Spaceflight Now





Station crew clears the path for space shuttle mission
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Posted: May 12, 2010


Bookmark and Share

The International Space Station residents moved their Soyuz capsule from one docking port to another Wednesday morning, freeing up the spot where space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts will install the new Rassvet module next Tuesday.

Commander Oleg Kotov and flight engineers T.J. Creamer and Soichi Noguchi boarded the Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft early in the day and donned their Sokol for the brief ride around the outpost.


Creamer, Kotov and Noguchi. Credit: NASA
 
Originally parked at the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module, the Soyuz's relocation was a critical pre-requisite for Atlantis' upcoming construction mission. The shuttle is bringing the Russian Mini Research Module 1, or Rassvet, that will be permanently attached to that Zarya port.

The new module has a dual role of accommodating a room for conducting science and serving as a docking compartment for future visiting vehicles. Now that the station has grown, Rassvet will give a lengthy extension away from other structures when spacecraft approach for docking.

With Kotov at the controls, Soyuz TMA-17 departed Zarya at 9:26 a.m. EDT while flying 220 miles over northern Africa. A camera on the capsule's nose afforded the crew the chance to inspect the docking port and ensured it's clear of obstructions or debris for Rassvet.

The capsule backed a safe distance away from the station's underside, completed a roll maneuver, then flew around to the backside of the complex to align with the rear port on the Zvezda module.

Russian flight controllers outside Moscow gave the cosmonaut approval to begin the final approach as orbital nighttime began. The spacecraft flew a tight corridor to successful latch ahold of the station again at 9:53 a.m. EDT over the Pacific southeast of Japan.

Leak and pressure checks will take a couple of orbits to complete before the hatchway can be opened around 12:40 p.m. EDT for the crew to float back inside the station.

The Soyuz TMA-17 capsule, which launched them to the outpost last December, will remain at the Zvezda port until Kotov, Creamer and Noguchi depart the station on June 1 for return to Earth.

The final planned flight of space shuttle Atlantis is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-132. Available in our store!
U.S. SHOPPERS | WORLDWIDE


Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: AN ASTRONAUT'S TRIBUTE TO SHUTTLE ATLANTIS PLAY

VIDEO: GET BRIEFED ON THE LAUNCH COUNTDOWN PLAY
VIDEO: HEAR FROM THE COMMANDER AT THE RUNWAY PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE IN FLORIDA FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH KEN HAM PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH TONY ANTONELLI PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH GARRETT REISMAN PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH MIKE GOOD PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH STEVE BOWEN PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH PIERS SELLERS PLAY

VIDEO: STS-132 MISSION PREVIEW MOVIE PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: FULL FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW NEWS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: RECAP OF THE FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: MANAGERS ASSESS ISSUES BEFORE FLIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: UPDATE ON PRE-LAUNCH PREPS AT PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: PROGRAM BRIEFING BY SHUTTLE AND STATION CHIEFS PLAY
VIDEO: THE STS-132 MISSION OVERVIEW PRESENTATIONS PLAY
VIDEO: PREVIEW BRIEFING ON MISSION'S SPACEWALKS PLAY
VIDEO: THE ASTRONAUTS' PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING PLAY

VIDEO: SHUTTLE EVACUATION PRACTICE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS BOARD ATLANTIS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH DAY REHEARSAL BEGINS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW BRIEFED ON EMERGENCY PROCEDURES PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TEST-DRIVING AN EMERGENCY ARMORED TANK PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW'S CHAT WITH REPORTERS AT PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER RUNWAY PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW ARRIVES FOR PRACTICE COUNTDOWN PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: GANTRY PLACED AROUND ATLANTIS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ATLANTIS REACHES PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CROWDS AND THE CREW CHEER ON ATLANTIS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: OVERNIGHT ROLLOUT TO THE PAD BEGINS PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: SHUTTLE HOISTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO TANK PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CRANE ROTATES THE ORBITER VERTICALLY PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ATLANTIS RISES OFF THE TRANSPORTER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ORBITER EMERGES FROM ITS HANGAR PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: BUTTONING UP RUDDER/SPEED BRAKE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: DOME SHIELDS AROUND MAIN ENGINES PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: EXTERNAL TANK ATTACHED TO BOOSTERS PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: PAYLOADS HEAD FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: RASSVET PLACED INTO THE TRANSPORTER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PALLET LOADED WITH MISSION'S CARGO PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: RUSSIAN RASSVET MODULE ON DISPLAY PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: RUSSIAN ENGINEERS DISCUSS THEIR RASSVET MODULE PLAY
VIDEO: RASSVET HATCH CLOSED FOR FLIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FILLING MODULE WITH NASA SUPPLIES PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS VISIT THEIR SPACECRAFT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW INSPECTS RASSVET MODULE PLAY | HI-DEF
SUBSCRIBE NOW



MISSION STATUS CENTER