Space Station Stage UF2
Welcome to Spaceflight Now's comprehensive coverage of the international space station, its full-time residents and the next shuttle assembly mission -- flight STS-111/ISS-UF2 of Endeavour that will exchange the Expedition crews living aboard the outpost. NASA refers to STS-111 and the Expedtion Four and Five rotation as "Stage UF2" 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!
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Shuttle Endeavour returns station crew to Earth
Diverted to California after back-to-back landing delays Monday and Tuesday, the shuttle Endeavour's crew glided to a picture-perfect Mojave Desert touchdown Wednesday, bringing a trio of weary space station fliers home after a U.S. record 196 days in space.
 FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
ENTRY AND LANDING TIMELINE
UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR'S LANDING AS SEEN ON NASA TV QT
VIDEO: POWERFUL TRACKING CAMERA VIEW OF LANDING QT or RV
VIDEO: PRIMARY RUNWAY CAMERA ANGLE QT or RV
VIDEO: VIEW FROM OTHER SIDE OF THE RUNWAY QT or RV
VIDEO: POST-LANDING COMMENTS FROM COCKRELL QT or RV
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Shuttle Endeavour to stay in space until Wednesday
For the second straight day, bad weather in Florida prevented space shuttle Endeavour from returning to Earth on Tuesday. So the astronauts got another bonus day aloft, extending the Endeavour's mission to 14 days in duration and the Expedition 4 station crew's U.S. endurance record to 196 days. NASA will try again Wednesday.
FULL STORY
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Weather could delay Monday's shuttle landing
Forecasters are predicting rain and possible thunderstorms for Endeavour's Florida landing opportunities Monday. NASA managers want to get the shuttle back on the ground in Florida if at all possible to have any chance at all of holding an October launch date for Endeavour's next space station assembly mission.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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Endeavour heads for home; NASA pleased with success
The shuttle Endeavour undocked from the international space station Saturday as the two spacecraft sailed 240 miles above central Asia just west of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan.
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MISSION STATUS CENTER
UNDOCKING TIMELINE
UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
NASA TV SCHEDULE
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VIDEO: HATCHWAY CLOSED BETWEEN SPACECRAFT QT or RV
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR UNDOCKS FROM STATION QT or RV
VIDEO: VIEWS OF STATION DURING FLYAROUND QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF ENDEAVOUR'S UNDOCKING QT or RV
VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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Leonardo stowed in shuttle
The shuttle astronauts used Endeavour's robot arm to detach the Leonardo cargo module from the international space station's Unity module Friday, maneuvering it back into the cargo bay for return to Earth.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO: CARGO MODULE RETURNED TO ENDEAVOUR QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF CARGO MODULE BEING REMOVED QT or RV
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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Engineers troubleshoot robot arm software glitch
The Canadian Space Agency and its major robotics contractor are troubleshooting a software glitch that is preventing the international space station's $600 million robot arm from powering up normally when drawing electricity from a new attachment platform.
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Endeavour's spacewalkers discuss life in orbit
For Franklin Chang-Diaz, blasting off aboard the shuttle Endeavour for a record-tying seventh space flight was all in a day's work. Taking his first spacewalk was another matter entirely. Asked if the experience was worth the wait, the Costa Rica-born astronaut said "Oh, absolutely, every minute of it."
FULL STORY
SPACEWALK STATS PAGE
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Spacewalkers complete repair work on station arm
Two spacewalking surgeons operated on the international space station's $600 million robot arm Thursday, bolting on a replacement joint to fix what amounts to a broken wrist. Endeavour astronauts Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin completed a seven-hour, 17-minute spacewalk.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
NASA TV SCHEDULE
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VIDEO: THE ARM'S HAND REMOVED BY SPACEWALKERS QT or RV
VIDEO: NEW JOINT RELEASED FROM LAUNCH CARRIER QT or RV
VIDEO: REPLACEMENT WRIST JOINT BOLTED TO ARM QT or RV
VIDEO: OLD JOINT SECURED FOR RETURN TO EARTH QT or RV
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS RETURN TO AIRLOCK QT or RV
VIDEO: THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF ROBOTIC ARM REPAIR JOB QT or RV
VIDEO: CREW IN-FLIGHT NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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Long-duration astronauts need people skills
To understand what's it's like to make a long-duration voyage aboard the international space station, imagine taking a really long trip in a car. And then imagine never getting a chance to stop or step outside, even if your traveling companion is driving you up the wall.
