttle docking to a space station, nine to the Russian Mir station and 37 to the International Space Station. Atlantis performed seven of the nine Mir dockings. This was the 86th space shuttle rendezvous operation and the 164th “proximity operation” in the history of the Space Shuttle Program, where a shuttle conducted operations in close proximity to another spacecraft.

The shuttle and station crews will open hatches and hold the traditional welcome ceremony at about 1:19 p.m. Atlantis’ crew of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will join Expedition 28 Commander Andrey Borisenko and Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev and Sergei Volkov of Russia, Satoshi Furukawa from Japan, and NASA’s Ron Garan and Mike Fossum.

The combined crew of 10 begins more than a week of docked operations, transferring vital supplies and equipment to sustain station operations once the shuttles are retired.

Today’s Mission Status Briefing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the Mission Management Team Briefing is set for 4 p.m. Both will air live on NASA TV and http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:10:00 GMT
After the backflip is complete, Ferguson will fly Atlantis through a quarter circle to a position about 310 feet directly in front of the station, allowing the complex to catch up with the shuttle for docking at 11:07 a.m.]]> Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:08:17 GMT
When Atlantis is about 600 feet from the station, Ferguson will guide the shuttle through a backflip rotation to expose the heat shield to station crew members who will snap high resolution digital photographs. Flight Engineers Sergei Volkov, Mike Fossum and Satoshi Furukawa will use cameras with 1,000 mm, 800 mm and 400 mm lenses, respectively, to photograph Atlantis’ upper and lower surfaces through windows in the Zvezda Service Module. The photos will be transmitted to Mission Control in Houston for evaluation by imagery experts and mission managers to determine whether the heat shield sustained any damage during launch.]]> Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:32:41 GMT
Today is docking day in space. The terminal initiation burn at 8:29 a.m. will put the shuttle on the final course to link up with the International Space Station at about 11:07 a.m.

Ferguson will fly Atlantis through an intricate approach for docking. After a series of jet firings to fine-tune the shuttle’s path, Atlantis will arrive at a point about 600 feet directly below the station at about 10:06 a.m. Ferguson then will perform the rendezvous pitch maneuver, a one-degree-per-second rotational “backflip” to enable Expedition 28 crew members to snap hundreds of high resolution photographs of the shuttle’s heat shield and other areas of potential interest. Imagery analysts will pore over the photos to determine the health of the shuttle’s thermal protection system.

Once the rotation is completed, Ferguson will fly Atlantis upward and in front of the station before slowly backing in for docking. At 1:19 p.m., hatches will be opened between the two spacecraft. Along with Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, shuttle Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will join the Expedition 28 crew: Commander Andrey Borisenko and Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev and Sergei Volkov of Russian, Satoshi Furukawa from Japan, and NASA’s Ron Garan and Mike Fossum.

The combined crew of 10 will begin more than a week of docked operations, transferring supplies and equipment to the station from Atlantis’ middeck and the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, which will be transferred from the cargo bay and installed on the station’s Harmony node early Monday. Once 8,000 pounds of cargo are unloaded from Raffaello, it will be packed with waste items from the station and placed back in the cargo bay for return to Earth.]]> Sun, 10 Jul 2011 07:37:27 GMT
Flight Day 3 begins with crew wake up at 3:29 a.m. Sunday.]]> Sat, 09 Jul 2011 21:49:54 GMT Sat, 09 Jul 2011 16:37:51 GMT
Thermal Protection Shield inspections are standard operations to ascertain if there was any ascent damage to the vehicle’s heat shield tiles.]]> Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:34:20 GMT
Today, Atlantis’ four astronauts will use the Orbiter Boom Sensor System to conduct a standard inspection of the shuttle heat shield and continue preparations for docking to the International Space Station on Sunday.]]> Sat, 09 Jul 2011 08:05:27 GMT
NASA Television also will air two special videos this evening.

Flight Day 2 begins with crew wake up at 3:59 a.m. Saturday.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 23:01:22 GMT
"It truly was an awesome, spectacular launch," added Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, who looked ahead to plans for future development beyond the shuttle program as space station operations continue.

"We're really looking forward to a great mission. This is a very critical mission for station resupply. We're going to do our best to try and stretch out an extra day," said Space Shuttle Program Launch Integration Manager and chairman of the pre-mission Mission Management Team Mike Moses. "I think the shuttle program is ending exactly as it should. We've built the International Space Station, we're stocking it up for the future, and ready to hand it off, and we finish really, really strong."

"On behalf of the launch team, and all the thousands of people here at KSC, we're just very, very proud that we finished strong from the launch perspective," added Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach.

Atlantis and its four astronauts lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:29 a.m. EDT. Atlantis will dock with the space station on Sunday.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:11:11 GMT
With the International Space Station flying 220 miles high and east of Christchurch, New Zealand, Atlantis left Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:29 a.m. EDT. There was a slight delay at T-31 seconds while retraction of the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm, or "Beanie Cap," was verified. Atlantis will dock with the space station on Sunday.

