Horowitz Credit - www.spacefacts.de

Personal: Male, Married, One child. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. PhD US Air Force US Air Force

Astronaut Career

Astronaut Group: NASA Group 14 - 1992. Inactive Entered space service: 31 March 1992. Left space service: October 2004. Number of Flights: 4.00. Total Time: 47.44 days.

Left NASA for a position with ATK Thiokol, promoting shuttle-derived vehicles for use as the CEV launch vehicle. NASA Official Biography

NAME: Scott J. "Doc" Horowitz, Ph.D. (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF)

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA:

Born March 24, 1957, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but considers Thousand Oaks, California, to be his hometown. Married to the former Lisa Marie Kern. They have one child. He enjoys designing, building, and flying home-built aircraft, restoring automobiles, running, and softball. His father, Seymour B. Horowitz, resides in Thousand Oaks, California. His mother, Iris D. Chester, resides in Santa Monica, California. Her parents, Frank and Joan Ecker, reside in Briarwood, New York.

EDUCATION:

Graduated from Newbury Park High School, Newbury Park, California, in 1974; received a bachelor of science degree in engineering from California State University at Northridge in 1978; a master of science degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1979; and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1982.

ORGANIZATIONS:

Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Experimental Aircraft Association, and the Order of Daedaleans.

SPECIAL HONORS:

USAF Test Pilot School Class 90A Distinguished Graduate (1990); Combat Readiness Medal (1989); Air Force Commendation Medals (1987, 1989); F-15 Pilot, 22TFS, Hughes Trophy (1988); F-15 Pilot, 22TFS, CINCUSAFE Trophy; Mission Ready in the F-15 Eagle at Bitburg Air Base (1987); Systems Command Quarterly Scientific & Engineering Technical Achievement Award (1986); Master T-38 Instructor Pilot (1986); Daedalean (1986); 82nd Flying Training Wing Rated Officer of the Quarter (1986); Outstanding Young Men In America (1985); Outstanding T-38 Instructor Pilot (1985); Outstanding Doctoral Research Award for 1981-82 (1982); Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society (1980); Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society (1978); 1st Place ASME Design Competition.

EXPERIENCE:

Following graduation from Georgia Tech in 1982, Scott worked as an associate scientist for the Lockheed-Georgia Company, Marietta, Georgia, where he performed background studies and analyses for experiments related to aerospace technology to validate advanced scientific concepts. In 1983, he graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. From 1984 to 1987, he flew as a T-38 instructor pilot and performed research and development for the Human Resources Laboratory at Williams Air Force Base. The following two years were spent as an operational F-15 Eagle Fighter Pilot in the 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron stationed at Bitburg Air Base in Germany. In 1990, Scott attended the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was subsequently assigned as a test pilot flying A-7s and T-38s for the 6512th Test Squadron at Edwards. Additionally, from 1985 to 1989, Scott served as an adjunct professor at Embry Riddle University where he conducted graduate level courses in aircraft design, aircraft propulsion and rocket propulsion. In 1991, as a professor for California State University, Fresno, he conducted graduate level courses in mechanical engineering including advanced stability and control.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected as a pilot by NASA in March 1992, Scott reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992 . He successfully completed a year of initial training and assignments since then include: working technical issues for the Astronaut Office Operations Development Branch; support crew at the Kennedy Space Center for Shuttle launches and landings. A veteran of two space flights, he has logged over 617 hours in space. He served as pilot on STS-75 in 1996 and STS 82 in 1997.

STS-75 launched February 22, 1996 and landed back at the Kennedy Space Center on March 9, 1996. Principal payloads on STS-75 were the reflight of Tethered Satellite System (TSS) and the third flight of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-3). The TSS successfully demonstrated the ability of tethers to produce electricity. The TSS experiment produced a wealth of new information on the electrodynamics of tethers and plasma physics before the tether broke at 19.7 km, just shy of the 20.7 km goal. The crew also worked around the clock performing combustion experiments and research related to USMP-3 microgravity investigations used to improve production of medicines, metal alloys, and semiconductors. The flight was completed in 252 orbits covering 6.5 million miles in 377 hours and 40 minutes.