FULL STORY
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Mobile base for robotic arm wired up by spacewalkers
Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin made their second spacewalk Tuesday, stepping outside the International Space Station for a five-hour excursion to bolt in place and wire up the new mobile base for outpost's Canadian robotic arm.
FULL STORY
SPACEWALK STATS PAGE
MISSION STATUS CENTER
UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
NASA TV SCHEDULE
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Command of space station handed to new crew
Expedition 4 commander Yuri Onufrienko turned over the international space station to Expedition 5 commander Valeri Korzun and his two crewmates Monday in a formal change-of-command ceremony marking the arrival of the station's fifth full-time crew.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
NASA TV SCHEDULE
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VIDEO: WATCH THE CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY QT or RV
VIDEO: MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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Spacewalkers mount equipment to station hull
A pair of first-time spacewalkers -- shuttle astronauts Franklin Chang-Diaz and Philippe Perrin -- took a Sunday stroll in space to move equipment from shuttle Endeavour's payload bay to the exterior of the International Space Station and ready the Canadian Mobile Base System for attachment to the complex.
FULL STORY
SPACEWALK STATS PAGE
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VIDEO: VIEWS FROM PERRIN'S HELMETCAM DURING EVA QT or RV
VIDEO: CHANG-DIAZ RIDES ARM AT SUNRISE QT or RV
VIDEO: HELMETCAM OF GRAPPLE FIXTURE UNBOLTING QT or RV
VIDEO: SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF CHANG-DIAZ & PDGF QT or RV
VIDEO: MOBILE BASE SYSTEM LIFTED FROM SHUTTLE QT or RV
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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One of station's stabilizing gyros suffers failure
NASA engineers do not know what caused a bearing assembly in one of the space station's control moment gyros to fail Saturday morning or even whether the assembly stayed intact as the massive gyro wheel, spinning at some 6,600 rpm, quickly screeched to a halt.
FULL STORY - updated
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VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: PROFILE OF EXPEDITION 5 CREW QT or RV
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Italian cargo module attached to station
Shuttle commander Kenneth Cockrell, operating Endeavour's 50-foot-long robot arm, pulled a $150 million cargo module from the orbiter's payload bay Saturday morning and successfully attached it to a downward-facing port on the international space station's Unity module.
FULL STORY
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Endeavour arrives at the International Space Station
The shuttle Endeavour gently docked with the International Space Station Friday as the two spacecraft sailed along a southeasterly trajectory over the Pacific Ocean approaching New Zealand. Meanwhile, engineers this evening were assessing an apparent problem with the shuttle Endeavour's flash evaporator cooling system.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates!
UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
NASA TV SCHEDULE
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VIDEO: INCREDIBLE VIEWS OF APPROACHING SHUTTLE QT or RV
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR DOCKS TO THE SPACE STATION QT or RV
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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Station turns into 'hotbed' for materials research
Scientists will soon turn the International Space Station into a materials research laboratory to study "bad bubbles" that cause defects in metal alloys used to produce engine turbine blades and semiconductor crystals that are crucial components in electronic devices.
FULL STORY
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Orbital rendezvous set between shuttle and station
Space shuttle Endeavour is on course to dock with the International Space Station at 12:17 p.m. EDT Friday, kicking off a busy eight-day stay to exchange resident crews, perform three spacewalks and deliver supplies and equipment.
