There are 2 messages totalling 62 lines in this issue

Topics of the day:

1. STS-127 MCC Status Report #30
2. STS-127 MCC Status Report #31

Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:10:51 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: STS-127 MCC Status Report #30

STS-127 Report #30 1:30 a m CDT Thursday, July 30, 2009 Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – Twin satellite deployments and a check of the systems that will control Endeavour’s return home to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, are on tap today as the shuttle leads the International Space Station in orbit

The crew was awakened at 1:03 a m CDT to the sounds of “I Got You Babe,” performed by Sonny and Cher The song was a special request for Koichi Wakata, the first Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut to serve as a long-duration resident of the station Wakata spent 133 days as an Expedition 18, 19 and 20 crewmember, and will be returning home after 138 days in space

Early in the day, STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky and Pilot Doug Hurley will test the thruster jets and aerodynamic control surfaces that will be used to guide Endeavour to a landing planned for 9:48 a m Friday Flight Director Bryan Lunney and the entry team of flight controllers will be in Mission Control to monitor the tests

Once those checks are complete, the crew will deploy two pairs of small satellites

The first, called Dual RF Astrodynamic GPS Orbital Navigator Satellite (DRAGONSat), will look at independent rendezvous of spacecraft in orbit using Global Positioning Satellite data The two satellites, to be ejected from Endeavour’s cargo bay at 7:33 a m , were designed and built by students at the University of Texas, Austin, and Texas A&M University, College Station

The second, called Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment-2 (ANDE-2), will be deployed at 12:22 p m The ANDE-2 microsatellites will measure the density and composition of the rarified atmosphere 200 miles above the Earth’s surface

On the space station, the Expedition 20 crew is scheduled to “walk” Canadarm2 away from its current base on the Harmony module to the Mobile Base System on the station’s truss backbone That will position the arm for a ground-controlled move of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator from the Destiny Laboratory to the mobile base later in the day Body mass measurements, housekeeping and research also are planned

The station crew will go to bed at 4:30 p m , and the shuttle crew will begin its sleep shift at 5:03 p m The next shuttle status report will be issued at the end of the crews’ day, 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: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:44:19 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: STS-127 MCC Status Report #31

STS-127 Report #31 Thursday, July 30 - 5 p m CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – Leaving behind in orbit a new porch for the International Space Station, two pair of small research satellites, and a new space station resident, the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour is turning its attention toward home

Endeavour is scheduled to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Friday with a touchdown at 9:48 a m CDT The shuttle would begin its descent from orbit with a deorbit engine firing at 8:42 a m CDT In preparation for that landing, Endeavour's payload bay doors would be closed at 6:02 a m CDT Weather conditions at Kennedy are forecast to be favorable for landing, although a slight chance of rain is possible

A second opportunity exists for a landing in Florida on Friday, beginning with a deorbit engine firing at 10:17 a m CDT, leading to an 11:22 a m CDT touchdown No other shuttle landing sites are being considered for a Friday landing If weather prevents a landing Friday, alternate landing sites would be called up for Saturday’s landing opportunities

Today, Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky and Pilot Doug Hurley checked out the systems the shuttle will use as it returns home, finding everything in excellent shape The crew also deployed two pairs of small satellites from canisters in the shuttle’s payload bay The first, called Dual RF Astrodynamic GPS Orbital Navigator Satellite (DRAGONSat), studies the independent rendezvous of spacecraft in orbit using Global Positioning Satellite data The two satellites were designed and built by students at the University of Texas, Austin, and Texas A&M University, College Station

The second pair of satellites, called Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment-2 (ANDE-2), measure the density and composition of the rarified atmosphere 200 miles above the Earth’s surface

Endeavour will bring home Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, who has spent 138 days in space and was a member of three station expedition crews NASA astronaut Tim Kopra launched aboard Endeavour and remains on the station as a resident

Endeavour's crew begins its sleep period at 5:03 p m CDT The crew will awaken at 1:03 a m CDT Friday The next shuttle status report will be issued after landing, 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

End of HSFNEWS Digest - 30 Jul 2009 to 31 Jul 2009 (#2009-85)

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