Astronauts Piers Sellers and Garrett Reisman, operating the space station's robot arm, moved a cargo pallet loaded with old solar array batteries back to the shuttle Atlantis' cargo bay Saturday for return to Earth.

Credit: NASA TV

Working at the robotics work station inside the station's multi-window cupola, Sellers and Reisman began moving the integrated cargo carrier, or ICC, back to the shuttle just after 4:30 a.m., completing the operation at 5:50 a.m.

For launch, the ICC was loaded with a backup Ku-band dish antenna, an 8-foot antenna boom, an equipment storage platform and six new batteries to replace outdated power packs in the station's far left solar array.

The antenna, its support boom and the equipment platform were moved to the space station during a spacewalk Monday. The new batteries were installed during spacewalks Wednesday and Friday and the old batteries were bolted to the ICC for return to Earth.

"Today the crew completed all of their primary mission objectives with the return of the integrated cargo carrier and the six old batteries from the port six location of the International Space Station's power channel," said shuttle Flight Director Mike Sarafin.

"So we've got the integrated cargo carrier back in the payload bay, we've got three very successful spacewalks under our belt and the (Russian) Rassvet module has been installed on the International Space Station. So now the mission shifts to returning Atlantis home, hopefully mid next week."

After answering video questions from school kids at 7:40 a.m., the combined 12-member shuttle-station crew shared a joint meal before the Atlantis astronauts enjoyed two and a half hours of off-duty time starting at 11:05 a.m. Crew sleep on tap at 4:50 p.m.

Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station around 11:22 a.m. Sunday with landing back at the Kennedy Space Center expected around 8:48 a.m. Wednesday, weather permitting.

Sarafin said the 132nd shuttle mission had been conducted in near flawless fashion with only a few relatively minor glitches. He called attention to a complex set of robot arm procedures using a work station in the station's new multi-window cupola for the first time.

"All the robotics that we worried about leading into this mission were just handled in an exception manner," he said. "Coming into this mission, we talked about nine of the 12 days of this mission were populated with very heavily integrated and choreographed robotics activities.

"Today, the crew of Atlantis and the International Space Station took a few moments to compliment the folks who helped plan all the robotics on this mission as well as the folks who built and delivered the cupola and the robotics work station associated with it. And I'll just second their words that all of that was done in an outstanding manner.

"Canadarm 2 performed in a fantastic fashion," Sarafin said. "It was all over the exterior of the International Space Station this mission, it was reaching down into the payload bay to remove cargo as well as put it back, it moved from the center of the truss back to the Russian segment, over to the port side of the truss and then back to the center of the International Space Station. Again, it was just an outstanding piece of machinery."

Here is an updated timeline of today's activity (in EDT and mission elapsed time; includes revision H of the NASA television schedule):

EDT........DD...HH...MM...EVENT

05/22
01:20 AM...07...11...00...Crew wakeup
02:50 AM...07...12...30...ISS daily planning conference
03:35 AM...07...13...15...SSRMS berths ICC in payload bay
04:55 AM...07...14...35...EVA prep for transfer
05:05 AM...07...14...45...SSRMS maneuver
06:25 AM...07...16...05...EVA transfer to shuttle
07:40 AM...07...17...20...PAO event
08:00 AM...07...17...40...Joint crew meal
09:00 AM...07...18...40...Middeck transfers
10:30 AM...07...20...10...Mission status briefing on NTV
11:05 AM...07...20...45...Shuttle crew off duty
02:00 PM...07...23...40...ISS daily planning conference
04:20 PM...08...02...00...ISS crew sleep begins
04:50 PM...08...02...30...STS crew sleep begins
05:00 PM...08...02...40...Daily video highlights reel
08:00 PM...08...05...40...HD crew highlights

U.S. SHOPPERS | WORLDWIDE

Additional coverage for subscribers:
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 9: UPDATE ON NEW RASSVET MODULE PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 9: CELEBRATION OF ISAAC NEWTON PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 9: GOODIES AND FOOD TREATS PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 9 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CARGO PALLET RETURNED TO ATLANTIS PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S HOME MOVIES FOR FLIGHT DAY 9 PLAY
VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: SATURDAY MORNING'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 8: GETTING READY TO GO OUTSIDE PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 8: ASTRONAUTS WALKING IN SPACE PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 8: PIERS WORKS IN THE CUPOLA PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 8: PEEK INSIDE RASSVET MODULE PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 8 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S HOME MOVIES FOR FLIGHT DAY 8 PLAY
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: LAST OF THE OLD BATTERIES STOWED AWAY PLAY
VIDEO: FINAL BATTERY INSTALLED IN THE SIX-PACK PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS INSTALL BATTERY ECHO PLAY
VIDEO: BATTERY REPLACEMENT WORK RESUMES PLAY
VIDEO: WATCH THE ASTRONAUTS BEGIN THE SPACEWALK PLAY
VIDEO: STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH OF EVA NO. 3 PLAY
VIDEO: FRIDAY MORNING'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 7: STATION'S NEWEST MODULE PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 7: GETTING READY TO WALK IN SPACE PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 7: ATLANTIS' COMMANDER AND PILOT PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 7: CHATTING WITH STATION RESIDENT PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 7 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S HOME MOVIES FOR FLIGHT DAY 7 PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: ASSOCIATED PRESS, FOX AND CBS INTERVIEWS PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY MORNING'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 6: DINNER TIME IS FUN TMIE IN SPACE PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 6: THE VICTORIOUS SPACEWALKERS PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 6: MIKE AND STEVE RETURN FROM EVA PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 6 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S HOME MOVIES FOR FLIGHT DAY 6 PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: REMOVING GIMBAL LOCKS ON ANTENNA DISH PLAY
VIDEO: ADDING TO TORQUE TO NEW KU-BAND ATENNA PLAY
VIDEO: THE DAY'S FINAL NEW BATTERY INSTALLED PLAY
VIDEO: THIRD OLD BATTERY PULLED OUT AND STOWED PLAY
VIDEO: SECOND FRESH BATTERY PUT INTO STATION PLAY
VIDEO: FIRST OF THE NEW BATTERIES INSTALLED PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS REMOVE FIRST OLD BATTERY PLAY
VIDEO: CABLE ON INSPECTION SENSOR UNTANGLED PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY MORNING'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO: STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH OF EVA NO. 2 PLAY
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF FLIGHT DAY 6 ACTIVITIES PLAY

HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 5: FLIGHT DECK OF ATLANTIS PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 5: GIVING WATER TO STATION PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 5: INSIDE DESTINY LABORATORY PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 5: ROBOTICS WORKSTATION IN CUPOLA PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 5: LOOKING OUT WINDOW AT EARTH PLAY
HIGH DEFINITION TV DAY 5: DAILY SHUTTLE CHORES PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S HOME MOVIES FOR FLIGHT DAY 5 PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: MSNBC AND CNN INTERVIEWS OF CREW PLAY
VIDEO: CONGRATULATIONS FROM ALL AROUND PLAY
VIDEO: RASSVET CAPTURED AND SECURED TO ZARYA MODULE! PLAY
VIDEO: TWEAKING FINAL ALIGNMENT OVER DOCKING PORT PLAY
VIDEO: DOCKING PROBE EXTENDED FROM RASSVET NOSE PLAY
VIDEO: SWINGING RASSVET FROM ATLANTIS TO STATION PLAY
VIDEO: RASSVET UNBERTHED FROM SHUTTLE BAY PLAY
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF FLIGHT DAY 5 ACTIVITIES PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY MORNING'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATED OVERVIEW OF RUSSIA'S RASSVET MODULE PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATED OVERVIEW OF MISSION'S CARGO CARRIER PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: AN ADDITION TO DEXTRE ROBOT PLAY
VIDEO: TORQUING ANTENNA ASSEMBLY INTO PLACE PLAY
VIDEO: FETCHING 6-FOOT-DIAMETER ANTENNA DISH PLAY
VIDEO: BOLTING BOOM ATOP STATION'S Z1 TRUSS PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS HANDOFF ANTENNA BOOM PLAY
VIDEO: UNPACKING ANTENNA BOOM FROM CARRIER PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALK NO. 1 BEGINS PLAY
VIDEO: STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH OF EVA NO. 1 PLAY
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF FLIGHT DAY 4 ACTIVITIES PLAY
VIDEO: MONDAY MORNING'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM CHAIRMAN UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO: CARRIER ATTACHED TO STATION'S RAILCAR PLAY
VIDEO: CARGO PALLET LIFTED FROM SHUTTLE BAY PLAY
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: WELCOMING CEREMONY FOR SHUTTLE CREW PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS DOCKS TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ATLANTIS PERFORMS BACKFLIP MANEUVER PLAY
VIDEO: BEAUTIFUL VIEWS OF SHUTTLE ATLANTIS APPROACHING PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATED PREVIEW OF FLIGHT DAY 3 ACTIVITIES PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S HOME MOVIES FOR FLIGHT DAY 2 PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM CHAIRMAN UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY

VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: THE FULL STS-132 LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE ATLANTIS BLASTS OFF! PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: GO INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY

VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: VAB ROOF PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PATRICK AFB PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: BEACH TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD CAMERA 070 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD CAMERA 071 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PLAYALINDA BEACH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD FRONT CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: CREW ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS LEAVE CREW QUARTERS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: CREW FINISHES GETTING SUITED UP PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS WEARING TUXEDOS LAUNCH DAY PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF SHUTTLE'S PREPARATIONS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF PAYLOADS' PREPARATIONS PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: ATLANTIS ON EVE OF FINAL PLANNED LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD'S SERVICE TOWER RETRACTED PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PAYLOAD BAY DOORS CLOSED FOR LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS INSPECT THE PAYLOAD BAY PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: JERRY ROSS' LAUNCH ON MISSION STS-61B PLAY
VIDEO: MAIDEN LAUNCH OF ATLANTIS AS SEEN LIVE IN 1985 PLAY
VIDEO: ATLANTIS' FIRST MISSION ENDS WITH LAKEBED LANDING PLAY
VIDEO: AN ASTRONAUT'S TRIBUTE TO SHUTTLE ATLANTIS PLAY

VIDEO: COUNTDOWN STATUS AND WEATHER FORECAST PLAY
VIDEO: WATCH NASA'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE 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