STS-135 Press releases

• #20 by jacqmans on 29 Jun, 2011 04:27
• MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-133
  
  NASA ANNOUNCES PRELAUNCH EVENTS AND COUNTDOWN DETAILS FOR FINAL SHUTTLE FLIGHT
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- News conferences, events and operating hours
  for the news center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., are set for
  the final space shuttle launch.
  
  Atlantis is scheduled to liftoff at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8, to begin
  the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station.
  
  A NASA blog will provide countdown updates beginning at 6:30 a.m. on
  July 8. Originating from Kennedy's Launch Control Center, the blog is
  the definitive Internet source for information leading up to liftoff.
  
  During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle website can read about
  the crew's progress. As Atlantis' flight concludes, the NASA blog
  will detail the spacecraft's return to Earth. For NASA's launch blog
  and continuous mission updates, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
  
  Detailed lists of countdown milestones, news briefing times and
  participants, and hours of operation for Kennedy's news center and
  media credentialing office are available at:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/news
  
  The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the shuttle
  launch countdown, mission and landing. To follow, visit:
  
  http://www.twitter.com/nasa
  
  Free wireless Internet access is provided at the Kennedy Press Site
  news center and annex. Instructions for wireless access will be
  available at the news center. Due to the volume of users,
  accessibility may be limited. Reporters should bring a backup.
  
  For NASA TV streaming video, scheduling and downlink information,
  visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
  
  
• #21 by jacqmans on 29 Jun, 2011 18:22
• MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-136
  
  NASA FLIGHT DIRECTORS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS FOR FINAL SHUTTLE MISSION
  
  HOUSTON -- NASA Flight Directors Kwatsi Alibaruho (KWAT-see
  Ah-lee-buh-roo-hoe) of Maywood, Ill., and Chris Edelen of
  Martinsville, Va., are available for live satellite interviews from 6
  to 7:50 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, July 6. Just two days later, they will
  support the scheduled launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-135
  mission, the final flight of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program.
  
  On July 8, Atlantis and four NASA astronauts are scheduled to lift off
  from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the 12-day
  mission, they will transfer tons of supplies to the station from the
  Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module.
  
  Alibaruho, the lead space shuttle flight director for STS-135, and
  Edelen, the lead International Space Station flight director, will
  discuss their roles and the shuttle mission. To participate in the
  interviews, reporters must contact Stephanie Stoll at 281-483-9071 or
  at [email protected] before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5.
  
  Alibaruho became a NASA flight director in 2005. He will be available
  from 6 to 6:50 a.m. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute
  of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
  
  Edelen, a NASA flight director since 2007, will be available from 7 to
  7:50 a.m. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the University of
  Houston, Clear Lake.
  
  NASA Television will air b-roll footage of STS-135 mission
  preparations beginning at 5:30 a.m.
  
  The NASA Live Interview Media Outlet (LIMO) used for the interviews
  and preceding b-roll is a digital satellite C-band downlink by uplink
  provider Americom. It is on satellite AMC 3, transponder 9C, located
  at 87 degrees west; downlink frequency 3865.5 Mhz based on a standard
  C-band, horizontal downlink polarity, FEC is 3/4, data rate is 6.0
  Mbps, symbol rate is 4.3404 Msps, transmission DVB-S, 4:2:0.
  Alibaruho's interviews will be simulcast on NASA TV's Public and Media
  Channels. Edelen's interviews will be simulcast on the Media Channel
  only due to other programming on the NASA TV Public Channel at that
  time.
  
  For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information,
  visit:
  
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
  
  
• #22 by jacqmans on 29 Jun, 2011 19:13
• 
  RELEASE: 11-211
  
  NASA INVITES 150 LUCKY TWITTER FOLLOWERS TO FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH
  
  WASHINGTON -- The final launch of the space shuttle program is
  scheduled for 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8, and NASA has invited 150
  followers of the agency's Twitter account to be there. People
  selected will have a behind-the-scenes perspective from the press
  site at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
  
  NASA randomly selected the participants from more than 5,500 online
  registrants during a 24-hour opportunity on June 1-2. Attendees
  represent 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Australia,
  Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain,
  Switzerland and the U.K.
  
  Tweetup participants are coming from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
  California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
  Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
  Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
  Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New
  York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
  Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington,
  West Virginia and Wisconsin.
  
  They will share their experiences with their more than 1.5 million
  combined followers through the social networking site Twitter.
  Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on July 7, NASA will broadcast a portion of
  the Tweetup when participants get to talk with Bill Gerstenmaier,
  associate administrator for Space Operations, astronaut Mike
  Massimino and Angie Brewer, space shuttle Atlantis' flow director at
  Kennedy.
  
  Joining them will be a special guest, Sesame Street's Elmo. Sesame
  Street will be at Kennedy to film Elmo, as he learns about space
  exploration at NASA.
  