The STS-135 post-launch news conference will begin at 1:10 p.m. EDT from NAS's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Participating will be NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, Space Shuttle Program Launch Integration Manager and chairman of the pre-mission Mission Management Team Mike Moses, and Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach. The news conference will be carried live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:59:41 GMT
Atlantis and its four astronauts have left Earth for the final space shuttle mission, which will cap off an amazing 30-year program of exploration, which launched great observatories, built an International Space Station, and taught us more about how humans can live and work in space.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:42:18 GMT
Atlantis and its four astronauts leave Earth on the final space shuttle mission, capping off an amazing 30-year program of exploration, which launched great observatories, built an International Space Station, and taught us more about how humans can live and work in space.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:30:06 GMT
Space shuttle Atlantis is poised for liftoff at 11:26:46 a.m. EDT., to begin the final space shuttle mission.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:17:59 GMT
During the hold, a series of polls will be conducted to verify the readiness of managers and engineers at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Mission Control in Houston to proceed with launch. Liftoff is targeted for 11:26:46 a.m. EDT.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:35:17 GMT
There is a planned hold at T-9 minutes that will extend about 45 minutes.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:31:25 GMT Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:23:43 GMT
With all four astronauts aboard space shuttle Atlantis, the Close Out Crew sealed the hatch for flight and are completing the break down the White Room before departing the launch pad.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:14:16 GMT
Weather still is 30 percent "go" and while weather remains dynamic, Launch Director Mike Leinbach told the launch team earlier, "We do have a shot at this today."

There are no major technical issues and launch remains on schedule for 11:26 a.m. EDT for the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:49:08 GMT
Weather still is 30 percent "go" as forecasters watch a band of thunderstorms moving from southwest to northeast across Florida. While weather remains dynamic, Launch Director Mike Leinbach told the launch team earlier, "We do have a shot at this today."

There are no major technical issues and launch remains on schedule for 11:26 a.m. EDT for the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:56:59 GMT
Launch Director Mike Leinbach completed a weather briefing with Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters, Ascent Flight Director Richard Jones and the Spaceflight Meteorology group in Mission Control in Houston. While weather remains dynamic, Leinbach told the launch team, "We do have a shot at this today."

Teams are not working any issues that would delay the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:07:56 GMT
Inside the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the launch team continues to closely monitor the weather. The forecast remains 30 percent "go" with a concern for showers and thunderstorms within 20 nautical miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility, flight through precipitation, and cumulus clouds.

Teams are not working any issues that would delay the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:56:40 GMT
Inside the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the launch team continues to closely monitor the weather. The forecast remains 30 percent "go" with a concern for showers and thunderstorms within 20 nautical miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility, flight through precipitation, and cumulus clouds.

Teams are not working any issues that would delay the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:39:07 GMT
Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts are donning their orange launch-and-entry suits in crew quarters and are set to depart at 7:36 a.m. EDT for Launch Pad 39A. The crew will begin boarding Atlantis at 8:06 a.m.

Inside the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the launch team continues to closely monitor the weather. The forecast remains 30 percent "go" with a concern for showers and thunderstorms within 20 nautical miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility, flight through precipitation, and cumulus clouds.

Teams are not working any issues that would delay the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:34:11 GMT
Inside the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the launch team continues to closely monitor the weather. The forecast remains 30 percent "go" with a concern for showers and thunderstorms within 20 nautical miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility, flight through precipitation, and cumulus clouds. Liftoff time is 11:26 a.m. Teams are not working any issues that would delay the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:20:05 GMT
Inside the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the launch team continues to closely monitor the weather. The forecast remains at 30 percent chance of favorable conditions for liftoff at 11:26 a.m. EDT. Teams are not working any issues that would delay the launch of Atlantis on mission STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.

Earlier this morning at Launch Pad 39A, filling of Atlantis' external fuel tank with 535,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen began on time at 2:01 a.m. and was completed slightly ahead of schedule at 4:58 a.m.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:34:02 GMT
Earlier this morning at Launch Pad 39A, filling of Atlantis' external fuel tank with 535,000 gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen began on time at 2:01 a.m. and was completed slightly ahead of schedule at 4:58 a.m.]]> Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:20:03 GMT Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:29:34 GMT Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:19:28 GMT Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:00:14 GMT
As engineers prepared to move the Rotating Service Structure away from Atlantis, a severe thunderstorm passed overhead, delivering rain and lightning that produced two strikes near the launch pad.

Data review showed the two strikes occurred at 12:31 p.m. and 12:40 p.m. EDT. The first struck the water tower 515 feet (157 meters) from the pad and the second struck the beach area northeast of the pad.

So far, the data review indicates no issues with any systems, including shuttle Atlantis, External Tank, Solid Rocket Boosters, Space Shuttle Main Engines or Ground Support Equipment.