STS-82, the second Hubble Space Telescope (HST) maintenance mission, launched at night on February 11 and returned to a night landing at Kennedy Space Center on February 21, 1997. During the 9-day flight, the crew retrieved and secured the HST in Discovery's payload bay. In five space walks, two teams installed two new spectrometers and eight replacement instruments, as well as replacing insulation patches over three compartments containing key data processing, electronics and scientific instrument telemetry packages. Following completion of upgrades and repairs, HST was redeployed and boosted to a higher orbit. The flight was completed in 149 orbits covering 3.8 million miles in 9 days, 23 hours, 37 minutes.

• 22 February 1996 Flight: STS-75. Flight Up: STS-75. Flight Back: STS-75. Flight Time: 15.74 days.

• 11 February 1997 Flight: STS-82. Flight Up: STS-82. Flight Back: STS-82. Flight Time: 9.98 days.

• 19 May 2000 Flight: STS-101. Flight Up: STS-101. Flight Back: STS-101. Flight Time: 9.84 days.

• 10 August 2001 Flight: STS-105. Flight Up: STS-105. Flight Back: STS-105. Flight Time: 11.88 days.

5 December 1992 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 14 selected.. The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm.. Four pilots and 15 mission specialists, nine civilians and ten military. Chosen from 2054 applicants, 87 of which screened in December 1991/January 1992. Five additional international astronauts.

Payloads: Tethered Satellite System (TSS) Reflight (1R); Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) (part of United States Microgravity Payload 3); USMP-3; Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) 09, Block IV; Middeck Glovebox Experiment (MGBX) (part of USMP-3). During the deployment of TSS, the tether broke and the satellite was lost.

The Hubble Space Telescope was released back into orbit at 06:41 GMT on February 19. Discovery landed on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center at 08:32 GMT on February 21.

The next Shuttle crew to visit the ISS was finalized last week and includes Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yuri Usachev - the second crew that will live aboard the ISS next year. They now will take an early 'peak' at their home during the STS-101 mission that will be commanded by Jim Halsell and piloted by Scott Horowitz. Rounding out the crew will be Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber and Jeff Williams. Atlantis is being readied at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the launch scheduled for no earlier than April 13.

While vehicle processing continues, mission planners are working on stowage and maintenance tasks that will be carried out on the 11-day flight. A spacewalk by Williams and Voss will include checking the position of a small crane mounted outside Zarya in addition to other tasks. The crane was installed during a spacewalk on the most recent Shuttle visit to the ISS. Plans call for Williams and Voss to ensure the crane is properly secured in its mounting socket.

Meanwhile, battery cycling continues on orbit with two of the six batteries currently in restoration mode, which is a procedure periodically carried out to maintain the life and capacity of each unit. At present, three batteries are supplying all the electrical needs of Station equipment.

STS-101 is designed to not only supply the Station with more logistics for use by future crews, but also to replace some of Zarya's aging batteries and other equipment in preparation for the arrival of the Zvezda service module in July. Presently, Zvezda is being readied for a launch between July 8-14.

Station managers plan to hold a meeting with the International Partners in the next week or two to finalize updates to the assembly sequence that will include launch target dates for the remainder of this year. That schedule will include Russian supply launches using the Progress resupply vehicles in addition to Shuttle logistics and assembly missions.

The first shuttle flight after the arrival of the Zvezda was approved to take place within a month after the service module's arrival. That STS-106 crew will be commanded by Terry Wilcutt with Scott Altman serving as pilot. Mission specialists include Dan Burbank, Rick Mastracchio, Ed Lu, Yuri Malenchenko, and Boris Morukov.

The International Space Station is in an orbit of 237 by 226 statute miles. Since the launch of Zarya in 1998, the ISS has completed more than 7,227 orbits. S

Launch is set to occur at about 4:15 p.m. Eastern time to perform life-extension maintenance tasks on the Zarya module, and to deliver supplies to the inside and outside of the Station for use by future crews.

