Spaceflight Now STS-112

Space Station Stage 9A

Welcome to Spaceflight Now's comprehensive coverage of the international space station, its full-time residents and the next shuttle assembly mission -- flight STS-112/ISS-9A of Atlantis that will deliver the Starboard 1 (S1) truss structure to the outpost. NASA refers to STS-112 and the ongoing Expedition Five mission as "Stage 9A" 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!

Top Stories
Atlantis is home; Soyuz launch to station in question
The shuttle Atlantis dropped out of a beautiful fall sky October 18 and settled to a slightly windy touchdown on runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center to close out an 11-day space station assembly mission spanning 170 orbits and 4.5 million miles since blastoff October 7.
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   ENTRY AND LANDING TIMELINE
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Atlantis
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Shuttle Atlantis undocks from space station
Atlantis departed the international space station Wednesday after a 7-day visit that began the outward expansion of the outpost's truss backbone with delivery of the S1 segment. Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center on Friday.
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   UNDOCKING TIMELINE
Atlantis
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Third spacewalk of shuttle Atlantis' mission completed
David Wolf and Piers Sellers embarked on the third and final spacewalk of Atlantis' mission Monday. The two men performed the final outfitting and configuring of the new S1 truss and released a stuck bolt on the station's mobile railcar during the 6 1/2-hour excursion. Earlier in the day a 75-foot radiator was deployed from the truss.
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EVA
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Station resident Whitson describes life in orbit
Astronaut Peggy Whitson, 130 days into a planned 167-day stay in space, says getting callouses on the tops of her feet, relying on her Russian commander to cut her hair and losing her taste for her favorite Earth food - shrimp - are par for the course when it comes to living in space. All in all, Whitson said Sunday, she's having a blast.
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Whitson
Astronauts complete second walk outside station
Astronauts David Wolf and Piers Sellers completed a six-hour four-minute spacewalk Saturday, the second of three required to install, outfit and activate a 14.5-ton solar array truss segment on the international space station.
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STS-112
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Crew rested from busy spacewalk, set for another
A software glitch that sidelined the space station's robot arm Thursday forced spacewalkers David Wolf and Piers Sellers to complete a tricky bit of station assembly by hand, a tough job that sent their heart rates soaring to some 170 beats per minute, Wolf said Friday.
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STS-112
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Station backbone grows with new truss segment
Astronauts David Wolf and Piers Sellers completed a seven-hour one-minute spacewalk Thursday, successfully wiring up a new 14.5-ton $390 million solar array truss segment that was attached to the international space station earlier in the day.
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STS-112
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Atlantis arrives at station for construction mission
The shuttle Atlantis glided to a picture-perfect docking with the international space station Wednesday, capping a flawless two-day orbital ballet that began with blastoff Monday.
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Atlantis closes in
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'Shuttlecam' captures never before seen view of launch
The world got to hitch a ride aboard space shuttle Atlantis when it thundered from Earth to space Monday thanks to a small video camera mounted to the external fuel tank. This is a collection of images from the video.
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Atlantis
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Shuttle Atlantis blasts off
After a frustrating summer of delays to fix potentially dangerous fuel line cracks, the shuttle Atlantis roared away Monday on a critical mission to deliver a 14-ton section of the international space station's main solar array truss.
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Atlantis
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Mission Preview
Atlantis to launch outward extension of station truss
After a frustrating summer of work to fix potentially dangerous fuel line cracks, NASA is gearing up to resume shuttle flights Wednesday with launch of the Atlantis on a critical mission to deliver a 14-ton section of the international space station's main solar array truss. Read our comprehensive 7-part mission preview:
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STS-112
Recent News
Shuttle Atlantis launch delayed till Monday
NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston has powered down sensitive mission control computer systems in preparation for the approach of Hurricane Lili. Officials this morning opted to delay launch of space shuttle Atlantis until Monday.
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Lili
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Hurricane delays shuttle 24 hours, maybe more
NASA managers have delayed the launch of space shuttle Atlantis until at least Thursday as Hurricane Lili bears down on the Gulf Coast, posing a threat to NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston. The international space station crew was informed late Tuesday afternoon of contingency procedures to be implemented if Johnson Space Center is evacuated.
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Atlantis
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Hurricane threat to mission control could delay launch
If Hurricane Lili continues on its projected course and becomes a real threat to the Houston area, launch of the shuttle Atlantis Wednesday will be delayed a few days, shuttle program manager Ronald Dittemore said Monday.
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Map
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Countdown underway for Wednesday's shuttle launch
Obscured by its self-imposed news blackout, NASA started the countdown Sunday for this week's launch of space shuttle Atlantis to continue the construction of the international space station's truss backbone.
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Atlantis
Space station receives fresh supplies from Earth
The international space station received its ninth Russian supply craft Sunday as the unmanned freighter successfully docked to the rear end of the complex under its own control.
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Progress
NASA sets space shuttle Atlantis launch date
At the conclusion of the Flight Readiness Review held Sept. 17 at Kennedy Space Center, NASA mission managers set October 2 for the launch of the shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. Mission STS-112 will continue the expansion of the vast orbiting outpost including additions to the first space railroad.
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STS-112
Sneak peek at 'shuttlecam'
When space shuttle Atlantis thunders to orbit next month a video camera mounted to the external fuel tank will provide an unprecedented live view as the ship and six astronauts go from zero to 17,500 mph in just over eight minutes.
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Shuttlecam
Station resident named first 'ISS Science Officer'
Research aboard the International Space Station is getting a boost. NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe on September 16 named Dr. Peggy Whitson the first NASA ISS Science Officer.
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Whitson
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Atlantis journeys to the pad for station mission
Riding atop its repaired Apollo-era crawler-transporter, space shuttle Atlantis made the 4.2-mile trek from the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building to launch pad 39B Sept. 10. The shuttle is scheduled for liftoff October 2 to deliver the next truss structure to the International Space Station.
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Atlantis
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Past Station Missions
Shuttle Endeavour returns station crew to Earth
Endeavour's June mission to the International Space Station upgraded the lab's robot arm and fixed what amounted to a broken wrist. The shuttle also exchanged the outpost's resident crews, bringing a trio of weary space station fliers home after a U.S. record 196 days in space.
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Shuttle
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.
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ISS
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.
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Endeavour
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.
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Command change
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.
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Spacewalk
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.
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STS-100
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.
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Shuttle
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.
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Undocking
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.
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Station
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.
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ISS


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