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A Russian cargo plane has delivered equipment for the second Shuttle/Mir docking mission -- a major exchange of space flight components between the United States and Russia. During assembly of the international Space Station, this type of cooperative exchange will take place frequently.
An Antonov AN-124 cargo plane, the equivalent of a US C-5 cargo plane, landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, FL at 10:40 a.m. EDT yesterday. The delivered cargo included a Shuttle-to-Mir docking module , the module's ground support equipment, a portion of the docking module training mockup for use in crew contingency spacewalk training, and two solar arrays for the Russian Mir space station.
"This is a major operational hardware exchange between the United States and Russia," said Tommy Holloway, manager of NASA's international Space Station Phase One Program Office. "As we move into the Space Station era, these equipment exchanges will become almost commonplace. This particular hardware also is very important to the reconfiguration of Mir for future joint operations.
The docking module, which will be carried to space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-74 mission later this year, is designed to improve the clearances for the Shuttle during future docking operations with the Russian space station Mir.
During STS-74, Atlantis astronauts will use the Orbiter's robotics arm to place the docking module onto the Orbiter Docking System. On the third day of that flight, Mission Commander Ken Cameron will ease the Orbiter up to Mir so that a link-up occurs with the docking module serving as a bridge between the two space vehicles. When Atlantis leaves Mir after three days of joint operations, the undocking procedures will disconnect the Orbiter Docking System from the docking module, leaving it attached to the station for use on future missions.
Before the docking module is loaded onto Atlantis, it will be prepared for flight in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at the Kennedy Space Center, it is the first piece of hardware to be processed in the SSPF. The docking module will undergo a complete systems checkout and the two solar arrays and a trunnion assembly will be attached to the module. The activity will be monitored by a team from the Russian organization RSC Energia.
The two solar arrays will be used to extend Mir's lifetime and support U.S. science and technology research. One of the arrays was built as a cooperative project between the U.S. and Russia, combining proven Russian structures and mechanisms with advanced U.S. solar array modules. The second array is composed of all Russian components. The solar arrays will be stowed on the side of the docking module for transport to Mir and will be installed some time after the completion of STS-74.
After SSPF processing, the docking module and solar arrays will be transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building. The module will then undergo a series of tests to verify electrical and mechanical compatibility with the Orbiter.
The docking module training will be shipped to the Johnson Space Center. Astronauts will use it for extravehicular activity training in the Neutral Buoyancy Tank. No spacewalk is planned for the STS-74 mission, but crew members will practice several backup procedures that will be employed if problems occur with the module during the flight. The remaining sections of the training mockup will be shipped from Russia later this year to support spacewalk training for STS-76, the third docking mission.
The new flight dates for Discovery and Endeavour have no impact to the processing work on Space Shuttle Atlantis being prepared for the STS-71 launch on the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission. The Atlantis launch remains planned for no earlier than June 22 and a firm launch date may be announced early next week.
The new target launch dates for Discovery and Endeavour were established after the launch team finished assessing the impact of last week's decision to roll Discovery off Launch Pad 39-B. The rollback was required in order to make repairs to the foam insulation on the external tank.
WHO: Kevin Montgomery KD6IJAAs most everyone knows by now I have been running 'NEWSLINE' for the morning and evening nets. Newsline is a production of Bill Pasternak WA6ITF and associates. The program has been a voice only program. Being that we are ATV'ers, it was very dull looking at a blank screen and listening to the reports.
WHAT: Transmitting "NEWSLINE"
WHEN: Tuesday Morning & Evening Nets
WHERE: From The Costa Mesa ATV Station
HOW: Via The WA6SVT ATV Repeater
WHY:
Now with the assistance of a new 486 at home, Newsline {with the permission of WA6ITF} is being produced by me with associated topical graphics. The graphics are being created with the program "Microsoft Office Powerpoint". This program as you have seen will allow me to make any graphic I need and display them with embedded "DVE".
THE PROCESS:
I now call the Newsline phone number and record their report via direct phone line coupling into the eight channel audio console. It is recorded with equalization for best sound over the repeater. I then play the recording several times at the computer and build graphics as needed. However Newsline #929's format was so fast paced it was hell trying to keep up. So I opted for simple name graphics. I plan to continue producing "NEWSLINE MADE FOR ATV" in this format. However! Look for a change in format in the near future. It will put as much as a two week delay in presenting Newsline however I think all who watch will enjoy it. If their are reports that have a timely nature I will present them without delay.
If anyone has a story or bulletin they would like to have reported please call me at work 714-650-2001 ext 123 or at home 714-631-kmtv(5688).