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STS-117 liftsoff! - Article by Quick_Nick - Space Shuttle Atlantis has lifted off today at 7:38PM EDT as STS-117. The main objectives of STS-117 are to deploy a new solar array, retract another solar array, retract a radiator, transfer a new member to the International Space Station(ISS) and bring one crewmember of the ISS back to Earth. Atlantis has finally come off the launchpad after having to undergo repairs due to being hit by a hailstorm in February near its original planned launch date. The crew:  Rick "C.J." Sturckow: Commander Lee "Bru" Archambault: Pilot Patrick Forrester: Mission Specialist Steven "Swanny" Swanson: Mission Specialist John 'Danny' Olivas:Mission Specialist Jim "J.R." Reilly: Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson: Mission Specialist/Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Sunita "Suni" Williams: Mission Specialist ----ORIGINAL PLAN. THE MISSION TURNED OUT SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.---- ----STS-177 LASTED FIFTEEN DAYS DUE TO A TEAR IN THE THERMAL BLANKET ON THE OMS POD AND DUE TO WEATHER AT KSC---- On flight day 1, the day of the launch, the payload bay doors will be opened, the Ku-Band antenna will be deployed, and the shuttle's robotic arm will be powered up. On flight day 2, the shuttle arm, thermal heat shield, and various other tools will be inspected. On flight day 3, the shuttle will dock with the ISS and Sunita Williams will join the shuttle crew while Clayton Anderson will join Expedition 15 aboard the ISS. The shuttle's robotic arm will handoff the S3/S4 solar array truss to the ISS robotic arm. Reilly and Olivas will sleep in the Quest Airlock overnight to prepare for their spacewalk the next day. On flight day 4, the station arm will install the S3/S4 truss on the S1 truss. Reilly and Olivas will connect the S1/S3 power cables, release restraints, and install Solar Alpha Rotary Joint(SARJ) Drive Lock Assemblies. On flight day 5, the S4 will be deployed, the SARJ will undergo unlocking, and Forrester and Swanson will sleep in the Quest Airlock overnight for their spacewalk the next day.  On flight day 6, Forrester and Swanson will attempt to retract the P6 starboard solar array and release locks on the SARJ to prepare it for rotation. On flight day 7, there will be possible additional retraction of the P6 array. Inspection of Atlantis' thermal heat shield is possible if required. Reilly and Olivas will sleep in the Quest Airlock for a spacewalk the next day. On flight day 8, if still required, Reilly and Olivas will complet folding the P6 solar array. They will also finish removing the SARJ's retraints so it can be activated. The SARJ will rotate 360 degrees to track the sun. They are also planned to install an external hydrogen vent valve on the Destiny Labratory for the new Oxygen Generation System. On flight day 9, the crews will go to ISS or shuttle and the hatch between the shuttle and ISS will close. On flight day 10, the shuttle will undock from the space station and a late inspection of the shuttle's thermal heat shield will be performed. If supplies are sufficient and all other tasks from previous spacewalks are complete, they may perform "get-ahead tasks" to prepare for STS-118. On flight day 11, preperation for the deorbit will take place and the Ku-Band antenna will be stowed. On flight day 12, the payload bay door will be closed, the deorbit burn will occur, and Atlantis will come down at Kennedy Space Center. Sunita Williams will return to Earth after about six months on the space station. Clayton Anderson will stay onboard the ISS until STS-120, planned for late October, brings him back to Earth. Once the new solar array is installed, the ISS will have a total possible power of about 60 kilowatts, equal to the amount of power used by 40 typical US homes at any given time. Posted 09-June-2007 04:25:52 by Quick_Nick (read 7510 time) |
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