Space Station Stage 6A
Welcome to Spaceflight Now's comprehensive coverage of the international space station, its full-time residents and plans for the next shuttle assembly mission, flight STS-100/ISS-6A. NASA refers to STS-100 and the Expedition Two crew's on-going work as "Stage 6A" in the space station assembly matrix. This page incorporates that approach. We will post data on upcoming shuttle assembly flights as each stage is completed. E-mail us your comments, suggestions and corrections!
Space tourist Tito checks in at the "Hotel Alpha"
The Soyuz TM-32 spacecraft carrying U.S. millionaire space tourist Dennis Tito and two cosmonaut crewmates successfully docked with the international space station at 3:58 a.m. EDT Monday as the two vehicles sailed 240 miles above central Asia. They boarded the outpost at about 5:28 a.m. EDT. FULL STORY VIDEO: TITO "LOVES SPACE" - subscribers only VIDEO: SOYUZ DOCKS - subscribers only VIDEO: VIEW FROM STATION - subscribers only VIDEO: SOYUZ APPROACH - subscribers only TITO MISSION THEATER
Endeavour departs station, Tito to arrive Monday
The space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the partially repaired international space station today, clearing the way for millionaire space tourist Dennis Tito to check in Monday for a $2.5 million-per-day visit. FULL STORY - posted 4:50 p.m. EDT EARLIER STORY - posted 7:10 a.m. EDT COMPUTER UPDATE - posted 08:30 a.m. EDT VIDEO: UNDOCKING - subscribers only DETAILED UNDOCKING TIMELINE MISSION THEATER - full video coverage
Endeavour set to depart space station Sunday
With ground teams "on the brink" of restoring the space station's main computers to relatively good health, the Endeavour astronauts were tentatively cleared to undock from the outpost Sunday, clearing the way for space tourist Dennis Tito and his two Soyuz crewmates to float aboard early Monday. FULL STORY - posted 10:00 p.m. EDT EARLIER STORY - posted 7:45 a.m. EDT MISSION THEATER - full video coverage
Tito's tourist trip blasts off
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft has launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome bound for the international space station carrying Dennis Tito, the world's first fare-paying space tourist. The rocket lifted off at 0737 GMT after NASA and Russian Space Agency managers reached a last-minute compromise late Friday that could leave Tito and crew in a parking orbit for an additional 24 hours if U.S. efforts to fully revive the station's still-crippled central computer system are not wrapped up in time to permit Endeavour's crew to undock Sunday.
FULL STORY
NASA, Russians hammer out Soyuz agreement
NASA and Russian Space Agency managers reached a last-minute compromise late Friday that will allow U.S. millionaire space tourist Dennis Tito to blast off for the international space station on schedule Saturday. But Tito's crew will cool its heels in a parking orbit for an additional 24 hours if U.S. efforts to fully revive the station's still-crippled central computer system are not wrapped up in time to permit Endeavour's crew to undock Sunday. FULL STORY - posted 8:50 p.m. EDT EARLIER STORY - posted 11:25 a.m. EDT
Station recovery continues
The international space station's one working command-and-control computer turned over control of the station's orientation to the shuttle Endeavour's computers early today as part of an ongoing procedure to revive Alpha's still-crippled computer system. FULL STORY - posted 6:45 a.m. EDT UPDATED ASTRONAUTS' FLIGHT PLAN MISSION THEATER - full video coverage
Station computer failures delay shuttle departure
Mission managers have decided to keep shuttle Endeavour docked to the international space station two extra days, as controllers struggle to regain use of the command computers in the Destiny lab. Earlier Thursday afternoon two more computers unexpectedly shut down. FULL STORY - posted 8:40 p.m. EDT MIGHTY MOUSE TO THE RESCUE - p.m. story SOME PROGRESS MADE - a.m. story COMPUTERS CRIPPLED - posted Wednesday MISSION THEATER - full video coverage
Tito's rocket rolls to Baikonur launch pad
The booster rocket that will carry the Soyuz TM-32 spacecraft and space tourist Dennis Tito into orbit on Saturday was rolled to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at sunrise this morning. FULL STORY VIDEO: ROLLOUT - subscribers only SOYUZ READIED - posted Wednesday
Tito follows tradition as he prepares for blastoff
Springtime in Baikonur and the tulips are in full bloom. A small group of reporters is heading to the Cosmonauts Hotel to watch three men hoist flags, a time-honored tradition to mark an impending departure from the planet. One man unfurls an American flag. He is Dennis Tito. FULL STORY TITO MISSION THEATER - exclusive video
Russia readies Tito's ride
Russian space officials gave a green light for the rollout of the booster rocket that will carry the Soyuz TM-32 spacecraft and space tourist Dennis Tito into orbit on Saturday. Read our report from Baikonur. FULL STORY
NASA loses bid to stop Tito's $20 million joyride
Faced with no options, the NASA-led panel that manages the International Space Station granted the Russians an exemption on Tuesday to fly tourist Dennis Tito to the orbital outpost. FULL STORY TITO ARRIVES IN BAIKONUR
Spacewalkers play electricians outside station
Two spacewalking electricians wired the international space station's new robot arm into the lab's power grid Tuesday, completing the $900 million crane system's initial installation after extensive troubleshooting to activate an initially dead backup circuit. FULL STORY
Station and shuttle robotic arms get workouts
The Canadarm2 took its first step Monday by detaching one hand from its launch container and grabbing the international space station's Destiny module. Endeavour's robot arm was also in use today, hoisting the Raffaello cargo module for docking to the station. MISSION STATUS CENTER VIDEO: HATCH OPENING (subscribers only)
Canada's robot arm installed on station
The Canadian-made space station robotic arm was attached to the orbiting outpost by spacewalking astronauts today and moved its joints for the first time in space. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates ASTRONAUTS' MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
LIFTOFF OF ENDEAVOUR!