DOCKING PREVIEW STORY
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VIDEO: ANIMATION OF SHUTTLE DOCKING TO STATION QT or RV
VIDEO: NARRATED OVERVIEW OF ENDEAVOUR'S FLIGHT QT or RV
VIDEO: PROFILE OF FOUR-MAN ORBITER CREW QT or RV
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Shuttle Endeavour launches
The shuttle Endeavour rocketed into orbit Wednesday afternoon, hot on the trail of the international space station for a critical crew exchange and three spacewalks next week to upgrade the lab's robot arm and to fix what amounts to a broken wrist.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
PREVIEW OF ENDEAVOUR'S MISSION
UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
NASA TV SCHEDULE
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VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR THE PAD QT or RV
VIDEO: SHORT CLIP OF ENDEAVOUR'S LIFTOFF QT or RV
VIDEO: ENDEAVOUR'S LAUNCH AS SEEN LIVEQT or RV
VIDEO: SEE ENDEAVOUR'S "TWANG" BEFORE LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: CLOSE-UP OF MAIN ENGINE IGNITION QT or RV
VIDEO: ALTERNATE ANGLE OF ENGINE START QT or RV
VIDEO: VIEW FROM ATOP THE VAB ROOF QT or RV
VIDEO: WATER TOWER VIEW OF LIFTOFF QT or RV
VIDEO: VIEW FROM ANGLE IN FRONT OF PAD QT or RV
VIDEO: LOOKING UP AT 17-INCH DISCONNECT QT or RV
VIDEO: DRAMATIC PLAYALINDA TRACKER VIEW QT or RV
VIDEO: BEACH TRACKER VIEW THROUGH SRB SEP QT or RV
VIDEO: THE PAYLOAD BAY DOORS ARE OPENED QT or RV
VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV
MORE: STS-111 VIDEO INDEX
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Endeavour engine repaired, launch set for Wednesday
Engineers have completed the replacement of a nitrogen regulator in the shuttle Endeavour's left-side rocket pod and topped off the ship's on-board supplies of liquid oxygen and hydrogen, clearing the way for another launch attempt Wednesday afternoon. The weather remains a major question mark, however.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO: TUESDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
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Joint statement from ISS Heads of Agency meeting
The leaders of the space agencies taking part in the International Space Station met Monday at ESA's Headquarters in Paris to discuss the status of the program.
FULL STORY
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Valve work forces another delay of Endeavour's launch
NASA managers have delayed the shuttle Endeavour's launch yet another day, from Tuesday to Wednesday, because of time need to bring in equipment to test a replacement nitrogen valve in the ship's left-side orbital maneuvering system rocket pod.
FULL STORY
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Launch delayed by shuttle maneuvering engine repairs
Shuttle managers have ordered a gaseous nitrogen valve on Endeavour's left Orbital Maneuvering System engine be replaced after it showed signs of problems during Thursday's countdown and again after the launch was scrubbed by weather. The replacement work will delay the shuttle's launch until at least Tuesday.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates!
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Launch delayed to Monday
With a dismal weekend weather forecast - 80 percent "no go" Saturday and Sunday - shuttle managers decided Friday to delay another attempt to launch the space shuttle Endeavour until Monday. But forecasters say conditions will remain marginal through late next week.
FULL STORY
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Bad weather delays shuttle launch until Friday
Stormy weather scrubbed Thursday's planned launch of the space shuttle Endeavour on a mission to exchange space station crews. Liftoff has been rescheduled for Friday at 7:22 p.m. EDT (2322 GMT), weather permitting.
FULL STORY
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: STS-111 PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT KSC FOR LAUNCH QT or RV
MORE: COMPLETE STS-111 VIDEO INDEX
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Endeavour to shuttle new crew, supplies to station
The primary goal of Endeavour's mission, scheduled for launch Thursday, is to ferry a fresh three-person crew to the international outpost - the fifth set of full-time residents since permanent occupation began in November 2000 - and to deliver science equipment, fresh food, water and other supplies. Plus, two spacewalking surgeons will operate on the station's $600 million robot arm, bolting on a replacement joint to fix what amounts to a broken wrist.