Review of the data will occur again during the traditional “Tanking Weather Meeting” scheduled for 1:30 a.m. Friday, which is the point where managers will decide to proceed with fueling Atlantis’ tank ahead of launch. Fueling is scheduled to start at 2:01 a.m. Friday leading to launch at 11:26 a.m.]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:45:59 GMT Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:28:36 GMT
Teams will continue to monitor weather and will conduct a walk down of the pad following a lightning strike within one third of a mile from the pad. Walk downs will occur through the evening.

At this morning's briefing, Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. EDT liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:53:10 GMT
After the rollback, the teams will continue work that must be performed before fueling Atlantis' external tank early tomorrow morning. The rollback originally was planned for 2 p.m. EDT.

At this morning's briefing, Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:43:56 GMT
With the scheduled liftoff of Atlantis just one day away, Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer, conducted the last countdown status briefing of the Space Shuttle Program this morning.

Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. EDT liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.


"Our teams here and really all around the world have been working extremely hard for quite awhile on this particular mission to make sure the vehicle and the payload are ready for hopefully a magnificent launch on Friday," said NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:12:23 GMT
With the scheduled launch of Atlantis just one day away, Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer, conducted the last countdown status briefing of the Space Shuttle Program.

Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. EDT liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.

"Our teams here and really all around the world have been working extremely hard for quite awhile on this particular mission to make sure the vehicle and the payload are ready for hopefully a magnificent launch on Friday," said NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:24:38 GMT
Winters reported that the launch weather forecast remains unchanged, with a 30 percent chance of favorable weather for the 11:26 a.m. EDT liftoff. The forecast is a more favorable 80 percent when the filling of the huge external fuel tank is set to begin.

"Our teams here and really all around the world have been working extremely hard for quite awhile on this particular mission to make sure the vehicle and the payload are ready for hopefully a magnificent launch on Friday," said NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding.

At 5 a.m. this morning, the countdown entered a planned hold at the T-11 hour mark, and will resume at 7:01 p.m. tonight.

The astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:56:04 GMT
This morning's countdown status briefing is scheduled for 10 a.m. The briefing will be carried live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv. Panelists are Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

The updated STS-135 launch weather forecast remains the same as yesterday, with a 30 percent prediction for favorable weather.

The STS-135 astronauts had an early wakeup call as they continue to prepare for tomorrow's scheduled 11:26 a.m. liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:31:51 GMT
Following a meeting of the Mission Management Team this morning, STS-135 countdown and weather updates were provided at prelaunch news conference. Panelists included Mike Moses, Mission Management Team chair and space shuttle launch integration manager, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

"We had a really smooth Mission Management Team meeting today," said Moses. "The vehicle is in fantastic shape." In regard to the launch-day weather forecast, he added, "Before we go load the propellants into the tank we'll take a look at the weather and make sure it's really a good day to try that, and so at that point we'll be making a decision."

"The countdown so far is going extremely well," reported Leinbach. "We're not tracking anything at all that would prevent an on-time liftoff Friday morning."

"We have a tropical wave that's out in the Caribbean," explained Winters. "That wave is actually going to come into Florida along with a lot of tropical moisture that's down to the south, and it's all going to roll into Florida in the next couple of days." Based on these conditions, Winters predicted an 80 percent chance of weather preventing tanking operations, with a 70 percent chance of it standing in the way of launch at 11:26 a.m. EDT on Friday. The forecast for the following days improves to 60 percent no-go on Saturday and 40 percent on Sunday.]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:07:45 GMT
"We had a really smooth Mission Management Team meeting today," said Moses. "The vehicle is in fantastic shape." In regard to the launch-day weather forecast, he added, "Before we go load the propellants into the tank we'll take a look at the weather and make sure it's really a good day to try that, and so at that point we'll be making a decision."

"The countdown so far is going extremely well," reported Leinbach. "We're not tracking anything at all that would prevent an on-time liftoff Friday morning."

"We have a tropical wave that's out in the Caribbean," explained Winters. "That wave is actually going to come into Florida along with a lot of tropical moisture that's down to the south, and it's all going to roll into Florida in the next couple of days." Based on these conditions, Winters predicted an 80 percent chance of weather preventing tanking operations, with a 70 percent chance of it standing in the way of launch at 11:26 a.m. EDT on Friday. The forecast for the following days improves to 60 percent no-go on Saturday and 40 percent on Sunday.

The countdown for this final space shuttle launch began yesterday at 1 p.m. This morning at the T-27 hour mark, the countdown entered a planned hold at 5 a.m. and resumed at 9 a.m.