The space shuttle Endeavour rocketed into orbit Thursday on a tricky, make-or-break flight to install a $900 million Canadian robot arm on the international space station, a high-tech space crane able to creep about the outpost like a mechanical inchworm.
Tito's crew tries out Soyuz
Two Russian cosmonauts and a tourist from the United States tried their seats inside the Soyuz TM-32 spacecraft on Tuesday in preparation for the April 28 launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome toward the international space station. FULL STORY
Mission Preview
Station to grow two-handed arm during shuttle visit
The shuttle Endeavour stands poised for blastoff Thursday on the most complex space station assembly flight yet attempted, a two-spacewalk mission to install a $900 million Canadian robot arm able to move around the station's exterior like a 58-foot-long mechanical inchworm. Read our multi-part mission preview! FULL STORY ASTRONAUTS' MASTER FLIGHT PLAN QUICK-LOOK MISSION FACTS
Earlier Stories
Expedition Two crew leaves station for short trip
For the Expedition Two astronauts Wednesday wasn't just another day aboard their orbiting outpost. The three-person crew left the station for a short time to move their escape capsule to a different docking port. MISSION STATUS CENTER VIDEO: SOYUZ REDOCKS (subscribers only)
Astronauts arrive in Florida as countdown begins
Astronauts representing four countries -- the most diverse for any one crew -- flew to Kennedy Space Center today in preparation for blastoff aboard space shuttle Endeavour on Thursday bound of the international space station. Meanwhile, a Russian cargo ship undocked from the station earlier today. MISSION STATUS CENTER STS-100 MISSION THEATER VIDEO: COUNTDOWN BRIEFING [subscribers] LAUNCH WEATHER FORECAST DETAILED LAUNCH EVENTS CHART
Antibiotic experiment heading for space station
The University of Colorado at Boulder-based BioServe Space Technologies Center is sending an intriguing biomedical experiment to the international space station April 19 to test the effects of long-term weightlessness on antibiotic production. FULL STORY
Space shuttle Endeavour set for launch April 19
NASA officials on Thursday decided to keep Endeavour on track for blastoff April 19 as originally planned after the Russians agreed to delay the launch of a new Soyuz space station escape capsule to give the space shuttle more liftoff opportunities.
FULL STORYEARLIER STORY
Alpha crew promises warm welcome for Tito
The space station's crew will welcome U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito aboard Alpha next month if the Russians proceed with plans to launch him - over NASA's objections - as part of mission to deliver a fresh Soyuz lifeboat. FULL STORY
Related Coverage
Station pioneers back on Earth after historic voyage
After a dramatic reversal of fortune, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and glided to a pre-dawn landing at the Kennedy Space Center on March 21, bringing the international space station's first full-time crew back to Earth after a 141-day space odyssey. FULL STORY [Posted: March 21] MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! DETAILED ENTRY TIMELINE
NASA continues protesting space joyride of Dennis Tito
NASA managers vow to continue efforts to convince their Russian counterparts not to launch U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito to the international space station next month, saying the would-be space tourist has not been properly trained and represents a clear safety threat to the multi-billion-dollar station and its crew. FULL STORY [Posted: March 20] NASA NEWS RELEASE
Russia stands firm on Tito, cosmonauts resume training
The Russian Aviation and Space Agency ordered the Russian Soyuz taxi crewmembers to resume training at the Johnson Space Center on Tuesday but remained adamant that Dennis Tito would fly with to the space station with or without NASA's consent. FULL STORY [Posted: March 20]
2001 began with flawless lab delivery
The shuttle Atlantis delivered the $1.4 billion U.S. Destiny laboratory module to the international space station in February during a highly successful mission. FULL COVERAGE
Station's power-generating solar wings spread
In December the astronauts of space shuttle Endeavour bolted a $600 million solar power tower to the international space station and unfurled the most powerful solar wings ever launched. FULL COVERAGE
Building a space outpost
The crew of space shuttle Discovery carried out a complex four-spacewalk construction mission in October to mount a truss structure with gyroscopes and communications gear to the international space station and add another docking port. FULL COVERAGE
Status Summary
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