Expedition 15 Prepares for Upcoming Spacewalks
Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov are preparing for two spacewalks. The main objectives of the first Russian excursion on May 30 are to install orbital debris protection panels on the Zvezda service module, route cables associated with the Automated Transfer Vehicle navigation systems and replace experiments on the module’s hull.
Additionally, the two cosmonauts checked out the spacesuits and the Pirs airlock, prepared tools and closed the hatch to the Progress resupply vehicle docked to Pirs. Wednesday’s spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 2:20 p.m. EDT and will last about six hours. NASA Television coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 1:30 p.m.
On May 23, Russian flight controllers executed an orbit adjustment burn, increasing the station’s speed about one mile an hour and putting it in the proper orbit for Atlantis’ arrival on the STS-117 mission.
Flight Engineer Sunita Williams is preparing for her return to Earth. Williams conducted a 10-minute video tour of her home on the station and downlinked it to astronaut Clay Anderson, her replacement on Expedition 15.