  To watch the broadcast, visit:
  
  
  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasatelevision
  
  
  Participants also will tour Kennedy; make an up close visit to the
  launch pad, and wave at Atlantis' crew members on their drive to the
  launch pad. The Tweetup culminates with the shuttle's lift off.
  
  Reporters credentialed to cover the launch also may cover the NASA
  Tweetup at Kennedy's press site. Reporters interested in interviewing
  Tweetup attendees in advance should contact Stephanie Schierholz at
  202-358-1100 or [email protected].
  
  This is the fifth time NASA has invited Twitter followers to
  experience a space shuttle launch. Previously, groups attended lift
  offs of Atlantis' STS-129 and STS-132 missions, Discovery's STS-133
  mission, and Endeavour's STS-134 mission.
  
  To follow the Tweetup participants on Twitter, as they experience the
  prelaunch events and shuttle liftoff, follow the #NASATweetup hashtag
  and the list of attendees at:
  
  
  http://twitter.com/nasatweetup/sts-135-launch
  
  
  All four of Atlantis' crew members are posting updates to Twitter. You
  can follow Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission
  Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim at:
  
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Ferg   
  
  
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Doug   
  
  
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Sandy   
  
  
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Rex   
  
  
  To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites,
  visit:
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/connect
  
  
  For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission,
  visit:
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle   
  
  
  -end-
  
• #23 by jacqmans on 30 Jun, 2011 19:45
• MEDIA ADVISORY: M22-11
  
  AIRSPACE, ROAD, BRIDGE AND WATER CLOSURES FOR FINAL SHUTTLE LAUNCH
  
  Launch Date: July 8, 2011
  Launch Vehicle: Space shuttle Atlantis
  Launch Pad: 39A
  Launch Window: 11:21 - 11:31 a.m. EDT
  Targeted Launch Time: 11:26:46 a.m. EDT
  
  NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AREA AVIATION FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS
  
  What: Cape Canaveral Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR)
  
  When: Friday, July 8, from 4:21 a.m. until no later than 12:06 p.m.
  EDT. If postponed 24 hours to Saturday, July 9, from 3:59 a.m. until
  no later than 11:40 a.m. EDT.
  
  Where: General aviation and VFR operations are prohibited within a
  30-nautical-mile radius (34.5 miles) of Launch Pad 39A from the
  surface to, but not including, 18,000 feet located on the Melbourne
  VOR/DME 004-degree radial at 30.6 nautical miles. Pilots should
  obtain NOTAM information regarding affected airports.
  
  Aeronautical Chart in Use: Orlando Class B terminal area and
  Jacksonville sectional
  
  Additional airspace restrictions: Within an airspace radius between 30
  to 40 nautical miles (34.5 to 46 miles) of Launch Pad 39A, a discrete
  transponder code must be obtained and clearance granted from air
  traffic control before entering this airspace. Continuous radio
  communications must be maintained. All VFR aircraft are restricted to
  180 knots or less unless a variance is granted by air traffic
  control. Pilots should obtain NOTAM information to determine the
  affected airports within this radius before departure.
  
  NOTAM Information: St. Petersburg Flight Service Station
  Telephone: 1-800-992-7433
  Radio frequencies: 123.6 MHz (Titusville); 122.6 MHz (Melbourne)
  
  Radio Communications: FAA Orlando Approach Control
  Titusville/Cocoa area: 134.950 MHz
  Melbourne area: 132.650 MHz
  South Volusia County: 125.350 MHz
  Space Coast Regional Airport control tower: 118.9 MHz
  
  PUBLIC ACCESS ROAD CLOSURES
  
  - The Cape Canaveral National Seashore (Playalinda Beach) will close
  for launch on Monday, July 4, at 8 p.m. and will reopen after launch.
  The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will close on Wednesday,
  July 6, at 6 p.m. and will reopen after launch.
  
  - State Road 406 east to State Road 3, and State Road 3 from the
  Haulover Canal bridge south to County Road 402 leading to Titusville
  will be open to badged personnel only beginning on Wednesday, July 6,
  at 6 p.m. These roads will close to all vehicle traffic on Friday,
  July 8, at 9:20 a.m. until after a successful launch is confirmed.
  
  - The A. Max Brewer Causeway bridge on S.R. 406 in Titusville (north
  bridge) will be closed to all motor vehicle traffic beginning two
  hours prior to launch on July 8 and will remain closed up to two
  hours after launch.
  
  - State Road 3 from the Gate 2 News Media Pass and Identification
  Building to State Road 405 (NASA Causeway) via Space Commerce Way
  will be closed for launch to unauthorized vehicles beginning at 4
  a.m. on Friday, July 8. NASA Causeway between the U.S. Astronaut Hall
  of Fame and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will also close
  at that time. The roads will reopen two hours after launch.
  
  KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AREA BOATING RESTRICTIONS
  
  ATLANTIC OCEAN: Beginning at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 4, and continuing
  through launch, a general exclusion zone will be in effect three
  miles offshore from the Haulover Canal, on the northern end of
  Kennedy Space Center, and southward to Port Canaveral. Four hours
  prior to launch, all ocean-going traffic will be restricted from
  entering an area measured from nine statute miles north and south of
  the launch pad and extending 64 nautical miles (73.6 miles) east into
  the ocean. An additional three-mile-wide exclusion zone will be
  extended eastward along the flight path of the space shuttle.
  
  INDIAN RIVER: Restrictions apply from the NASA Causeway north to
  Haulover Canal and east of the Indian River's main channel.
  Restrictions are in effect beginning at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 4.
  
  MOSQUITO LAGOON: This area south of Haulover Canal in the Mosquito
  Lagoon is off limits to all boats beginning at 6 p.m. on Monday, July
  4.
  
  BANANA RIVER: Security limits begin at the Banana River Barge Canal
  south of Kennedy Space Center and extends northward, including KARS
  Park on Merritt Island. This restriction is effective beginning at 6
  p.m. on Monday, July 4.
  
  All boating restrictions will be lifted one hour after launch. Boating
  interests should monitor U.S. Coast Guard Radio transmitting on
  Marine Channel 16 from Port Canaveral.
  
  For information about Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International
  Space Station, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle 
  
  
  -end-
  
  
• #24 by bolun on 05 Jul, 2011 12:04
• Tribute to the Space Shuttle
   
  4 July 2011
  
  The Space Shuttle will be launched 8 July on its last mission, bringing three decades of flights of this unique spaceplane to a close. ESA’s new website highlights this era and its important role in European space endeavours.
  
  http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEM69J6TLPG_index_0.html
  
  http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/shuttle/
• #25 by jacqmans on 07 Jul, 2011 20:20
• MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-139
  
  COMPOSER DEBUTS FANFARE HONORING FINAL SHUTTLE MISSION
  
  WASHINGTON -- Emmy-nominated composer Bear McCreary, known for his
  television scores, has composed a fanfare specifically to commemorate
  the final space shuttle flight. After composing four seasons of music
  for a television show set in space, creating music inspired by a
  historic NASA mission was a natural fit. The composition will be
  played first on Friday morning at the NASA launch TweetUp.
  
  People viewing the launch from some of the other locations at NASA's
  Kennedy Space Center in Florida will also be able to hear the
  composition.
  
  McCreary composed the music for the television series Battlestar
  Galactica; The Walking Dead; Eureka; Human Target; and Terminator:
  The Sarah Connor Chronicles. He also worked with film music legend
  Elmer Bernstein, who composed the music for The Magnificent Seven and
  The Ten Commandments.
  
  NASA has worked with artists since 1962, when Administrator James E.
  Webb invited a group of artists to illustrate and interpret agency
  missions and projects. Artists, songwriters, musicians and
  playwrights have offered their unique perspectives on spaceflight
  ever since. NASA also has a long and storied connection with pop
  culture, frequently working with creators of science fiction films
  and television programs to discuss science fact.
  
  For more information about Bear McCreary, visit:
  
  
  
  http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/
  
  
  For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission,
  visit:
  
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
  
  
• #26 by bolun on 08 Jul, 2011 18:50
• Last Space Shuttle mission launched
  
  8 July 2011
  
  http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM7D77TLPG_index_0.html
• #27 by jacqmans on 08 Jul, 2011 19:02
• RELEASE: 11-216
  
  NASA'S FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION BEGINS WITH ATLANTIS' LAUNCH
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson and his
  three crewmates are on their way to the International Space Station
  after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 11:29 a.m. EDT
  Friday. STS-135 is the final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program.
  
  "With today's final launch of the space shuttle, we turn the page on a
  remarkable period in America's history in space, while beginning the
  next chapter in our nation's extraordinary story of exploration,"
  Administrator Charles Bolden said. "Tomorrow's destinations will
  inspire new generations of explorers, and the shuttle pioneers have
  made the next chapter of human spaceflight possible."
  
  The STS-135 crew consists of Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission
  Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. They will deliver the
  Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module filled with more than 8,000
  pounds of supplies and spare parts to sustain space station
  operations after the shuttles are retired.
  
  "The shuttle's always going to be a reflection to what a great nation
  can do when it dares to be bold and commits to follow through,"
  Ferguson said shortly before liftoff. "We're not ending the journey
  today -- we're completing a chapter of a journey that will never
  end."
  
  The mission includes flying the Robotic Refueling Mission, an
  experiment designed to demonstrate and test the tools, technologies
  and techniques needed for robotic refueling of satellites in space,
  even satellites not designed for servicing. The crew also will return
  with an ammonia pump that recently failed on the station. Engineers
  want to understand why the pump failed and improve designs for future
  spacecraft.
  
  Atlantis is on a 12-day mission and scheduled to dock to the station
  at 11:06 a.m. on Sunday.
  