Commander Jim Halsell has resumed full training activities after spraining his ankle a couple weeks ago and practiced landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft last night. Joining Halsell on the mission are Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeff Williams, Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yuri Usachev. The latter three will focus their attention during the docked phase of the flight on repairing some equipment inside their future home.

Awaiting Atlantis' arrival, the International Space Station continues to operate with no major systems problems. Its electrical power system is being strategically managed to maximize the power required by operating systems inside the Zarya and Unity modules.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, the second and third stage engines have been delivered for final inspection and installation into the Proton rocket that will carry the next component of the ISS - the Zvezda service module - to orbit. Zvezda's launch remains slated between July 8 and 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The current orbit of the ISS is 232 by 215 miles. The average decay of the Station's orbit is about 1-1 ½ miles per week. The altitude can be raised by using Zarya's thrusters, but will be unnecessary if Atlantis arrives later this month since the orbiter will perform an altitude reboost of the ISS before departing near the end of the flight. The ISS now has completed more than 7,860 orbits since Zarya was launched in November 1998.

Workers at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida have completed a swap-out of the power drive unit on the orbiter and will spend the next few days completing retests to verify the borrowed unit from Columbia is in good working order. At present there is no anticipated schedule impact to the April 24 launch.

Meanwhile, halfway around the world in Russia and Kazakhstan, work continues in preparation for Zvezda's launch atop a Proton launch vehicle. The Proton that will carry Zvezda into space currently is being assembled at its manufacturing plant at the Krunichev Space Center in Moscow. Its assembly is scheduled to be completed in mid May with delivery to the Baikonur Cosmodrome scheduled about two weeks later.

Awaiting the Proton's arrival at the launch site is the Zvezda service module, which will house life support systems, serve as the living quarters, and provide the ISS with command and control and reboost capability through the early assembly sequence. Zvezda's launch remains targeted to occur between July 8 and 14.

STS-101 will be commanded by Jim Halsell and piloted by Scott Horowitz. Joining them are Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeff Williams, Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yuri Usachev. The seven-member crew will undergo their final physicals and wrap up training activities at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, this week prior to entering quarantine on Monday. The crew will fly to Florida next Friday, April 21, for the final three days of preparations prior to launch.

The current orbit of the ISS is 231 by 214 miles (372 x 344 kilometers). The average decay of the Station's orbit is about 1-1½ miles per week. While docked, Atlantis' reaction control system thrusters will be used to raise the orbit of the station by as much as 19 miles (about 30 kilometers). The actual orbit raising distance is calculated to 'place' the ISS at an altitude conducive to the rendezvous with Zvezda in late July. As of midday today, the station has circled the Earth more than 7,970 times since November 1998.

Final processing of the Shuttle is underway with the seven-member scheduled to arrive in Florida tomorrow at 3 p.m. East Coast time. Their arrival will be shown live on NASA Television.

The countdown begins tomorrow at 7 p.m. EDT leading toward a launch at the opening of a five-minute window at 4:15 p.m. Eastern.

Meanwhile, the on orbit Station is completing the final battery cycling of its four usable systems and will be in a good configuration for docking by the Shuttle next Wednesday. All systems are in good shape to support the rendezvous, docking and maintenance work scheduled throughout the STS-101 mission.

In addition to completing battery cycling, controllers will warm up the Unity module's shell so that it will be at the proper temperature when the Shuttle arrives. That activity should be completed before Monday's Shuttle launch.

At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, workers have completed electrical testing of the Zvezda service module, which is the next component of the ISS. Zvezda will be launched atop a Proton rocket in mid July. The ISS will dock with Zvezda about two weeks later near the end of July.

STS-101 will be commanded by Jim Halsell. Joining him on the crew are Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeff Williams, Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yuri Usachev.

The current orbit of the ISS is 229 by 213 miles (368 x 342 kilometers). The average decay of the Station's orbit is about 1-1½ miles per week. While docked, Atlantis' reaction control system thrusters will be used to raise the orbit of the Station by as much as 19 miles (about 30 kilometers). The actual orbit raising distance is calculated to position the ISS at the desired rendezvous altitude with Zvezda. As of midday today, the Station has circled the Earth more than 8,095 times since November 1998.

