[sarex] Expedition 15 Awaits Arrival of Atlantis,

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

	*Expedition 15 Awaits Arrival of Atlantis, New Crew Member*

Space Shuttle Atlantis is pictured separating from its external tank 
moments after reaching orbitImage above: Space Shuttle Atlantis is 
pictured separating from its external tank moments after reaching orbit. 
Image credit: NASA TV

TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

With the successful launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis, the stage is set 
for changes at the International Space Station and for its crew.

Atlantis blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.’s Launch Pad 39A at 
7:38 p.m. EDT Friday to begin a two-day chase of the station. The 
STS-117 mission will continue the on-orbit construction of the station 
with the delivery and installation of the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) 
truss segments. Also traveling with STS-117 is a new Expedition 15 crew 
member, astronaut Clayton Anderson, who will replace Flight Engineer 
Suni Williams. At launch time, the station was flying above the southern 
Indian Ocean southwest of Australia.

+ Read the most recent information about the STS-117 mission 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html>

Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov 
and Williams will make final preparations for STS-117’s arrival. Docking 
is set for 3:36 p.m. Sunday. Anderson and Williams are scheduled to 
switch crews later that day.

The addition of the S3/S4 to the station is scheduled for Monday. The 
segment contains a new set of solar arrays that will increase the 
station's power-generation capabilities. The STS-117 crew will use the 
station and shuttle robotic arms and conduct spacewalks to install and 
activate the truss. Three spacewalks are scheduled for STS-117’s stay.

Atlantis is slated to undock from the station on June 17, the day after 
Williams breaks the record for the longest spaceflight ever by a woman. 
The record, 188 days and 4 hours, is currently held by NASA astronaut 
Shannon Lucid.

+ Read more about Expedition 15 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.html>
+ View crew daily timelines 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html>