  STS-135 is the 135th shuttle flight, the 33rd flight for Atlantis and
  the 37th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and
  maintenance. NASA's Web coverage of STS-135 includes mission
  information, a press kit, interactive features, news conference
  images, graphics and videos.
  
  Mission coverage, including the latest NASA Television schedule, is
  available on the main space shuttle website at:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
  
  NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the
  mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news
  conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video,
  downlink and schedule information, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
  
  NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will host daily news
  conferences with STS-135 mission managers. To participate, reporters
  must have valid media credentials issued by a NASA center or issued
  specifically for the STS-135 mission.
  
  Journalists not on site must contact the Johnson newsroom at
  281-483-5111 no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of a
  briefing to participate. Newsroom personnel will verify credentials
  and transfer reporters to the phone bridge. Phone bridge capacity is
  limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
  
  Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout
  the mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov home
  page or visit:
  
  http://www.twitter.com/nasa
  
  All four of Atlantis' crew members are posting updates to Twitter. You
  can follow them at:
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Ferg
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Doug
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Sandy
  
  http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Rex
  
  To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites,
  visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/connect
  
  For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission,
  visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
  
  For more information about the space station, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/station
  
         
  -end-
  
  
• #28 by jacqmans on 08 Jul, 2011 19:03
• News Release Issued: July 8, 2011 1:25 PM EDT
  
  ATK Solid Rocket Motors Boost Final Launch of the Space Shuttle Program
  Over 250 ATK Solid Rocket Motors Powered Shuttle Launches
  ATK Looks to the Future with the Five Segment Solid Rocket Booster
  KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, July 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An unprecedented crowd of over one million witnessed the Shuttle program's final liftoff today from the Kennedy Space Center.  Space Shuttle Atlantis had a picture perfect launch at 11:26 a.m. EDT boosted by ATK's (NYSE: ATK) Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRMs). This launch culminates a remarkable, three-decade-long program and marks the beginning of a noble legacy in space exploration.
  
  "As we watched Atlantis lift off for the final time today it was a bittersweet moment for ATK, as well as a tremendous moment of pride," said Blake Larson, ATK Aerospace Systems Group president. "I want to express my gratitude to the ATK workforce, our subcontractors, and the NASA family for their dedication and passion to ensuring this program's success through the final flight."
  
  As a tribute to the final launch, a case from STS-1 was launched on this flight on the left booster. The recovery and reuse of boosters after each flight enables NASA and ATK to collect vital post-flight information and performance data, confirming a safe and robust design. The cases used for today's launch have collectively flown on 59 previous shuttle missions and have been used in 12 ground tests.
  
  Since the inaugural flight of the space shuttle, 270 space shuttle solid rocket motors have been launched and 55 full-scale ground tests performed, enabling ATK and NASA to continually improve safety, techniques and processes.
  
  "Analyzing post-flight and test data allows us to truly understand booster operation and make minor modifications along the way, providing the most reliable solid rocket motor," said Larson. "We can use the knowledge gained from that process as we move forward with the next launch system for America."
  
  The 149-foot-tall solid rocket boosters each produced more than 15 million horsepower, safely launching the shuttle to approximately 28 miles in altitude in just over two minutes. After the flight, the RSRMs were jettisoned from the orbiter and external tank by ATK's 16 Booster Separation Motors (BSMs). Each booster has eight BSMs: four on the forward skirt and four on the aft skirt. The separation motors propelled the RSRMs to a safe distance from the shuttle orbiter, enabling the spent boosters to parachute through the Earth's atmosphere and splash down in the ocean for recovery.
  
  In addition, ATK supplied the titanium hydrazine propellant tanks for the space shuttle Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). Three APU tanks house the hydrazine fuel that generates power for the shuttle's hydraulic system. These tanks have performed perfectly over the shuttle's three decades of operations.
  
  On its 12-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Atlantis will carry the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) that will demonstrate the technology and tools to robotically refuel satellites in orbit. Under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, ATK engineers designed and built the tools for the project which will even enable the refueling of satellites that were not designed to be serviced in orbit. The four unique RRM tools will enable the remote controlled robot to cut and manipulate protective blankets and wires, unscrew caps and access valves, transfer fluid and leave a new cap in place for future refueling activities.  The robotic refueling has the potential to extend the life of a satellite and result in significant savings for satellite owners and operators.
  
  While continuing to safely fly the space shuttle, ATK is furthering the development of its upgraded five-segment solid rocket motor. ATK is preparing to ground test the third full-scale Development Motor (DM-3) and to complete a 90 percent Design Review this year.
  
  "I flew Atlantis twice, so watching today's launch was even more meaningful, knowing it was her last and that it marks the end of a great era," said Charlie Precourt, ATK vice president and general manager, Space Launch Systems, and four-time shuttle astronaut. "As we move to the next period in human space exploration, we are able to leverage the knowledge and hardware from the shuttle program combined with upgraded materials to provide a higher-performing, cost effective, and even more reliable solid rocket booster to support NASA's heavy lift vehicle."
  