On May 22 mission specialists Jeff Williams and James carried out external maintenance work on the ISS.

On May 23 at 00:03 GMT the Atlantis crew opened the first hatch to PMA-2 and entered the Station. The crew replaced a set of batteries in Zarya, installed fans and ducting to improve airflow, and delivered supplies and equipment. Three hour-long orbit raising burns on May 24 and 25 by the RCS engines on Atlantis raised the station to a 372 x 380 km x 51.6 deg orbit.

The STS-101 crew left the station on May 26, closing the PMA-2 hatch at 08:08 GMT and undocking at 23:03 GMT. Atlantis performed a 180 degree flyaround of the station and departed the vicinity around 23:44 GMT.

Atlantis closed its payload bay doors around 02:30 GMT on May 29 and fired the OMS engines for deorbit at 05:12 GMT. The vehicle landed on RW15 at Kennedy Space Center at 06:20 GMT. Atlantis was to be turned around for the next ISS shuttle flight, STS-106.

Left in orbit was the renovated International Space Station, equipped with an upgraded electrical system, new fans, filters, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and communications gear.

Commander Jim Halsell, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeff Williams, Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yury Usachev will spend much of the day checking out orbiter systems and space walking equipment, while continuing to slowly close in on the station through a series of calculated rendezvous maneuvers.

The crew will examine and prepare the tools required to support rendezvous and docking operations as well as perform checks of the extravehicular mobility units, or space suits, that will be used by Williams and Voss during the planned space walk Sunday night into Monday morning. Both suits are checked far enough ahead of the space walk to ensure good working condition in plenty of time to allow for any required troubleshooting work by the specialists on the ground.

Also tonight and into tomorrow, Halsell will assist Weber in testing Atlantis' mechanical arm, checking its operation while conducting a video survey of the payload bay. This procedure will make certain the arm is functioning properly to support the space walk

Atlantis is currently in a highly elliptical orbit of 199 x 98 statute miles. At about 7 o'clock this evening, Central time, the shuttle was a little over 2,700 s.m. behind the station, closing in at a rate of about 546 s.m. every 90 minutes.

Riding aboard the upgraded and refurbished space Shuttle Atlantis, Commander Jim Halsell, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeff Williams, Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yury Usachev rocketed away from their Florida launch site at 5:11 a.m. Central time, a pre-dawn launch by Shuttle standards. Atlantis quickly rose into daylight as it raced up the Eastern seaboard in pursuit of the 76-foot long, 35-ton international station, which was flying over the Ukraine, southwest of Kiev.

The launch was Atlantis' first since September 1997. Atlantis recently underwent major modifications, including the introduction of a state-of-the-art, hi-tech glass cockpit filled with computer displays to replace the old cockpit dials and switches.

Atlantis launched on time after three delays last month caused by high winds at the launch site and at overseas emergency landing strips. Today, conditions were perfect. Atlantis is scheduled to link up to the space station at 11:31 p.m. Central time Saturday night (12:31 a.m. Eastern time Sunday morning).

Once on orbit, Atlantis' crew began to set up shuttle systems for the planned 10-day mission, preparing to open the ship's cargo bay doors, which will be followed by the activation of the double Spacehab module housed in the rear of the cargo bay, containing more than a ton of supplies the crew will transfer to the station.

The astronauts will begin their first eight-hour sleep period just five hours after liftoff, at 10:11 a.m. Central time, and will be awakened at 6:11 p.m. this evening to begin their first full day in orbit. Prior to the start of that sleep period, Halsell and Horowitz will fire Atlantis' maneuvering jets in the first of a series of maneuvers designed to put the shuttle on a precise course to the International Space Station.

After the first rendezvous maneuver, Atlantis will be circling the Earth in a slightly elliptical orbit of about 201 by 124 statute miles, inclined 51.6 degrees to either side of the equator.

As of about 6:30 p.m. this evening, the Shuttle trailed the station by about 70 nautical miles and was closing in by about 14 nautical miles with each orbit of Earth. The final phase of rendezvous will begin when Atlantis reaches a point about eight nautical miles directly behind the station and fires its engines in a terminal phase initiation burn at 8:39 p.m. Central.