COMPLETE MISSION PREVIEW
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: DETAILED OVERVIEW OF ENDEAVOUR'S FLIGHT QT or RV
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF MISSION'S THREE SPACEWALKS QT or RV
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF THE EXPEDITION 5 MISSION QT or RV
VIDEO: PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING WITH EXPEDITION 5 CREW QT or RV
VIDEO: MEET THE FULL SHUTTLE/STATION CREW QT or RV
VIDEO: TOUR ENDEAVOUR'S PAYLOAD BAY QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF SHUTTLE DOCKING TO STATION QT or RV
VIDEO: ITALIAN CARGO MODULE ATTACHED TO STATION QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF MOBILE BASE SYSTEM INSTALLED QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF CARGO MODULE BEING REMOVED QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF ENDEAVOUR'S UNDOCKING QT or RV
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Endeavour's countdown continues smoothly
Space shuttle Endeavour's three electricity-generating fuel cells have been loaded with their supplies of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power the 12-day mission as the countdown rolls on at Kennedy Space Center for Thursday evening's launch.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: STS-111 PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV
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Countdown underway for Endeavour's launch
With a leaky valve deep inside space shuttle Endeavour successfully replaced, the ship remains scheduled for launch Thursday to rotate the resident crews living aboard the International Space Station. The countdown has started and the seven astronauts have arrived at Kennedy Space Center. The only concern is the weather at launch time.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO: TUESDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT KSC FOR LAUNCH QT or RV
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Engineers race to fix leaky valve on Endeavour
Engineers were planning to climb into the shuttle Endeavour's main engine compartment Friday night to assess the feasibility of replacing one or more valves associated with one of the ship's three hydraulic system water spray boilers. If the workers cannot gain access, NASA could be forced to postpone next Thursday's launch and haul the shuttle back to its processing hangar for repairs.
FULL STORY
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Endeavour moved to launch pad for May 30 liftoff
Space shuttle Endeavour traveled from the Kennedy Space Center's cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building to launch pad 39A Monday morning for the planned May 30 blastoff to exchange the resident crews living aboard the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
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Past Station Missions |
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Space station grows with addition of new truss
The 27,000-pound S0 truss -- the central section of the station's backbone structure -- was delivered to the International Space Station and brought to life during the April flight of shuttle Atlantis.
FULL COVERAGE
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Endeavour shuttles station crew back to Earth
The shuttle Endeavour glided back to Earth December 17, bringing three space station astronauts back to a starkly different post Sept. 11 world and leaving a fresh crew behind in orbit for a nearly six-month tour of duty.
FULL COVERAGE
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Changing of the guard aboard space station Alpha
The Expedition Two astronauts capped their 167-day stay in space and left the international space station in the hands of Expedition Three during shuttle Discovery's crew exchange mission in August.
FULL COVERAGE
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Quest airlock added to international space station
The Joint Airlock Quest was delivered to the international space station in July by space shuttle Atlantis, giving the outpost a new doorway for American and Russian spacewalkers.
FULL COVERAGE
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Station gets an arm and first tourist
The crew of space shuttle Endeavour delivered the Canadian-built robotic arm to the international space station in April. The shuttle visit was immediately followed by Dennis Tito's historic joyride to the outpost.
FULL COVERAGE
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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 COVERAGE
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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
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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
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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
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The first in a series of space DVDs is now available from the Astronomy Now Store. Relive shuttle Columbia's March flight to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope in spectacular DVD quality.
The Apollo 14 Complete Downlink DVD set (5 discs) contains all the available television downlink footage from the Apollo 14 mission. A two-disc edited version is also available.
The official astronaut patch for the planned October shuttle mission to the International Space Station is now available from the Astronomy Now Store!