  Modifications to the motor include an added fifth segment, changes to the propellant grain, a larger nozzle opening, and an upgraded liner and insulation material—all designed to meet performance requirements and increase reliability while lowering manufacturing costs.
  
  "As I look forward to what the future holds for the next generation, I want to also salute the thousands of men and women who gave their time, skills and passion to this incredible program," said Precourt. "America owes you all a deep debt of gratitude for your personal sacrifices, for accomplishing the seemingly impossible to complete the mission, and making us the world's leader in space."
  
  
• #29 by jacqmans on 08 Jul, 2011 19:03
• MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-140
  
  NASA RELEASES ADMINISTRATOR'S VIDEO ABOUT FINAL SHUTTLE LAUNCH
  
  WASHINGTON -- With the successful launch of the final space shuttle
  mission, Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space
  Station, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has issued a video
  statement about the program and the agency's future.
  
  Bolden salutes the Space Shuttle Program and its many accomplishments
  while also highlighting the human spaceflight missions yet to come on
  the space station and beyond. NASA is facilitating commercial access
  for cargo and crew to low Earth orbit and developing technologies and
  capabilities to reach destinations in deep space such as asteroids
  and Mars.
  
  To view the administrator's video message, visit:
  
  
  
  http://1.usa.gov/nwhEIA
  
  
  For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission,
  visit:
  
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
  
  
  To find out more about what's next for NASA, visit:
  
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/next
  
  
• #30 by jacqmans on 08 Jul, 2011 21:56
• STS-135 MCC Status Report #01   
  
  HOUSTON – With a cargo carrier packed with supplies and equipment, Atlantis launched Friday morning to the International Space Station on the final space shuttle mission.
  
  The shuttle with its crew of four lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on its 12-day flight at 10:29 a.m. CDT. Aboard are the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module and the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment, which could help develop ways to refuel satellites in orbit.
  
  Nearly a million people came to the Kennedy area to see Atlantis lift off on a mission marking the end of the space shuttle era. The mission’s focus was to leave the station as well supplied as possible to begin its post-shuttle existence. Atlantis also is scheduled to return a failed ammonia pump to Earth for examination – a task no other spacecraft can do.
  
  Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim, are scheduled to rendezvous and dock with the station on Sunday.
  
  Raffaello is making its fourth trip to the station. On flight day 4 it will be lifted from the cargo bay and attached to the Harmony node. It will be unloaded there and subsequently loaded with station discards before it is returned to the cargo bay on flight day 10 for return to Earth.
  
  The Robotic Refueling Mission experiment will be installed during the only spacewalk, by station crew members, while Atlantis is docked there. The experiment will test concepts, techniques and tools for robotically refueling satellites in orbit. The test will use the station’s robotic capabilities, the first test in space of ways to refuel satellites, including those not designed for such servicing.
  
  Aboard the station waiting to welcome Atlantis and its crew are Expedition 28 Commander Andrey Borisenko and Flight Engineers Alexander Samokutyaev, Ron Garan, Sergei Volkov, Mike Fossum and Satoshi Furukawa.
  
  STS-135 is the 135th shuttle flight, the 33rd flight for Atlantis and the 37th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
  
  The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wakeup or earlier if warranted. The crew is scheduled to awaken just before 3 a.m. Saturday.
  
• #31 by jacqmans on 09 Jul, 2011 08:19
• Report #J11-017
  
  NASA DEBUTS INSPIRATIONAL SPACE STATION MUSIC VIDEO
  
  HOUSTON - NASA today debuts an inspirational video featuring the International Space Station and its crews set to the song "World" by recording artists Five for Fighting.
  
  The video features imagery of both the space station and the space shuttles that have served as the workhorses of space station construction and resupply. It uses selections from orbit as well as Earth-bound training and launch activities to communicate the importance of space exploration and its benefits for future generations. Intermixed are selections of video that show the beauty of planet Earth as seen from the space station and scenes of children inspired by space exploration. The lyrics emphasize that "history starts now" and invite listeners to ask the question, "What kind of world do you want?"
  
  The video ends with a reminder that although STS-135 is the final space shuttle mission, the International Space Station will continue an uninterrupted human presence in space. The video will air on NASA Television at 7:15 p.m. CDT. For NASA TV schedules, downlink information and streaming video, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
  
  To watch the video online, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=100242111
  
  NASA also has released a new 26-minute video about the history, research and promise of the International Space Station. During the past decade, 15 nations have come together, setting aside boundaries and differences, to create the largest and longest inhabited object to ever orbit the Earth. To view that video, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/first10next10.html
  
  For more information about the space shuttle and the space station, visit:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov
  
• #32 by jacqmans on 09 Jul, 2011 11:12
• STS-135 MCC Status Report #02   
  
  HOUSTON – The final shuttle crew began their first full day in space with a chorus of well wishes from some of the many people who helped put them there.
  
