Following the 3 marathon spacewalks by Mission Specialists Mike Fossum and Piers Sellers and the rest of the crew of Discovery and ISS working hard transferring the cargo and supplies to and from Leonardo multi-purpose logistics, STS-121 and Expedition 13 astronauts have been given the day off.

What do astronauts do in space on their day off? Drink beer and eat pizza while playing Playstation??

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]

[color=#6200AA]Discovery astronauts Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum have completed their third and final space walk of mission STS-121.[/color]

[color=#6200AA]The spacewalkers tested repair techniques on pre-positioned heat shield materials in the payload bay. Among the tools they used were a space-certified caulk gun and a variety of spatulas to manipulate the test materials.[/color]

[color=#6200AA]Landing has been scheduled for Monday 17th July at 9.14 EDT (13.14 GMT).[/color]

[color=#6200AA]Tracy[/color]

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]

The STS-121 and Expedition 13 crew members are pressing ahead with today’s scheduled activities aboard Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station.

One of the main tasks on the schedule is the transfer of items to and from the shuttle, the International Space Station and the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module. Leonardo arrived inside Discovery’s payload bay with more than 7,400 pounds of equipment and supplies for the station. Leonardo will be returned Friday to the payload bay packed with more than 4,300 pounds of science experiment results, unneeded items and trash.

The crews are also preparing for the third and final spacewalk to be conducted during STS-121’s visit to the station. Mission Specialists Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum are slated to begin the excursion at 7:13 a.m. EDT Wednesday. The spacewalkers will demonstrate on-orbit shuttle heat shield repair techniques.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS, Expedition 13]

[color=#6200AA]Discovery astronauts Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum have completed their second space walk of mission STS-121. They are currently just returning on board through the airlocks.[/color]

[color=#6200AA]There is one more scheduled space walk to take place before Discovery undocks from ISS for its return to Earth next week.[/color]

[color=#6200AA]Tracy[/color]

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]

The Discovery space shuttle has been cleared for re-entry to Earth next week after Nasa officials gave its heat shield a clean bill of health.
Analysts at mission control in Houston had spent days looking at images for possible damage caused by Tuesday’s lift-off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

They later said that there were a few areas that they had to examine in more detail including a 5cm piece of ‘fabric’ sticking out between two tiles but have later concluded that this is no problem.

The shuttle is scheduled to return to the Kennedy Space Center on 17 July after one last check that it has not been hit by small meteorites.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]

Nasa have just released a series of videos showing the launch of the Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121. The videos show the launch from a number of never before seen angles.

There is some excellent footage take from the SRB camera and from the External Tank camera.

Nasa have been inspecting these videos virtually frame by frame to establish whether or not there is any heat shield damage.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]

Mission Specialists Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum successfully completed STS-121’s first spacewalk.

Their space walk involved testing the new shuttle robotic arm boom extension to be used as a platform for astronauts should it be necessary to conduct heat shield repairs. Sellers worked on the end of the 50-foot extension before being joined by Fossum to simulate various working conditions.

I watched them working on Nasa TV for a while earlier today. I have to say it looked quite scary. Every time either astronaut moved, no matter how little, the whole arm swayed and rocked, all the while the earth spun by below.

There will be another two space walks during STS-121.

Matt

Image credit: Nasa TV

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]

Mission Specialists Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum conduct the first spacewalk of the STS-121 mission.

Sellers and Fossum installed a device to block the cutter blade on the International Space Station’s mobile transporter. The device will prevent the blade from cutting a power and data cable that links the mobile transporter to the rest of the station. After the installation was complete, they reattached the cable. Their work will allow the mobile transporter to move the robotic arm along the station’s integrated truss structure, once a reel assembly that plays out the cable is replaced during a second spacewalk Monday.

Matt

Image credit: Nasa TV

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]

The Mission Management Team announced that Space Shuttle Discovery and the STS-121 crew will get another day in orbit.

From the outset the Mission Management Team had been hoping to add the extra space day but it depended on how much fuel, air and power they used up.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121, ISS]