The Atlantis astronauts awoke at 4:30 a.m. to continue their preparations for launch.]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:49:02 GMT
"We had a really smooth Mission Management Team meeting today," said Moses. "The vehicle is in fantastic shape." In regard to the launch-day weather forecast, he added, "Before we go load the propellants into the tank we'll take a look at the weather and make sure it's really a good day to try that, and so at that point we'll be making a decision"

"The countdown so far is going extremely well," reported Leinbach. "We're not tracking anything at all that would prevent an on-time liftoff Friday morning."

"We have a tropical wave that's out in the Caribbean," explained Winters. "That wave is actually going to come into Florida along with a lot of tropical moisture that's down to the south, and it's all going to roll into Florida in the next couple of days." Based on these conditions, Winters predicted an 80 percent chance of weather preventing tanking operations, with a 70 percent chance of it standing in the way of launch at 11:26 a.m. on Friday. The forecast for the following days improves to 60 percent no-go on Saturday and 40 percent on Sunday.

The countdown for this final space shuttle launch began yesterday at 1 p.m. This morning at the T-27 hour mark, the countdown entered a planned hold at 5 a.m. and resumed at 9 a.m.

The Atlantis astronauts awoke at 4:30 a.m. to continue their preparations for launch.]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:15:54 GMT
"We had a really smooth Mission Management Team meeting today," said Moses. "The vehicle is in fantastic shape." In regard to the launch-day weather forecast, he added, "Before we go load the propellants into the tank we'll take a look at the weather and make sure it's really a good day to try that, and so at that point we'll be making a decision"

"The countdown so far is going extremely well," reported Leinbach. "We're not tracking anything at all that would prevent an on-time liftoff Friday morning."

"We have a tropical wave that's out in the Caribbean," explained Winters. "That wave is actually going to come into Florida along with a lot of tropical moisture that's down to the south, and it's all going to roll into Florida in the next couple of days." Based on these conditions, Winters predicted an 80 percent chance of weather preventing tanking operations, with a 70 percent chance of it standing in the way of launch at 11:26 a.m. on Friday.

The Atlantis astronauts awoke at 4:30 a.m. to continue their preparations for launch.]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:10:13 GMT
Winters will discuss her updated forecast during today's prelaunch news conference, which begins at 11:30 a.m. live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv. Other participants will be Mike Moses, Mission Management Team chair and space shuttle launch integration manager and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director.

The Atlantis astronauts awoke at 4:30 a.m. to continue their preparations for launch.

The countdown for this final space shuttle launch began yesterday at 1 p.m. This morning at the T-27 hour mark, the countdown entered a planned hold at 5 a.m. and resumed at 9 a.m.]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:44:31 GMT
Winters will discuss her updated forecast during today's prelaunch news conference, which begins at 11:30 a.m. live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv. Other participants will be Mike Moses, Mission Management Team chair and space shuttle launch integration manager and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director.

The countdown for this final space shuttle launch began yesterday at 1 p.m., and this morning at the T-27 hour mark entered a planned hold at 5 a.m.

The Atlantis astronauts awoke at 4:30 a.m. to continue their preparations for launch.]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:52:12 GMT
At the 10 a.m. precountdown status briefing yesterday, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber reported space shuttle Atlantis is ready for flight, and STS-135 payload manager Joe Delai said the payloads are ready to go as well. The only issue standing in the way of liftoff is the chance of showers and thunderstorms developing along the sea-breeze front reported by Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

Today's prelaunch news conference will begin at 11:30 a.m. EDT live on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov/ntv. Participants will be Mike Moses, Mission Management Team chair and space shuttle launch integration manager, Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.]]> Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:07:52 GMT
At the 10 a.m. precountdown status briefing this morning, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber reported space shuttle Atlantis is ready for flight, and STS-135 payload manager Joe Delai said the payloads are ready to go as well. The only issue standing in the way of liftoff on Friday is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms developing along the sea-breeze front reported Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

After flying to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday, the STS-135 astronauts today are reviewing their flight data file and conducting checks of their launch and entry suits.

At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis' aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.

Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad.]]> Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:24:15 GMT
At the 10 a.m. precountdown status briefing this morning, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber reported space shuttle Atlantis is ready for flight, and STS-135 payload manager Joe Delai said the payloads are ready to go as well. The only issue standing in the way of liftoff on Friday is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms developing along the sea-breeze front reported Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer.

After flying to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday, the STS-135 astronauts today are reviewing their flight data file and conducting checks of their launch and entry suits.

At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis' aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.

Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad.]]> Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:31:38 GMT
The countdown for the final space shuttle launch begins today at 1 p.m. EDT. The STS-135 astronauts flew to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida yesterday. Today the crew members will review their flight data file and conduct checks of their launch and entry suits.

At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis' aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.

Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad.]]> Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:10:17 GMT
At Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians have completed space shuttle Atlantis' aft confidence checks and final preparations of the main propulsion system.

Despite storms in the area over the extended weekend, there were no reports of adverse weather or lightning strikes inside the launch pad.

