[sarex] STS-115 MCC Status Report #15

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

p.m. CDT, Saturday, Sept. 16
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

	09.16.06
STATUS REPORT: STS-115-15

STS-115 MCC Status Report #15

Astronauts on board Space Shuttle Atlantis today got a much deserved day 
off having completed three highly successful space walks that put the 
International Space Station back under construction.

After seven days in space, the STS-115 crew -- Commander Brent Jett, 
Pilot Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialists Dan Burbank, Joe Tanner, 
Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve MacLean -- got its first chance to 
sleep late. The crew then joined ISS Expedition 13 Commander Pavel 
Vinogradov, and Flight Engineers Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter for a 
joint crew press conference.

During the morning, the crew also was interviewed by CBS News, NBC News 
and ABC News, completed transferring the last of the supplies and 
equipment to the station, including 90 pounds of oxygen, and removed the 
REBA, Rechargeable EVA Battery Assembly.
Atlantis will undock from the station at 7:50 a.m. CDT(1250  UTC) 
Sunday, circling the orbiting complex once as it departs to perform the 
first fly-around of the station in four years. The crew of STS-112 
performed a partial fly-around to photo-document the station's exterior 
condition in Oct. 2002.

Tomorrow, all nine crew members will gather for a televised farewell 
ceremony at 4:43 a.m. CDT(0943 UTC). Hatch closure between the station 
and shuttle will immediately follow.

The next STS-115 mission status report will be issued Sunday morning, or 
earlier if events warrant.