The TI burn, as it is called, will put the Shuttle on a course directly toward the station during the next orbit of Earth. As Atlantis moves within about a half-mile of the station, Halsell will take over manual control of the Shuttle's approach, flying the Shuttle from controls in the aft cockpit. Atlantis will arrive at a point about 600 feet directly below the station about 10:09 p.m. Central, and Halsell then will begin a half-circle of the orbiting outpost. Atlantis will pass about 350 feet in front of the station and then move to a point about 250 feet directly above it about 10:34 p.m. Central.

Halsell will then begin to descend toward the station and, at about 10:38 p.m. Central, hold position at a point about 170 feet away. Halsell will maintain that distance for about 20 minutes to allow the station to move within range of Russian ground communications stations before continuing the approach. At 11:20 p.m., Halsell will hold position again briefly at a point about 30 feet from the station to ensure the Shuttle and station docking mechanisms are precisely aligned. Docking is expected about 11 minutes later with the Shuttle contacting the station at a slow rate of about a tenth of a foot per second.

During the rendezvous, Pilot Scott Horowitz will assist Halsell in controlling Atlantis' approach. Mission Specialists Susan Helms and Yury Usachev also will assist with the rendezvous and docking, with Mary Ellen Weber and Jeff Williams operating the Shuttle's docking mechanism.

After docking, a hatch leak check will be performed and the astronauts will review plans for Sunday night's scheduled space walk by Williams and Jim Voss. Atlantis' crew will not open the hatch to the Unity module and enter the station until Monday evening, 24 hours after the space walk is completed.

Atlantis' Commander Jim Halsell and Pilot Scott Horowitz tested the navigation equipment and flight controls they will use late tonight to rendezvous with and then dock to the station. They also fired Atlantis' engines periodically to adjust the rate at which the Shuttle is closing in on the station. Atlantis is 430 statute miles behind the station now, closing in 30 statute miles with each orbit of Earth. Atlantis will continue that closing rate throughout the day while the crew sleeps.

During an engine firing Friday evening using both large orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines on Atlantis, flight controllers saw an indication that one of two propellant valves for the left OMS engine may have failed to close. The engine's backup valve did operate normally, and the engine remains in good operating condition. However, as a precaution, the left engine will not be used again until Atlantis is ready to deorbit at the completion of the flight. Controllers are continuing to analyze the information and are uncertain if the valve actually did not operate properly or whether the indication may have been an errant sensor reading. The right OMS engine alone can be used for large rendezvous engine firings with no impact on the mission.

Astronauts Jeff Williams and Jim Voss checked the spacesuits and equipment they will use during the upcoming spacewalk, finding them in good shape. Three suits -- one for Williams, one for Voss and a spare, which could be used by either -- were checked out aboard Atlantis. Williams and Voss were assisted in the checks by Horowitz, who will coordinate the spacewalk activities from within the cabin. Later, fellow crew member Mary Ellen Weber successfully tested the Shuttle's robotic arm. Weber will operate the arm during the spacewalk to maneuver Williams and Voss between Atlantis and the station. Weber uncradled the arm this morning and used it to survey the Shuttle's payload bay. Later, Weber powered on the docking system Atlantis will use to attach to the station and extended the system's docking ring. The ring latches onto the station when the Shuttle makes contact and is then retracted to secure the two spacecraft together.

The crew will begin a sleep period at 8:11 a.m. and awaken at 4:11 p.m.. At 8:39 p.m., with Atlantis trailing the International Space Station by about 50,000 feet, Halsell will fire the Shuttle's engines to initiate the final phase of the rendezvous. Just before 10 p.m., as Atlantis reaches a point about a half-mile below the station, Halsell will take over manual control of the approach. He will reach a distance of about 170 feet from the station at 10:39 p.m. Docking is expected at about 11:31 p.m. Atlantis is in an orbit with a high point of 204 miles and a low point of 199 miles, circling Earth every 90 minutes.