At 10 a.m. EDT this morning, NASA TV will carry the Precountdown Status Briefing live. Briefing participants will be Jeremy Graeber, NASA test director, Joe Delai, STS-135 payload manager, and Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer. The briefing can be seen online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:30:44 GMT
"I think I speak for the whole crew in that we are delighted to be here after a very arduous nine month training flow and we're thrilled to finally be here in Florida for launch week," said Ferguson.

Launch of space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for Friday, July 8, at 11:26 a.m.]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:58:56 GMT Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:53:00 GMT Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:15:40 GMT At NASA's Johnson Space Center, the STS-135 astronauts will perform a final ascent simulation today before next week's launch. The crew is set to arrive at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Monday, July 4th. The arrival will be shown live on NASA TV and at www.nasa.gov/ntv]]> Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:37:34 GMT
The STS-135 crew will participate in preflight interviews from NASA's Johnson Space Center today. Briefings about this final mission of the Space Shuttle Program will air live on NASA TV throughout the day and also can be seen online at www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:57:48 GMT
This follows yesterday's day-long Flight Readiness Review at which senior NASA and contractor managers confirmed that Atlantis is ready for this last shuttle flight to supply the International Space Station.

"This flight is incredibly important. The cargo that is coming up on this flight is really mandatory for space station," said Bill Gerstenmaier, assistant administrator for space operations, following yesterday's review.

In preparation for this final mission of the Space Shuttle Program, the STS-135 astronauts will undergo their L-10 physicals today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:48:11 GMT
"We had a very thorough review," said Bill Gerstenmaier, assistant administrator for space operations. "This flight is incredibly important. The cargo that is coming up on this flight is really mandatory for space station."

"We're really looking forward to achieving this mission, putting station where it needs to be and finishing strong with the shuttle program here with STS-135," added Mike Moses, Space Shuttle Program launch integration manager.

"Atlantis is in great shape out at the pad," said Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director. "Team Atlantis is feeling good about the flow and the launch countdown and hope we'll be able to get her off the ground on Friday the 8th as scheduled."

The STS-135 mission to the International Space Station is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:30:33 GMT
NASA Television will air a news conference at 3:30 p.m. to discuss the meeting and preparations for Atlantis' mission to the International Space Station. Participants will include Bill Gerstenmaier, assistant administrator for space operations, Mike Moses, Space Shuttle Program launch integration manager and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director.

Watch the news conference at www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:02:44 GMT
A few miles away, technicians at Launch Pad 39A will perform functional tests on the spacewalking suits the STS-135 crew will take on this final mission to the International Space Station. Also at the pad, the week-long process of closing Atlantis' aft section continues.]]> Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:32:53 GMT
Over the weekend, teams at the pad completed a full retest of the No. 3 engine's main fuel valve. They replaced the valve last week due to a suspected leak detected during a tanking test on June 15. In addition, engineers found no issues with the 21-foot long support beams on space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank following X-ray scans of the stringers that were completed last week.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston today, the STS-135 astronauts are set to practice an entry simulation as they continue to train for the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program.]]> Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:52:09 GMT
The STS-135 astronauts are back at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston following the completion of their countdown dress rehearsal and training activities at Kennedy this week. Today they'll conduct a final review of the flight data file in preparation for their mission to the International Space Station.

The targeted launch date for this final mission of the Space Shuttle Program is July 8.]]> Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:48:54 GMT
The crew members are wrapping up their on-site training at Kennedy before departing from the Shuttle Landing Facility later today for the flight back to their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. At Johnson, they'll continue their training for the final space shuttle flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. The crew plans to return to Kennedy on July 4 in preparation for the targeted liftoff on July 8.

Work at the launch pad continues as technicians are scanning the bottom portions of the stringers on Atlantis' external fuel tank, and no issues have been found. A mass spectrometer external leak check of the shuttle's engine No. 3's main fuel valve was completed, and technicians now are installing insulation. A full retest of the valve is set for this weekend.]]> Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:55:38 GMT
The crew members will wrap up their on-site training today at Kennedy before departing from the Shuttle Landing Facility for the flight back to their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. At Johnson, they'll continue their training for the final space shuttle flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. The crew plans to return to Kennedy on July 4 in preparation for the targeted liftoff on July 8.

Work at the launch pad continues as technicians are scanning the bottom portions of the stringers on Atlantis' external fuel tank, and no issues have been found. A mass spectrometer external leak check of the shuttle's engine No. 3's main fuel valve was completed, and technicians now are installing insulation. A full retest of the valve is set for this weekend.]]> Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:12:16 GMT
The crew members will wrap up their on-site training today at Kennedy before departing from the Shuttle Landing Facility for the flight back to their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. At Johnson, they'll continue their training for the final space shuttle flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. The targeted launch date of July 8 will have the crew returning to Kennedy on July 4.

