There are 3 messages totalling 102 lines in this issue

Topics of the day:

1. STS-119 MCC Status Report #16
2. NASA AWARDS CONTRACT TO JACOBS TECHNOLOGY INC
3. STS-119 MCC Status Report #17

Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:06:27 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: STS-119 MCC Status Report #16

STS-119 Report #16 Monday, March 23, 2009 - 9:00 a m CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

Readying the International Space Station for a larger crew by moving an equipment cart and completing the deployment of a cargo carrier will be the hub of today’s activities outside the station for the third and final spacewalk by Discovery's astronauts

Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold, each performing their second spacewalk, are expected to exit the station at 10:43 this morning They plan to relocate a cart that moves along the rails of the space station's truss, attempt to complete the deployment of a cargo carrier that exhibited a balky pin during the second spacewalk Saturday and finish swapping electrical relays to the station’s gyroscopes

Arnold also will lubricate one of the two end effectors of the space station's robotic arm, duplicating the work done by spacewalker Shane Kimbrough on the opposite end during the STS-126 mission

After spending much of Sunday working on the Urine Processing Assembly, Station Commander Mike Fincke was successful in getting the system up and running on a “wet spin,” the processing of the unit’s first sample, before retiring for the evening The UPA continued working through the evening and completed its first cycle at 1:35 a m

The urine recycling unit is part of an overall system designed to regenerate wastewater and urine into drinking water that will allow the complex to increase its crew size from three to six Samples of the water will be returned aboard Discovery

Discovery crew members, Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Acaba, Arnold, Steve Swanson, John Phillips and Sandra Magnus, were awakened at 5:43 a m CDT with the song “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens” by Louis Jordan It was played for Swanson

Discovery’s crew is scheduled to go to bed at 9:13 p m today and be awakened at 5:13 a m Tuesday

The next status report will be issued Monday evening or earlier if events warrant

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NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail

Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:24:38 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: NASA AWARDS CONTRACT TO JACOBS TECHNOLOGY INC

March 23, 2009

Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111

David E Steitz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1730

Report #C09-014

NASA AWARDS CONTRACT TO JACOBS TECHNOLOGY INC

WASHINGTON -- NASA will exercise the first of two one-year options on a five-year contract to Jacobs Technology Inc , of Tullahoma, Tenn , for test and evaluation support at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, N M NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the facility

This option is worth $54 million and brings the total contract amount to date to $216 5 million The initial value of the contract was $162 5 million If all options are exercised, the contract's total value will be $270 5 million The hybrid, cost-plus award fee, and indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract began May 1, 2006 This action extends the contract through April 30, 2010

Jacobs will provide services for performance of White Sands' primary mission, which includes materials and component testing, propulsion testing and depot activities

For information about NASA's White Sands Test Facility, visit:

http://www nasa gov/centers/wstf/home/index html

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NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov with the following command in the body of your e-mail message: "unsubscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) or from another account, besides the account used to subscribe: "unsubscribe hsfnews youremail@yourdomain com" (no quotes)

Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:50:56 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: STS-119 MCC Status Report #17

STS-119 Report #17 Monday, March 23, 2009 - 9 p m CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – The International Space Station is ready for space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-127 mission in a few months now that spacewalking astronauts have completed all of the mandatory tasks in preparation for its crew size growth to six and the addition of the Japanese exposed facility

The third and final planned spacewalk of the mission by Mission Specialists Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold began with the most important task, which was to relocate one of two crew equipment carts from one side of the Mobile Transporter to the other That provides clearance margin for STS-127 assembly tasks, including attachment of the exposed facility onto the Japanese science laboratory

As on the second spacewalk Saturday, the astronauts had trouble freeing a stuck mechanism to allow deployment of a spare equipment platform and deferred that to a future spacewalk Because of that problem, Mission Control made a conscious decision to forego work on a similar payload attach system on the opposite side of the truss in case the problem was generic

The six hour 27 minute spacewalk also included lubricating the end effector capture snares on the station’s robot arm – similar to what was done to the other end on an STS-126 spacewalk in late 2008 This has been proven to prevent the snare from snagging or not returning snuggly into its groove inside the latching mechanism

Inside the station a successful run using the Urine Processor Assembly took place collecting 15 pounds of reclaimed drinking water Samples will be returned aboard Discovery for analysis before crew members will be given the “go” to drink the water aboard the station

Tuesday all crew members will enjoy some off duty time before gathering for their traditional news conference beginning about 12:05 p m

The nine astronauts and one cosmonaut will receive a wake up call from Mission Control at 5:13 a m Tuesday

The next status report will be issued Monday evening or earlier if events warrant

#

NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to listserv@listserver jsc nasa gov In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes) This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail

End of HSFNEWS Digest - 23 Mar 2009 to 24 Mar 2009 (#2009-27)

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