  “Good morning, Atlantis!” NASA employees said in a message recorded before launch. “The Marshall Space Flight Center hopes you enjoyed your ride to orbit. We wish you a successful mission and a safe return home.”
  
  Marshall Space Flight Center, located in Huntsville, Ala., is responsible for the space shuttle’s propulsion system – the shuttle’s three main engines, the twin solid rocket boosters and the external tank.
  
  The message was preceded by the mission’s first wake up song, Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida,” which was played for Pilot Doug Hurley. The wakeup call came at 2:59 a.m.
  
  With that encouragement, space shuttle Atlantis’ crew – Hurley, Commander Chris Ferguson and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim – got to work on their flight day two activities. The main objective of the day will be to get a closer look at the shuttle’s heat shield to verify that it didn’t sustain any damage during Atlantis’ climb into orbit.
  
  To do so, Ferguson, Hurley and Magnus will use the space shuttle’s robotic arm and 50-foot long boom to get a close up look at the shuttle’s wing leading edges and nose cap. A suite of cameras on the end of the boom will capture images of the reinforced carbon carbon that protects the shuttle from the hottest temperatures it experiences. Imagery experts on the ground will comb through the data to make sure that the heat shield is still in good shape.
  
  The survey is scheduled to start at 7:19 a.m., and wrap up about six hours later.
  
  Later in the day, Walheim will work with Hurley to check out the tools that will be used during Atlantis’ rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ferguson and Magnus will install a camera in the window of the shuttle’s hatch for a view that will help them align Atlantis with the space station.
  
  The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crew’s day or earlier if warranted. The crew is scheduled to go to sleep just before 6:30 p.m.
  
• #33 by jacqmans on 10 Jul, 2011 08:35
• STS-135 MCC Status Report #03   
  
  HOUSTON – Atlantis astronauts inspected the orbiter’s thermal protection system with its robotic arm and attached 50-foot boom Saturday. They also prepared rendezvous tools for arrival at the International Space Station.
  
  Docking with the orbiting laboratory is scheduled for a little after 10 a.m. CDT Sunday.
  
  Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus spent much of their day gathering visual and electronic data on the reinforced carbon carbon of the wings’ leading edges and the nose cap. Experts on the ground will review the data to ensure they have not been damaged.
  
  No obvious issues were reported. If analysis reveals any indication of damage the crew could be asked to conduct a focused inspection of any suspect area.
  
  While the inspection was under way, the fourth crew member, Mission Specialist Rex Walheim, spent much of his afternoon on Atlantis’ middeck. He worked to prepare items carried into orbit there for transfer to the space station.
  
  In addition to the middeck cargo, Atlantis is bringing to the station the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, packed with supplies and equipment for the station. Raffaello is to be unberthed from the cargo bay and installed on the station’s Harmony node early Monday. After unloading, it will be packed with station discards and other items, and put back in the cargo bay for return to Earth.
  
  After the heat shield survey and the work with the middeck cargo, all four crew members worked to prepare for rendezvous and docking with the station. Hurley and Walheim checked out rendezvous tools while Ferguson and Magnus installed the centerline camera and extended the orbiter docking system ring.
  
  
• #34 by jacqmans on 10 Jul, 2011 08:36
• STS-135 MCC Status Report #04   
  
  HOUSTON – Space shuttle Atlantis’ crew began their third day in space at 2:29 a.m., just hours away from the scheduled final docking of a space shuttle with the International Space Station.
  
  The wakeup call for Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim came in the form of “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra. That song was played for Ferguson.
  
  The shuttle has been closing the distance between it and the space station since it reached orbit on Friday, and with the help of a final firing of the shuttle’s jets, scheduled for 7:29 a.m., it will finish closing that distance by 9:06 a.m. At that point, the shuttle will be directly below the International Space Station, and in place for the rendezvous pitch maneuver, a back flip that will expose the tiles on the shuttle’s underbelly to the space station, where station crew members will be standing by with cameras to document its condition.
  
  At the windows in the Russian segment of the space station, Flight Engineer Ron Garan will use a 800 mm camera to gather photos of Atlantis’ heat shield, while Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa will have a 400 mm camera, and Flight Engineer Sergei Volkov will use a 1,000 mm.
  
  The back flip will last about eight minutes. Once it’s complete, Ferguson will move Atlantis to a point 310 feet directly in front of the space station and begin slowing down so that the station can catch up with the shuttle, for a 10:07 a.m. docking. After a series of leak checks, hatches between the two vehicles are scheduled to open at 12:19 p.m.
  
  The next status report will be issued at the end of the crew’s day or earlier if warranted. Atlantis’ crew is scheduled to go to sleep just before 6 p.m.
  