Work at the launch pad continues as technicians are scanning the bottom portions of the stringers on Atlantis' external fuel tank, and no issues have been found. A mass spectrometer external leak check of the shuttle's engine No. 3's main fuel valve was completed, and technicians now are installing insulation. A full retest of the valve is set for this weekend.]]> Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:57:46 GMT
The crew members will wrap up their on-site training today at Kennedy before departing from the Shuttle Landing Facility for the flight back to their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. At Johnson, they'll continue their training for the final space shuttle flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. The targeted launch date of July 8 will have the crew returning to Kennedy on July 4.

Work at the launch pad continues as technicians are scanning the bottom portions of the stringers on Atlantis' external fuel tank, and no issues have been found. A mass spectrometer external leak check of the shuttle's engine No. 3's main fuel valve was completed, and technicians now are installing insulation. A full retest of the valve is set for this weekend.]]> Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:37:40 GMT
Before beginning their training this morning, the crew members -- Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim -- answered questions from the news media during a live NASA TV broadcast from the launch pad.

Reflecting on the significance of this final space shuttle mission, Commander Ferguson said, "I don't think that the full magnitude of the moment will really hit us until the wheels have stopped on the runway. I'm not sure words will really be able to capture for the crew and for the entire shuttle workforce just how much the shuttle program has meant to us for the last 30 years."

Yesterday the Space Shuttle Program held its program-level Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team recommended a "go" to proceed to the agency-level review next Tuesday, with a targeted July 8 launch date for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

Technicians at the pad have completed their high-tech X-ray scans of the tops Atlantis' external fuel tank stringer support beams. They'll now scan the bottoms of those 21-foot long beams. Other technicians replaced the main fuel valve in space shuttle main engine No. 3 yesterday. Retesting of the valve is up next.]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:59:49 GMT
Before beginning their training this morning, the crew members -- Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim -- answered questions from the news media during a live NASA TV broadcast from the launch pad.

Reflecting on the significance of this final space shuttle mission, Commander Ferguson said, "I don't think that the full magnitude of the moment will really hit us until the wheels have stopped on the runway. I'm not sure words will really be able to capture for the crew and for the entire shuttle workforce just how much the shuttle program has meant to us for the last 30 years."

Yesterday the Space Shuttle Program held its program-level Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team recommended a "go" to proceed to the agency-level review next Tuesday, with a targeted July 8 launch date for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

Technicians at the pad have completed their high-tech X-ray scans of the tops Atlantis' external fuel tank stringer support beams. They'll now scan the bottoms of those 21-foot long beams. Other technicians replaced the main fuel valve in space shuttle main engine No. 3 yesterday. Retesting of the valve is up next.]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:16:36 GMT
Afterward, the astronauts will spend time training at the pad as they practice emergency escape procedures and inspect the payloads inside Atlantis' cargo bay. In addition, they'll receive operations and payload briefings inside Kennedy's Launch Control Center.

Yesterday the Space Shuttle Program held its program-level Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team recommended a "go" to proceed to the agency-level review next Tuesday, with a targeted July 8 launch date for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

Technicians at the pad have completed their high-tech X-ray scans of the tops Atlantis' external fuel tank stringer support beams. They'll now scan the bottoms of those 21-foot long beams. Other technicians replaced the main fuel valve in space shuttle main engine No. 3 yesterday. Retesting of the valve is up next.]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:56:04 GMT
Afterward, the astronauts will spend time training at the pad as they practice emergency escape procedures and inspect the payloads inside Atlantis' cargo bay. In addition, they'll receive operations and payload briefings inside Kennedy's Launch Control Center.

Yesterday the Space Shuttle Program held its program-level Flight Readiness Review at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team recommended a "go" to proceed to the agency-level review next Tuesday, with a targeted July 8 launch date for the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.

Technicians at the pad have completed their high-tech X-ray scans of the tops Atlantis' external fuel tank stringer support beams. They'll now scan the bottoms of those 21-foot long beams. Other technicians replaced the main fuel valve in space shuttle main engine No. 3 yesterday. Retesting of the valve is up next.]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:55:45 GMT
Today's full day of activities include meetings in the Launch Control Center, fire suppression training, range safety and security briefings and emergency escape training in an M113 armored personnel carrier near Launch Pad 39A.‬

Technicians working at the launch pad today are expected to remove a suspected leaky main fuel valve in Atlantis' main engine No. 3.

On Monday, the final payload installation of the Space Shuttle Program was completed as technicians finished stowing the STS-135 payload bound for the International Space Station inside Atlantis' cargo bay. The payload includes the Rafaello multi-purpose logistics module carrying supplies and spare parts for the station.‬ Today technicians will work on payload mechanical and electrical attachments.

And on Atlantis' external fuel tank, other technicians are continuing high-tech X-ray scans of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank section that faces Atlantis. So far, no issues have been detected.]]> Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:42:31 GMT
"I speak on behalf of the crew, everyone in the astronaut office, and I'm sure everybody here at KSC in saying that we are just trying to savor the moment," said STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson upon arrival. "As our children and our children's children ask us, we want to be able to say, 'We remember when there was a space shuttle.'" As crewmates Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim looked on, Ferguson also thanked the gathered media representatives for taking the message of the space program to the public.

