http://www.nss.org/missions/ Commentary from National Space Society leaders and members on ongoing space missions en-us 2008-03-31T22:19:02-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/03/sts124_reschedu.html The next shuttle flight has been moved from May 25 to May 31, the Saturday of our International Space Development Conference (ISDC). Launch time is planned for 5:01 p.m. Come to the conference and cheer the launch with a bunch... m_dyson 2008-03-31T22:19:02-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/03/flying_off_into.html The crew of STS-123 will be putting on quite a show Monday just before 7 PM CDT. That's when Endeavour will pull away from the space station, and the crew will peer out the windows with smiles on their faces... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-03-24T01:09:51-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/03/japanese_on_boa.html The station has a new room, and the world has a new moon (view, at least). The crews of STS-123 and Expedition 16 and 17 delivered and attached the Japanese pressurized logistics module this week. Japanese astronaut Takao Doi and... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-03-15T14:05:09-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/03/next_up_night_l.html The Japanese logistics module and Canada's Dextre robotic arm are ready to launch inside Endeavor's payload bay on Tuesday March 11, 2008 in a spectacular night launch, scheduled for 2:28 a.m. EST. Japan's Takao Doi, who flew in 1997, will... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-03-01T13:07:07-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/02/atlantis_lands.html Space Shuttle Atlantis has landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center, ending a successful mission to install the European Space Agency's Columbus module on the International Space Station. The landing frees up the US Navy for their attempt to intercept... STS-115 george_whitesides 2008-02-20T10:39:29-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/02/the_way_home.html The shuttle Atlantis is coming home, hopefully to Kennedy Space Center Wednesday morning (opportunities at 9:07 and 10:42 a.m. EST), but if not, then to Edwards AFB (two opportunities) in California. One way or another, they have to get down... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-02-19T12:22:03-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/02/flight_extended.html NASA has decided to add another extra day to STS-122 to allow more time to outfit the new Columbus module. The flight had already been extended one day because of Hans Schlegel's unknown illness. Schlegel was feeling fine today as... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-02-13T23:11:31-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/02/the_extra_day_1.html Although timeline planning for a shuttle mission is exacting, NASA always makes provision for an extra day or two on orbit, should a contingency arise during the mission that requires a change of plans. Usually that extra day is tacked... STS-122 allen.taylor 2008-02-10T17:14:02-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/02/spacewalk_delay.html The shuttle successfully docked to the station today (Saturday), and grappled the orbiter boom. While the boom was being lifted out, Mission Control called up and asked Commander Frick to call them on a private channel. Earlier, during a press... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-02-09T16:36:13-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/02/sts122_events.html Atlantis and its crew of 7 men (Commander Steve Frick, Pilot Alan Poindexter, and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Rex Walheim, Stanley Love, Hans Schlegel, and Leopold Eyharts) will dock to the International Space Station around 11:25 AM CST Saturday, February... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-02-09T00:15:16-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/02/astronauts_on_b.html It's T-Minus 2 hours, and all the astronauts for STS-122 are onboard and ready to go. Good news: The long-troubled Engine Cut Off Sensors on the external tank are functioning well. Bad news: Weather is going in and out of... STS-115 george_whitesides 2008-02-07T12:36:43-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2008/01/new_launch_sche.html The Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for launch on February 7 at 2:45 PM EST. The seven astronauts who will fly on STS-122 are Rex Walheim, Leland Melvin, Commander Stephen Frick, Alan Poindexter, Leopold Eyharts, Stanley Love, and Hans Schlegel.... STS-115 m_dyson 2008-01-30T00:35:39-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2007/12/shuttle_flight.html There will not be a shuttle launch on January 10. The problem with the external tank sensors has not been resolved. Please check http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html for the latest news. No new launch date has been set. Wishing everyone a safe and... m_dyson 2007-12-31T01:05:09-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2007/12/sts122_set_for.html Expedition 16 Station Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani are set for a spacewalk Tuesday, Dec. 18 starting at about 6 a.m. EST (coverage starts at 4:30 a.m.). They will inspect the giant rotary joint (SARJ) where contamination... STS-115 m_dyson 2007-12-17T13:17:19-05:00 http://www.nss.org/missions/archives/2007/12/sts122_delayed.html Early today, one of the sensors inside the liquid hydrogen section of Atlantis' external fuel tank gave a false reading while the tank was being filled. NASA had decided to launch only if all four sensors were functioning properly, and... m_dyson 2007-12-09T13:53:00-05:00