The mission is being flown by space shuttle atlantis. Following previous unsuccessful launch attempts which were caused by a hail storm on February 26th 2007, NASA was forced to post pone the launch to march 15th 2007.
The launch took place at kennedy space centre in cape Canaveral at 7:38 EDT on Launch pad LC 39A.It carried 7 astronauts to the international space station and they are going to carry out further construction of the international space station.
On Saturday june 9th, the astronauts discovered a small tear in the thermal blanket. But the damage is insignificant as the damaged part is not subjected to heat on re entry.
The crew include:
Planned mission timeline
FLIGHT DAY 1: Launch
• Payload Bay Door Opening
• Ku.Band Antenna Deployment
• Shuttle Robot Arm Power Up
• External Tank Handheld Video, Umbilical Well Imagery and Wing Leading Edge Sensor Data Downlink
FLIGHT DAY 2: Shuttle Robot Arm Checkout
• Shuttle Robot Arm Grapple of Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS)
• Inspection of Shuttle Thermal Protection System and Wing Leading Edge Reinforced Carbon.Carbon (RCC)
• OBSS Berthing
• Orbiter Docking System Outer Ring Extension
• Airlock Preparations
• Rendezvous Tool Checkout
FLIGHT DAY 3: Rendezvous Operations
• Terminal Initiation Engine Firing
• Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver and ISS Digital Photography from Atlantis
• Docking to the International Space Station
• Hatch Opening and Welcoming by Expedition 15 Crew
• Shuttle robot arm grapple of S3/S4 truss and handoff to station robot arm for overnight parking
• Reilly and Olivas sleep in Quest Airlock for spacewalk pre.breathe campout protocol
FLIGHT DAY 4:Station robot arm installs S3/S4 truss on the S1 truss
• Reilly and Olivas EVA No. 1 to connect S1/S3 power cables, release launch restraints, release solar array blanket box restraints and install Solar Alpha Rotary Joint Drive Lock Assemblies
• S3 truss and S4 electrical channel 3A and 1A activation
FLIGHT DAY 5: S4 solar array deployment
• Solar Alpha Rotary Joint unlocking
• Forrester and Swanson sleep in Quest Airlock for spacewalk pre.breathe campout protocol
FLIGHT DAY 6: Initial attempt to retract P6 starboard array during EVA No. 2 preparations
• Forrester and Swanson EVA No. 2 to release Solar Alpha Rotary Joint locks and deploy braces in preparation for its initial rotation
FLIGHT DAY 7: Possible additional retraction of P6 starboard array to its full retracted position for blanket box latching
• Placeholder for focused inspection of Atlantis' thermal heat shield, if required
• Crew off-duty period
• Reilly and Olivas sleep in Quest Airlock for spacewalk pre-breathe campout protocol
FLIGHT DAY 8: ISS power down of electrical channels 1 and 4
• Reilly and Olivas EVA No. 3 to install an external hydrogen vent valve on the Destiny Laboratory for the new Oxygen Generation System and TBD tasks
• Space Station Remote Manipulator System moved from the Mobile Base System to Destiny Laboratory. The relocation is also known as a "walkoff"
FLIGHT DAY 9: Shuttle to ISS transfer work
• Crew off-duty period
• Crew News Conference
• Farewells and Hatch Closing
• Rendezvous tool checkout
FLIGHT DAY 10: Undocking and ISS flyaround
• Final separation from ISS
• Late inspection of Atlantis' thermal heat shield
FLIGHT DAY 11: Flight Control System Checkout
• Reaction Control System Hot-Fire Test
• Cabin Stowage • Deorbit Timeline Review
• Ku.Band Antenna Stowage
FLIGHT DAY 12: Deorbit Preparations
• Payload Bay Door Closing
• Deorbit Burn
• Kennedy Space Center or Edwards Air Force Base Landing.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
SEE NASA SPACE SHUTTLE SECTION
LAUNCH PICTURES
MISSION LIST
check out J2'S WEB PORTAL
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