There are 3 messages totalling 102 lines in this issue

Topics of the day:

1. STS-119 MCC Status Report #24
2. SPACE STATION CREWS HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE FROM ORBIT
3. STS-119 MCC Status Report #25

Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:06:09 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: STS-119 MCC Status Report #24

STS-119 Report #24 Friday, March 27, 2009 - 7:00 a m CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

The astronauts on space shuttle Discovery will spend today getting themselves and their ship ready to wrap up their mission with a Saturday afternoon landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida

The crew’s wakeup song, “Bright Side of the Road” by Van Morrison, was played at 4:13 a m CDT for Mission Specialist Richard Arnold

While their crewmates begin stowing items in the crew cabin this morning, Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Flight Engineer Steve Swanson will check out Discovery’s flight control surfaces, which guide the orbiter’s unpowered flight through the atmosphere, and test fire the reaction control system thrusters, which control the shuttle’s orientation as it begins its re-entry through the atmosphere

After a full crew deorbit preparation briefing, all seven crew members will crowd onto the flight deck at 12:03 p m to talk about their flight with students gathered at Punahou School in Honolulu

This afternoon they’ll continue packing for entry and landing, including stowing the antenna for the Ku band communications system, which is used for high data rate communications including television transmission Mission Specialists John Phillips and Sandra Magnus will set up a recumbent seat on the middeck for Magnus so she can recline during the shuttle’s return to Earth, to ease her body’s transition to a gravity environment after more than four months as an International Space Station crew member

Meanwhile, the Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt and spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi is closing in on the International Space Station; docking is scheduled for 8:14 a m Saturday Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov are scheduled for Soyuz deorbit refresher training today as they await the arrival of their replacements Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency continues his familiarization with station systems and operations

The next status report will be issued this 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: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:09:39 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: SPACE STATION CREWS HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE FROM ORBIT

March 27, 2009

Katherine Trinidad Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100

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

Report #M09-049

SPACE STATION CREWS HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE FROM ORBIT

HOUSTON -- The two crews aboard the International Space Station will answer questions about their upcoming change of command in a news conference at 9:10 a m CDT, Wednesday, April 1

Expedition 19 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Mike Barratt will arrive at the station Saturday to join Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Lonchakov Fincke and Lonchakov have been living and working aboard the station since October They will return to Earth April 7 with Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi

Simonyi, a U S software engineer, will spend 10 days on the station under a commercial agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency He also will be available to answer questions during the news conference

Journalists who want to participate must call the public affairs office at their preferred NASA center by 10 a m Tuesday NASA Television will provide live coverage of the 30-minute news conference For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit:

www nasa gov/ntv

For more information about the space station and its crew members, visit:

www nasa gov/station

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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: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:29:53 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: STS-119 MCC Status Report #25

STS-119 Report #25 Friday, March 27, 2009 - 5:30 p m CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – The astronauts on space shuttle Discovery are preparing to spend what is planned to be their final night in orbit, with wake up set for 4:13 a m Saturday to ready for a 12:39 p m landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Weather conditions are forecast to be acceptable for the shuttle's return home to Florida

Discovery's crew will go to sleep at 8:13 p m Following wake up on Saturday, they will begin deorbit preparations at 7:33 a m Discovery will fire its engines at 11:33 a m to begin the descent to Florida A second opportunity is available if needed for Discovery to land at Kennedy on Saturday, beginning with a deorbit burn engine firing at 1:08 p m leading to a 2:14 p m touchdown

Kennedy is the only landing site being considered for Discovery on Saturday

While Discovery is preparing to come home, a new crew will be arriving at the International Space Station The Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt and spaceflight participant Charles Simonyi is set to dock to the complex at 8:14 a m on Saturday

The next status report will be issued following Discovery's Saturday landing, or earlier if events warrant

-end-

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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 - 27 Mar 2009 to 28 Mar 2009 (#2009-31)

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