STS-112 MCC Status Report #09 
Friday, October 11, 2002 - 7:00 p.m. CDT 
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas 

After a very busy day Thursday, the combined shuttle and space station
crew took several hours of off-duty time today, and then began transfer
operations between the vehicles and preparations for the second of the
mission's three spacewalks scheduled to begin at 9:41 a.m. Saturday. 

The crew moved a number of scientific experiments back and forth between
the vehicles to return completed experiments to Earth and deploy new
experiments at the station. Transfer items included a set of liver cell
tissue samples from an experiment studying the function of human liver
cells in microgravity, moved from the station onto the shuttle for return
to Earth. Payload experiments such as Marshall Space Flight Center's
protein crystal growth thermal enclosures for growing high-quality
protein crystals in micro-gravity experiments were moved to and from the
station. Seven water containers were transferred to the station. 

Commander Jeff Ashby initiated a nitrogen transfer process that moved
about 15 pounds of the gas from the shuttle to the station by the end of
Friday. About another 35 pounds will be transferred through Flight Day 8.


STS-112 spacewalkers Dave Wolf and Piers Sellers, assisted by Pilot Pam
Melroy, readied the EVA equipment for Saturday's excursion outside the
station-shuttle complex. They recharged water on the extravehicular
mobility unit, configured their tools and prepared the airlock. 

Since it wasn't an EVA day, there was time for the crew to relate their
experiences to several media organizations during live interviews.
STS-112 Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus, Wolf and Sellers discussed
Thursday's EVA and first-time experiences in space with CBS Radio Network
and Cable News Network (CNN). Russian Commander Valery Korzun, Expedition
Five Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev and STS-112 Mission Specialist
Fyodor Yurchikhin participated in several interviews with the Russian
press. 

This evening, shortly before sleep, the crew reviewed procedures for
tomorrow's spacewalk. Saturday the spacewalkers reverse positions for
most of the EVA, with Sellers riding the arm and Wolf free-floating while
tethered to the station. They'll attach umbilicals, install a second
camera - this time on the U.S. laboratory Destiny, install spool
positioning devices to quick disconnect fittings on ammonia lines and
release radiator beam launch locks. 

Completing the day, the crew had a joint meal in the Service Module. Wake
up time Saturday is 4:16 a.m. 

The next Mission Status Report will be issued Saturday morning or earlier
if events warrant.