Their T-38 jets touched down at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility at about 5:30 p.m. EDT. The crew will participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The countdown full dress rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are performing high-tech X-ray scans of the tops and bottoms of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank. The scans should take about a week to complete and are expected to confirm there are no problems with the tank's stringers. Scans began Sunday due to strong storms on Saturday, which caused no damage to the shuttle and pad. Technicians are also replacing a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis' space shuttle main engine No. 3.

Atlantis is being prepared for the STS-135 mission, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, targeted for launch July 8.]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:53:42 GMT
The crew is coming to Kennedy for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The countdown full dress rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are performing high-tech X-ray scans of the tops and bottoms of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank. The scans should take about a week to complete and are expected to confirm there are no problems with the tank's stringers. Scans began Sunday due to strong storms on Saturday, which caused no damage to the shuttle and pad. Technicians are also replacing a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis' space shuttle main engine No. 3.

Atlantis is being prepared for the STS-135 mission, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, targeted for launch July 8.]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:34:16 GMT
The crew is coming to Kennedy for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The countdown full dress rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are performing high-tech X-ray scans of the tops and bottoms of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank. The scans should take about a week to complete and are expected to confirm there are no problems with the tank's stringers. Scans began Sunday due to strong storms on Saturday, which caused no damage to the shuttle and pad. Technicians are also replacing a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis' space shuttle main engine No. 3.

Atlantis is being prepared for the STS-135 mission, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, targeted for launch July 8.]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:21:26 GMT
The crew is coming to Kennedy for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test and related training. The countdown full dress rehearsal is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, at Kennedy's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are performing high-tech X-ray scans of the tops and bottoms of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank. The scans should take about a week to complete and are expected to confirm there are no problems with the tank's stringers. Scans began Sunday due to strong storms on Saturday, which caused no damage to the shuttle and pad. Technicians are also replacing a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis' space shuttle main engine No. 3.

Atlantis is being prepared for the STS-135 mission, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, targeted for launch July 8.]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:24:03 GMT
Technicians will begin to replace a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis' space shuttle main engine No. 3 today.

Late this afternoon, the mission's four veteran astronauts are scheduled to fly to Kennedy from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. They're set to arrive in T-38 jets at about 5:45 p.m. EDT to begin their prelaunch countdown dress rehearsal, called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, and related training. Their arrival at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility will be carried live on NASA TV and on the Web at www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:49:36 GMT A busy weekend is under way at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A in Florida.

With space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-135 mission payload now secured inside the pad’s rotating service structure, the RSS was closed Saturday morning, and Atlantis' payload bay doors are scheduled to be opened Saturday night. It's all part of the preparations to install the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module and other payloads bound for the International Space Station into the shuttle’s cargo bay on Monday.‬
‪

Also on Saturday, technicians begin high-tech X-ray scans of the tops and bottoms of 50 support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of Atlantis’ external tank. The scans are expected to take about a week to complete and confirm there are no issues with the tank stringers.

Technicians also begin preparations to replace a suspected leaky valve in Atlantis’ space shuttle main engine No. 3. ‪

And Atlantis’ four veteran astronauts are scheduled to fly in their T-38 aircraft from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to Kennedy on Monday. They’re set to arrive at about 5:45 p.m. EDT to being their prelaunch countdown dress rehearsal, called the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT),  and related training. Their arrival at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility will be carried live on NASA TV and on the web at www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:29:15 GMT
Also on Monday, the STS-135 astronauts will fly from their base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, traveling to Florida for their pre-launch countdown dress rehearsal and on-site training at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Their arrival at the Shuttle Landing Facility is set for 5:45 p.m. EDT and will be carried live on NASA TV and on the web at www.nasa.gov/ntv.]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:53:37 GMT
Atlantis' payload is the multi-purpose logistics module Raffaello, filled with a variety of spare parts and supplies for the International Space Station. The mission also will deliver the Robotic Refueling Mission system, which will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit.‬ ‪‬]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:38:25 GMT
On Saturday, technicians will follow up on yesterday's tanking test for Atlantis by taking high-tech X-ray scans of the external fuel tank's support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of the tank. Earlier this year, teams made the same stringer reinforcement modifications to Atlantis' tank as they had to Discovery's after small cracks in the support beams were discovered prior to the STS-133 mission. Managers ordered the work since Atlantis' tank is similar to the one used for STS-133. Yesterday's tanking test was conducted to help verify there are no issues with the reinforced tank.‬

