Mission Status Center

Read our full story that wraps up today's activities in space.

MISSION EXTENDED. Taking advantage of available consumables in the space shuttle's electricity-generating fuel cells, NASA today formally extended Atlantis' flight by an extra day. The bonus day will be inserted into the mission schedule and spent working at the International Space Station.

"I'm sure we'll fill it up in a very useful fashion for the station folks," commander Chris Ferguson replied to Mission Control.

Landing back at the Kennedy Space Center is rescheduled for July 21 at approximately 5:56 a.m. EDT (0956 GMT), which is a half-hour before sunrise. A backup landing opportunity would be possible an orbit later around 7:30 a.m. EDT, about an hour after sunrise.

Atlantis will have enough supplies to remain aloft two further days if weather or technical problems delay re-entry.

HATCH OPENING. The Raffaello module's hatch just swung open, allowing the astronauts to float inside the cargo-laden vessel at 12:10 p.m. EDT.

Work to ready the Raffaello module for ingress has gone smoothly today. Mission Control says the astronauts are running nearly two hours ahead of their timeline. Hatch opening is expected shortly.

We've posted some more Atlantis launch photos on our Facebook page!

It is going to take a few hours for the astronauts to outfit the small passageway between Harmony and Raffaello, plus conduct all the various leak and pressure checks. Opening of the cargo module's hatch will occur later today to begin the unloading chores.

The station's robot arm has released its grip on Raffaello and backed away.

The reusable hauler of supplies for the International Space Station was successfully hoisted from shuttle Atlantis' payload bay and connected to the outpost today.

Known by its nickname Raffaello, or more formally as the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, this cylindrical structure is packed with 9,403 pounds of cargo, including spare parts, science gear and 2,677 pounds food to stock the station's shelves.

"We're taking a year's worth of food," says mission specialist Sandy Magnus. "We're taking about 2,000 pounds of science equipment, we're taking hygiene items, we're taking clothing, we're taking thousands of pounds of spare parts for the different systems, life support system, the electrical system, the computer system and so forth. These are the big things that we're taking because we're trying to supply the station for a whole year, and that hedges our bets against when the commercial follow-on cargo contracts will be available up and running."

Once the space shuttles are retired after this final mission, NASA will rely upon the commercial firms SpaceX and Orbital Sciences to fly resupply missions with the new capsules and rockets being developed. Russian, European and Japanese unmanned cargo vehicles will continue flying to the station as well.

After Raffaello is emptied, about 5,660 pounds of no-longer-needed materials and items looking for a ride back to Earth will be stowed into the module before it is detached and returned to the shuttle payload bay next week.

Final capture is confirmed. Raffaello has parked at the International Space Station's doorway for unloading.

The first stage capture has occurred. The arm will be limped for the next stage of bolt turning.

The station arm will hold Raffaello while electrically-driven bolts tighten to firmly connect the cargo module to the space station.

With Raffaello seated into the docking port, four ready-to-latch indications have triggered. Initial capturing of the module in the berthing mechanism is beginning.

This is Raffaello's fourth trip to the International Space Station since 2001. Fellow module Leonardo made seven roundtrips and then took a oneway voyage earlier this year to become a permanent part of the complex.

The "go" was just give to push onward to the ready-to-latch position.

Unlike previous Multi-Purpose Logistics Module missions that delivered large compartments and devices to outfit the space station laboratories, this flight is bringing only bags and supply containers. Raffaello is carrying eight resupply stowage platforms, two intermediate stowage platforms, six resupply stowage racks and one zero stowage rack.

Atlantis astronauts Sandy Magnus and Doug Hurley are controlling the space station's robot arm from the workstation inside the Cupola. They've now begun maneuvering Raffaello toward its installation point.

Known by its nickname Raffaello, or more formally as the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, this cylindrical structure is packed with about one-third food, one-third science gear and one-third provisions for the station. The module is 21 feet long, 15 feet wide and weighed 25,500 pounds at launch.

The Canadian-built arm has hoisted the Italian module cleanly out of the shuttle's payload bay for today's mounting to the nadir port of the station's Harmony connecting node.

Raffaello is in motion! The module is slowly rising out of its moorings in the space shuttle payload bay, headed for attachment onto the International Space Station.

The payload retention latch assemblies (PRLAs) holding Raffaello in the space shuttle have been released, freeing the module to leave Atlantis a short time from now.

The remotely controlled power umbilical between the shuttle and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module has been disengaged. This electrically unplugs the module from Atlantis.

The robot arm has a firm grip on the cargo module.

The International Space Station's robotic arm is moving inward to grapple the Raffaello module for its unberthing from the space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay.

The latest version of the NASA Television schedule (Rev. D) can be downloaded here.

Mission Control just awakened the astronauts to start Flight Day 4 of the final space shuttle voyage.

The Raffaello cargo module packed full of supplies, spare parts and science equipment will be grappled by the space station's robot arm a little after 5 a.m. EDT, then removed from the shuttle's payload bay and installed on the space station. The crews plan to open the hatch and enter the module later in the day.


Read our earlier status center coverage.