  
• #35 by jacqmans on 11 Jul, 2011 16:10
• STS-135 MCC Status Report #05   
  
  HOUSTON – Atlantis docked with the International Space Station at 10:07 a.m. CDT Sunday with a cargo-carrying module in its payload bay filled with equipment and supplies for the orbiting laboratory.
  
  “Atlantis arriving,” said Flight Engineer Ron Garan after the ceremonial ringing of the station’s bell. “Welcome to the International Space Station for the last time.”
  
  After a pause to let the relative motion between the two spacecraft dampen out and do leak checks, hatches separating crews were opened at 11:47 a.m. Shuttle crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim, entered the station moments later to begin their week-plus stay.
  
  First came the standard safety briefing for the new arrivals. Then work began.
  
  Ferguson and Hurley used the shuttle arm to take its 50-foot extension boom from the station’s Canadarm2 operated by station Flight Engineers Garan and Satoshi Furukawa. The station arm had plucked the boom from its stowage position on the shuttle cargo bay sill. The handoff was to prepare to use the boom for any needed shuttle heat shield inspection later this week. Magnus worked with TV setup and Walheim transferred spacewalk gear.
  
  Docking had gone just as planned. Ferguson and the crew of space shuttle Atlantis began their final approach to the station from about eight miles distance with the terminal initiation burn at 7:29 a.m.
  
  About 600 feet below the station, Atlantis did a backflip to enable station crew members to photograph the shuttle’s heat shield. Flight Engineers Mike Fossum, Satoshi Furukawa and Sergei Volkov used cameras with 1,000 mm, 800 mm and 400 mm lenses, respectively, to take high resolution digital photos of the shuttle’s upper and lower surfaces. The photos were being sent to mission control to be evaluated by experts on the ground to look for any damage.
  
  Flight controllers began monitoring reports from the Department of Defense’s U.S. Strategic Command that a piece of orbital debris may come near the station and shuttle complex about noon on Tuesday. The debris, part of satellite COSMOS 375, is one of more than 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in Earth’s orbit. The team expected updated tracking information following today’s docking to help determine if a maneuver using the shuttle’s thrusters is necessary to avoid the debris.
  
  
• #36 by jacqmans on 11 Jul, 2011 16:10
• STS-135 MCC Status Report #06   
  
  HOUSTON – Space shuttle Atlantis’ crew will be getting down to the main objective of their mission today, as they temporarily install the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module on the International Space Station and begin unloading its contents.
  
  The crew started their fourth day in space at 2:02 a.m., after being awakened by the Chumbawamba song “Tubthumping.” It was played for Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus.
  
  Magnus, along with Pilot Doug Hurley, will be at the controls of the space station’s robotic arm beginning at 4:09 a.m. to remove the Raffaello module from the shuttle’s cargo bay. They’ll install it on the station’s Harmony node 30 minutes later.
  
  Once that is complete, Magnus will work with Commander Chris Ferguson to prepare the module’s hatch for opening at 12:39 p.m., after which the crew will begin unloading the 9,402 pounds of supplies it carried into space.
  
  In addition, Ferguson and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim will begin moving another 2,281 pounds of cargo brought up on Atlantis’ middeck over to the space station. And later in the day, the entire shuttle crew will come together with station Flight Engineers Ron Garan, Satoshi Furukawa and Mike Fossum to review the procedures for the mission’s spacewalk. Fossum and Garan will perform that spacewalk on Tuesday.
  
  Meanwhile, here on the ground, flight controllers were able to verify that the track of a piece of orbital debris they began watching on Saturday will not be a threat to the shuttle and station. No adjustments to the shuttle and station’s orbit will be necessary to avoid the debris, which is part of satellite COSMOS 375 and one of more than 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in Earth’s orbit.
  
  The next status report will be issued at the end of the crew’s day or earlier if warranted. The crew is scheduled to go to sleep just before 6 p.m.
  
  
• #37 by jacqmans on 11 Jul, 2011 18:44
• RELEASE: 11-224
  
  NASA INVITES PUBLIC TO "VIRTUAL DINNER" WITH FINAL SHUTTLE CREW
  
  HOUSTON -- The public can share a virtual dinner with the final space
  shuttle crew on Thursday, July 14 by preparing grilled chicken,
  barbecue brisket, baked beans and southwestern corn at home using
  NASA's recipes.
  
  Food scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston prepared the
  special "All-American Meal" for the STS-135 shuttle crew, as the
  iconic American spacecraft makes its last voyage. The four shuttle
  astronauts, and possibly the six International Space Station crew
  members, are scheduled to eat the meal on the fifth day of the
  STS-135 mission.
  
  "Since the mission is in July, we thought it would be fun to have a
  typical summer meal often enjoyed in our backyards with friends and
  family," said Michele Perchonok, NASA food scientist and manager of
  the shuttle food system.
  
