The crew of the
Space Shuttle Atlantis spent its first full day in space closing in
on the International Space Station and testing the space suits and other
equipment that will be used later in the mission to install a new station
airlock.
Commander Steve
Lindsey and Pilot Charlie Hobaugh fired Atlantis' steering jets periodically
during the night to adjust the shuttle's course toward the station.
Atlantis now is trailing the International Space Station by about 1,800
statute miles, closing the gap by 230 miles with each orbit of Earth,
on track to dock with the complex at about 9:53 p.m. Central. Astronauts
Mike Gernhardt and Jim Reilly powered up and tested the two space suits
they will wear during the three space walks planned to install the Airlock
Quest on the station after Atlantis arrives. Assisted by Hobaugh, they
also checked a third, spare suit that will be left aboard the station.
During the suit
checks, the crew noted a white substance in the vicinity of the spare
space suit's battery. Mission Control instructed the crew to take several
standard precautionary measures, such as donning rubber gloves and turning
off several ventilation fans, as they cleaned the substance off of the
suit, swapped the suspect battery with a fresh one and changed the carbon
dioxide removal cartridge. The old battery was then stowed away, sealed
in leak-proof bags. The substance did no damage to the space suit and
it remains in excellent operating condition.
Mission Specialist
Janet Kavandi powered up Atlantis' robotic arm, successfully checking
its operation and surveying the Quest airlock in the shuttle cargo bay
using television cameras on the arm. The shuttle's robotic arm will
be used to maneuver the space walkers during their planned work outside
Atlantis and the station. The crew also powered up the shuttle's docking
mechanism, preparing it for the linkup tonight.
Atlantis is in
an orbit with a high point of 235 miles and a low point of 182 miles,
circling Earth every 90 minutes. All of the shuttle's systems are in
excellent condition.
Aboard the International
Space Station, Expedition Two crew Commander Yury Usachev, and Flight
Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms reviewed the schedule for Atlantis'
arrival later tonight. The shuttle and station crews will go to sleep
at about 8:04 a.m. The shuttle crew will awaken at 3:04 p.m. and the
station crew at 4:04 p.m. to begin the rendezvous and docking activities.
The next mission
status report will be issued about 6 p.m. today.
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