NASA STS-128 MCC Status Report #10 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
HOUSTON – The 13 members of the combined space shuttle and International Space Station crew will install new science equipment and racks in the station today, enhancing the research capabilities for the orbiting laboratory.
The crew was awakened at 11:30 a.m. CDT by Louis Armstrong’s performance of “What a Wonderful World,” played for Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang, an astronaut with the European Space Agency.
The Fluids Integrated Rack, Materials Science Research Rack-1 and Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS will be installed in the U.S. Destiny laboratory. Shuttle commander Rick Sturckow, pilot Kevin Ford and mission specialists Pat Forrester, Jose Hernandez and Fuglesang as well as Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Frank De Winne will all play a part in the transfer and installation of the new hardware.
Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt will work on installation and outfitting of the new crew quarters compartment that was transferred, providing a new private space for fellow crewmate Robert Thirsk. Thirsk will focus on the ongoing transfer of food and supplies from the Leonardo module. New Expedition crew member Nicole Stott will continue with station orientation and later join De Winne for two hours of training related to the upcoming arrival of Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle, set to launch Sept. 10. Flight Engineer Roman Romanenko will continue with station maintenance tasks.
Mission Specialist Danny Olivas and Hernandez will participate in two media events. They will talk with CNN Espanol, Televisa Mexico and KCRA-TV at 5:24 p.m. Later, at 8:55 p.m., they will respond to public questions submitted via Twitter and YouTube.
Olivas and Fuglesang also will work on preparations for their spacewalk tomorrow. They will get their spacesuits in place in the Quest airlock, gather tools and join the U.S. crew members to review the spacewalk plan. The two spacewalkers will spend the night in the airlock for their pre-breathe procedure.
The next shuttle status report will be issued near the end of the crew’s workday, or earlier if events warrant. The crew is due to go to sleep about 3:30 a.m. Thursday.