Voss and Williams started the spacewalk early and remained ahead of schedule throughout. The astronauts secured a United States-built crane that was installed on the station last year; installed the final parts of a Russian-built crane on the station; replaced a faulty antenna for one of the station's communications systems; and installed several handrails and a camera cable on the station's exterior. The six-hour, 44-minute spacewalk began at 8:48 p.m. CDT Sunday and was completed at 3:32 a.m. CDT today. Assisting with the activities from inside Atlantis' cabin was Pilot Scott Horowitz while Mission Specialist Mary Ellen Weber operated the Shuttle's robotic arm, which she used to maneuver Voss during much of the spacewalk.

The extravehicular activity conducted by Voss and Williams marks the fifth spacewalk conducted for construction of the International Space Station; the 49th spacewalk based out of the Space Shuttle; and the 85th spacewalk in history conducted by U.S. astronauts.

The crew's attention now turns to entering the station, a process planned to begin at 7:11 p.m. today. The astronauts will open a total of six hatches as they move through the station's compartments. The first hatch into the station's Unity connecting module will be opened about 7:56 p.m. and the first hatch into the Zarya module will be opened about 9:11 p.m. Once inside the station, the crew will begin transferring equipment and performing maintenance work immediately. Replacement of four batteries in the Zarya will begin about 11:31 p.m., with astronaut Susan Helms and cosmonaut Yury Usachev scheduled to install two new batteries and their associated electronics. Helms and Usachev will install the remaining two replacement batteries later during the docked phase of the flight.

The crew plans to go to sleep at about 8 this morning and will be awakened by Mission Control at 3:56 p.m., with the focus of work this evening being the first entry into the station. Atlantis and the International Space Station remain in good condition orbiting Earth each 91 minutes with a high point of 209 statute miles and a low point of 203 statute miles.

Astronaut Susan Helms and Cosmonaut Yury Usachev were the first crew members to enter the station as they opened the first of five station hatches at 7:03 p.m. CDT Monday. Helms and Usachev then opened the hatch into the station's Unity connecting module a half-hour later and were quickly joined by Astronaut Jim Voss. Voss, Helms and Usachev are scheduled to live aboard the station for more than four months next year as the second resident station crew. Helms and Usachev next entered the Zarya module at 7:53 p.m. CDT and opened the final station hatch, accessing Zarya's main compartment, at 7:58 p.m. The crew went to work in the modules immediately, placing ducting throughout the station to improve air circulation and prevent problems with stale air that were experienced during a mission last year. Because of problems reported by the crew of that previous mission, STS-96 in May 1999, the ducting was modified for this flight and Atlantis' crew has reported no problems with air circulation.

Maintaining a pace hours ahead of schedule, Helms and Usachev replaced two of six batteries in the Zarya module along with some associated battery-charging electronics. Two additional fresh batteries will be installed on successive days of the mission. This morning, station controllers in Moscow have begun charging the first of the two newly installed batteries, finding it functioning perfectly thus far. The crew also installed three fresh fire extinguishers in Zarya, replacing three that were nearing the end of their design life. Inside the Unity module, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialist Jim Voss replaced a power distribution box for a United States-built communications system. The crew also inspected the station for signs of condensation or mold, finding all areas clean and dry.

Aboard Atlantis, Mission Specialist Mary Ellen Weber readied more than a ton of supplies -- ranging from sewing kits and trash bags to an exercise treadmill and IMAX film camera -- for transfer to the station beginning this evening. The crew also began filling several water containers that will be left aboard the station as well to await future resident station astronauts.

The crew will begin a sleep period at 7:41 a.m. CDT and awaken for Day 6 of the mission at 3:41 p.m. CDT. This evening, Commander Jim Halsell will fire Atlantis' steering jets 27 times over an hour to boost the average altitude of the station by about nine statute miles. A similar process will be repeated twice more later in the mission to increase the station's average altitude by a total of about 27 statute miles before Atlantis departs. The higher altitude will aim the International Space Station toward the optimum orbit for a link up with the Russian Zvezda living quarters module planned for launch in July.

