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Introduction

Hello World! This is Manish Iyer. And this, is my very own little space in the cyberworld to rant about anything and everything under the sun...This will also contain a section for physics and aerospace...something that I've always loved and will continue to do so till the end. So go ahead...sit back and enjoy the ride!

Monday, June 11, 2007

Atlantis Docks With Space Station; Spacewalk Set for Monday

After a busy Sunday in which the STS-117 crew arrived at the International Space Station, attention has turned to the mission’s first spacewalk. The excursion, which will focus on the on-orbit assembly of the station, is slated to begin at 1:53 p.m. EDT Monday.

Space Shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew arrived at the station Sunday at 3:36 p.m., delivering a new truss segment and crew member to the orbital outpost. The STS-117 crew entered the station for the first time after the hatches between the shuttle and station opened at 5:04 p.m.


The STS-117 astronauts quickly jumped into joint operations with the station’s Expedition 15 crew. One of the first major tasks was the station crew rotation. STS-117 Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson switched places with Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Suni Williams, who wrapped up a six-month tour of duty as a station crew member.

The crews also began preparations for Monday’s installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss segment and the spacewalk. The crews used the shuttle robotic arm to lift the S3/S4 out of Atlantis’ payload bay and to hand it off to the station arm.

The S3/S4, which contains a new set of solar arrays, is scheduled to be attached to the station prior to the start of the spacewalk conducted by STS-117 Mission Specialists John “Danny” Olivas and Jim Reilly. Olivas and Reilly are spending the night in the station’s Quest Airlock in preparation for the spacewalk.

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