[sarex] Atlantis Departure Date Depends on Computer Test

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

Russian flight controllers will fire thrusters today to test the 
operation of the navigation computers that went offline last week. If 
the flight controllers and mission managers like what they see, space 
shuttle Atlantis and the STS-117 crew will undock from the International 
Space Station and begin the journey home on Tuesday. The test is set for 
1428 UTC

The STS-117 crew is scheduled to bid farewell today to the Expedition 15 
crew before the hatches close at 2223 UTC between Atlantis and the 
station. Atlantis is slated to undock at 1441 UTC Tuesday.

STS-117 arrived at the station June 10, delivering the Starboard 3 and 4 
truss segment to the station. The crew installed the truss June 11 and 
conducted four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and assist in the 
retraction of solar array on the Port 6 truss. During the third 
spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the 
left orbital maneuvering system pod.

Atlantis also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer 
Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new 
record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She 
arrived at the station in December with STS-116.