The Atlantis and station complex are now in an orbit with a high point of 208 statute miles and a low point of 204 statute miles, circling Earth each 91 minutes.

Halsell along with Pilot Scott Horowitz and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeff Williams, Susan Helms, Jim Voss and Yury Usachev will spend their second day inside the station as they continue the maintenance work and supply transfer activities that began yesterday. During their first day, Atlantis' crew moved 870 pounds of supplies and equipment inside the station. That material along with the 326 pounds of equipment attached to the exterior of the station by Williams and Voss during their space walk means almost 1,200 pounds of gear already have been transferred to the station. A total of 3,381 pounds of equipment and provisions will be transferred to the station before Atlantis undocks.

Maintenance work on Flight Day Six will include the third of four planned replacements of station batteries. Helms and Usachev will repeat the procedures they followed yesterday when the first two batteries were replaced. One of the batteries replaced yesterday already has been recharged and been pronounced in excellent condition. The second replacement battery will go through its charging and checkout shortly. All of the battery replacement work is carefully designed so that at least four batteries are always online and available to support station operations.

Other maintenance work on schedule today includes the installation of new smoke detectors, and replacement of fire extinguishers that are nearing the end of their design life.

The first of three planned station reboost maneuvers is scheduled to take place tonight at 7:01 p.m. CDT. The maneuver will see Atlantis' steering jets fire 27 times over a 58 minute period to boost the average altitude of the station by about nine statute miles. A similar process will be repeated tomorrow and again on Thursday to increase the station's average altitude by a total of about 27 statute miles before Atlantis departs. The higher altitude will aim the International Space Station toward the optimum orbit for a link up with the Russian Zvezda living quarters module planned for launch in July.

Late this evening, Halsell, Williams and Voss will take a few minutes to conduct a trio of interviews with reporters from the Cable News Network, Armed Forces Television and Space.Com. The interviews are scheduled to begin at 11:41 p.m. CDT.

The Atlantis and station complex continues to operate in fine fashion orbiting the Earth once every 91 minutes.

Halsell, Horowitz and Mission Specialists Mary Ellen Weber, Jeff Williams, Susan Helms, Jim Voss and Yury Usachev will spend their third day inside the station continuing the maintenance work and supply transfer activities that began Monday evening. During their first two days inside the station, the astronauts have moved more than a ton (2,049 pounds) of supplies and equipment inside the facility to be used by the first station crew. More than 3,000 pounds will be transferred to the station before Atlantis undocks on Friday evening.

Helms and Usachev already have completed the replacement of the fourth and final battery. The second battery replaced on Monday evening is fully recharged and working well as it supports station operations. The third battery, which was replaced last night, has begun its 20-hour charging process. All of the battery work is designed so that at least four of the station's six batteries are available to support station systems.

Other work on tap for this evening includes the replacement of a Zarya radio telemetry system which has reached the end of its design life. The radio telemetry system collects and stores station data when ground station communications are not available. The crew also will fill four large water bags and transfer the bags to the station to join seven similar bags left during the STS-96 mission last year. The water bags will be part of the potable water supply used by the first station crew when it arrives later this year.

Tonight also will see the second of three planned reboost maneuvers to raise the station's altitude. The one-hour procedure will involve 27 pulse firings of Atlantis's maneuvering thrusters. The three reboosts will raise the station to a new altitude about 237.5 x 227 statue miles and will place the station in the optimum altitude for the arrival of the Zvezda Service Module when it is launched in July.

Shuttle and station managers have decided to move the undocking time to one orbit later. The new undocking time is now 6:07 p.m. CDT on Friday, May 26th and will happen while the two spacecraft are over Russian ground stations. The later undocking will allow the crew to get a full eight-hour sleep period. Atlantis will make shortened fly around, one half revolution of the station, before leaving the vicinity of the station. The later undocking will have no impact to Atlantis' landing at Kennedy Space Center which still is planned for 1:18 a.m. CDT Monday, May 29th.

Later this evening at 10:11 p.m. CDT, Halsell, Horowitz and Helms will participate in a trio of interviews with the ABC Radio Network, KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon, and a webcast education event for the Housing and Urban Development agency.