‪During the tanking test, the main fuel valve for Atlantis' No. 3 space shuttle main engine recorded temperatures below normal levels, indicating a possible liquid hydrogen leak. Teams isolated the engine and continued to fuel Atlantis with no issues and temperatures returned to normal readings. Technicians can gain access to the engine area once it is cleared from tanking test operations, and engineers will evaluate any necessary work on the fuel valve. If the valve needs to be replaced, managers expect that the work could be done early next week at the pad and still support Atlantis' July 8 target launch date.‬ ‪]]> Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:31:48 GMT
This morning at the launch pad, teams are boiling off excess propellant from space shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank following yesterday's tanking test. The tank is expected to be completely empty by midday. On Saturday, technicians will begin taking high-tech X-ray scans of the tank's support beams, called stringers, on the shuttle-facing side of the tank. Earlier this year, teams made the same stringer reinforcement modifications to Atlantis' tank as they had to Discovery's after small cracks in the support beams were discovered prior to the STS-133 mission. Managers ordered the work since Atlantis' tank is similar to the one used for STS-133. Yesterday's tanking test was conducted to help verify there are no issues with the reinforced tank.‬

‪During the tanking test, the main fuel valve for Atlantis' No. 3 space shuttle main engine recorded temperatures below normal levels, indicating a possible liquid hydrogen leak. Teams isolated the engine and continued to fuel Atlantis with no issues and temperatures returned to normal readings. Technicians can gain access to the engine area once it is cleared from tanking test operations, and engineers will evaluate any necessary work on the fuel valve. If the valve needs to be replaced, managers expect that the work could be done early next week at the pad and still support Atlantis' July 8 target launch date.‬ ‪]]> Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:54:17 GMT Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:05:16 GMT
During the fueling process, the main fuel valve on one of Atlantis' three main engines recorded temperatures below normal levels. Teams isolated the engine and continued to fuel Atlantis with no issues. Temperatures returned to normal readings. Engineers will evaluate any necessary work on the engine fuel valve following the tanking test.]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:56:46 GMT
Next up, the Final Inspection Team will arrive at Launch Pad 39A for its top-to-bottom walkdown.

During the fueling process, the main fuel valve on Atlantis' main engine three recorded temperatures below normal levels. Teams isolated the engine and continued to fuel Atlantis with no issues. Temperatures returned to normal readings. Engineers will evaluate any necessary work on the engine fuel valve following the tanking test.]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:33:34 GMT
Last night, teams first changed today's scheduled 7 a.m. start after severe storms delayed preparations. Then overnight, a power substation that supports the launch pad went offline at about 3 a.m., causing a further delay in beginning the test.

Meanwhile, other engineers have been assessing three lightning strikes within a quarter mile of Launch Pad 39A during yesterday's storms, but preliminary data indicate no damage to either Atlantis or the pad. Engineers are reviewing data to confirm that assessment.]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:45:03 GMT
Last night, teams changed the start of today's test from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. after severe storms delayed preparations. But overnight, a power substation that supports the launch pad went offline at about 3 a.m., which caused a number of systems to lose electrical redundancy. Engineers have been working to fix the problem and in the meantime have developed a method to get the redundant power feed restored to critical systems. That extra work this morning caused the further delay in starting the tanking test.

Meanwhile, other engineers have been assessing three lightning strikes within a quarter mile of Launch Pad 39A during yesterday's storms, but preliminary data indicate no damage to either Atlantis or the pad. Engineers are reviewing data to confirm that assessment.]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:20:30 GMT
Filling of Atlantis' external fuel tank with more than 500,000 gallons of super cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen now is set to begin at about 11 a.m. EDT.

Initial reports indicated that the storms produced three lightning strikes within a quarter mile of Launch Pad 39A, but preliminary assessments show no damage to either Atlantis or the pad. Engineers are reviewing data to confirm that assessment.]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:28:47 GMT
Initial reports indicate three lightning strikes within 1/4 mile of the pad this afternoon, but preliminary assessments indicate no damage from the storm to the pad or shuttle. Engineers are reviewing data to confirm.]]> Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:34:05 GMT STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley will perform shuttle training aircraft, or STA, runs at the White Sands Space Harbor, N.M. today while Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim review transfer work for the upcoming joint docked mission at the International Space Station.]]> Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:04:51 GMT The STS-135 astronauts will have a spacewalk hardware review in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:45:43 GMT
At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-135 crew members will review flight data and practice spacewalking techniques in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.]]> Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:42:56 GMT
The four STS-135 astronauts are back at their home base, NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Their training agenda for today includes a review of procedures for the spacewalk scheduled on the fifth day of the mission.]]> Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:27:25 GMT
The four STS-135 crew members are set to fly back to their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston where they will resume training for the upcoming mission. The astronauts are expected to depart from Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility in T-38 jets this morning.]]> Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:46:12 GMT
The STS-135 crew members will fly to Kennedy today to look over part of the payload they will deliver to the International Space Station. While in Florida, Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley also will practice landings in Shuttle Training Aircraft.]]> Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:28:23 GMT