  For the special space recipes or "formulations" as they are called by
  NASA food scientists, plus more information, video and imagery,
  visit:
  
  
  http://go.nasa.gov/AllAmericanMeal
  
  
  The crew's All American menu begins with crackers, brie cheese and
  sausage. The main course features grilled chicken, Southwestern corn
  and baked beans. The meal concludes with the quintessential American
  dessert, apple pie. The shuttle and station crews both have the meal
  on their menus, but the station crew has barbecued brisket as the
  entree.
  
  The crackers, brie, sausage and apple pie are commercial off-the-shelf
  products repackaged for spaceflight. NASA food scientists prepared
  the chicken, brisket, corn and beans in a laboratory at Johnson
  before the mission.
  
  For more information about the STS-135 mission, including the crew's
  full menus, visit:
  
  
  http://go.nasa.gov/STS-135
  
  
  NASA's web coverage of STS-135 includes mission information, a press
  kit, interactive features, news conference images, graphics and
  videos. Mission coverage, including the latest NASA Television
  schedule, is available on the main space shuttle website at:
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
  
  
  NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the
  mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news
  conferences and 24-hour commentary. For NASA TV streaming video,
  downlink and schedule information, visit:
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
  
  
  Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout
  the mission and landing. To access the feed, go to the NASA.gov
  homepage or visit:
  
  
  http://www.twitter.com/nasa
  
  
• #38 by jacqmans on 12 Jul, 2011 05:24
• STS-135 MCC Status Report #07   
  
  HOUSTON – Atlantis astronauts moved the Raffaello cargo carrier from the shuttle’s cargo bay to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony node early Monday.
  
  Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus moved the multi-purpose logistics module using the station’s Canadarm2. The installation of Raffaello was completed a little after 5:45 a.m. CDT.
  
  After leak checks, hatches between Raffaello and the station were opened before noon. Unloading of the more than 9,400 pounds of supplies and equipment aboard Raffaello was scheduled to begin early Tuesday.
  
  The module is to be unloaded, then filled with 5,666 pounds of equipment and discards no longer needed on the station. It is scheduled to be taken from the Harmony node port and reinstalled in Atlantis’ cargo bay on Monday, July 18, several hours before crews of the two spacecraft say goodbye and close hatches. Atlantis is now scheduled to undock from the station that evening at 11:56 p.m.
  
  Mission managers said Monday afternoon Atlantis’ stay at the station would be extended for one day. The first Kennedy Space Center landing opportunity for Atlantis would be at 4:56 a.m. July 21. Landing had been scheduled for July 20, but conservation of power-generating consumables made the extension possible.
  
  Managers also determined that after Saturday’s inspection, further detailed inspections of Atlantis’ heat shield are not required. A customary, final inspection will be completed after Atlantis undocks from the station.
  
  Other activities on the crews’ schedules today included continuing transfer of items between the shuttle’s middeck and the station. Atlantis brought almost 2,300 pounds of experiments, equipment and supplies for the station in the shuttle’s middeck lockers.
  
  Shortly before the end of their workday, the four shuttle crew members and station Flight Engineers Ron Garan, Mike Fossum and Satoshi Furuakawa met for about an hour to review procedures for Tuesday’s spacewalk. Beginning about 7:45 a.m., Garan and Fossum, who did three spacewalks together during STS-124 in June 2008, will leave the Quest airlock for the 6.5-hour outing.
  
  Major spacewalk activities include retrieving a failed 1,400-pound pump module and installing it in the shuttle cargo bay for return to Earth, installing a robotic satellite refueling experiment and setting up a materials experiment.
  
• #39 by jacqmans on 12 Jul, 2011 17:53
• MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-142
  
  NASA SETS NEWS CONFERENCE WITH SHUTTLE AND SPACE STATION CREWS
  
  HOUSTON -- The 10 crew members aboard space shuttle Atlantis and the
  International Space Station will hold a news conference at 8:24 a.m.
  CDT on Friday, July 15. Reporters may ask questions in person from
  participating NASA centers, including Johnson Space Center in
  Houston, Kennedy Space Center in Florida and NASA Headquarters in
  Washington.
  
  To participate, U.S. journalists must call the public affairs office
  at one of the NASA centers by 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 12. 
  
  
  Reporters at Johnson who do not have STS-135 mission credentials must
  request access badges by July 14. Reporters must be in place at least
  20 minutes before the news conference begins.
  
  The final shuttle mission is delivering the Raffaello multi-purpose
  logistics module filled with supplies and spare parts to sustain
  space station operations after the shuttles are retired.
  
  NASA Television will provide live coverage of the 40-minute news
  conference. Part of the conference will be for Japanese media outlets
  in native language. NASA TV will replay the event with translation at
  10 a.m.
  
  For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit:
  
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
  
  
  For information about the STS-135 and the Space Shuttle Program,
  visit:
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
  
  
  For information about the station's Expedition 28 crew and the station
  program, visit:
  
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/station   
  
  
  -end-