The Atlantis and station complex continues to operate well, completing one orbit of the Earth every 91 minutes.

Commander Jim Halsell and pilot Scott Horowitz fired Atlantis' steering jets 27 times during almost an hour Tuesday evening to gently lift the 35-ton outpost about 10 miles higher. The same process will be repeated again tonight and on Thursday to boost the station by about 27 miles in total and leave it in an orbit with an average height of about 233 miles when Atlantis departs on Friday.

As has been the case through much of the mission, the crew completed most jobs ahead of schedule. Inside the Zarya module, Astronaut Susan Helms and Cosmonaut Yury Usachev completed the installation of a third fresh battery for the station. A fourth battery will be installed tonight. Meanwhile, station controllers in Moscow completed charging the first of two batteries installed in Zarya yesterday, and it is now operating perfectly. Controllers are charging the second new battery installed in the station, although the charging of that battery was interrupted briefly early this morning by an unforeseen conflict that prevents conducting charging and battery installation work simultaneously. The interruption halted the battery charging for about an hour and a half, but the process is now again under way with no problems. Controllers are confident the new battery is in good condition and are revising plans to ensure no similar conflict occurs as the crew is installing the final new battery tonight.

The crew also installed 10 new smoke detectors in Zarya, replacing detectors that had reached the end of the lifetime for which they were designed to operate. The astronauts replaced four cooling fans in Zarya for the same reason. In addition, they completed the installation of new cabling for the module's central computer that will allow that computer to be turned on and off via a United States-built backup station communications system. As the installation work progressed, the crew continued transferring items ranging from exercise equipment to computer printers to the station for use by future crews. Well over 1,200 pounds of gear have been moved from Atlantis to the station thus far.

Tonight, Helms and Usachev will install the final new battery in the station. Later, Halsell and Horowitz will fire Atlantis' jets to perform the second part of the three-part station reboost. Then the crew's attention will turn to unloading various supplies from Atlantis and stowing them aboard the station. The crew will take a short break from their work at 10:21 p.m. CDT for an interview with ABC radio news; KOIN-TV of Portland, OR; and a Department of Housing and Urban Development educational group.

Atlantis and the International Space Station are in an orbit with a high point of 219 miles and a low point of 212 miles, circling Earth every 91 minutes.

The main task of the day will be completing the transfer of gear and supplies to the station. In the first three days of transfer activities, the crew has moved more than 3,000 pounds of material onto the station.

The third and final reboost maneuver began a few minutes ago at 6:36 p.m. CDT. Like the two previous reboosts, Atlantis' reaction control system jets will be fired 27 times over a 58 minute period to gently raise the station. At the end of tonight's reboost, it is expected that the station's average altitude will have been raised by 27 statue miles.

The astronauts have completed all battery work on the station. The third battery that was replaced has completed its recharging and testing and has been put back online supporting station operations. The fourth and final new battery will begin its recharge later this evening and will be back online before Atlantis undocks tomorrow evening.

Shortly before they begin exiting the station for the final time, Halsell, Horowitz and Weber will take a few minutes to conduct a trio of interviews with three news organizations -- CBS Newspath, Fox News Network and KTBS-TV in Shreveport, LA -- starting at 9:11 p.m. CDT.

Just before 11:30 p.m., Halsell and his crew will reverse the steps they used when they entered the station Monday evening, closing each of the five hatches associated with station components or transfer tunnels. The overall process of closing out the station and preparing for undocking is expected to take about two hours to complete.

Everything remains on schedule for undocking on Friday evening at 6:07 p.m. CDT. Atlantis will perform a one half revolution of the station, before the final separation burn is initiated. Atlantis remains on track for a landing back at Kennedy Space Center at 1:18 a.m. CDT on Monday, May 29th.

Late Wednesday, Astronauts Susan Helms and Jim Voss along with Cosmonaut Yury Usachev completed the installation of a fourth and final fresh battery in the station. Station flight controllers in Russia have completed charging two of the newly installed batteries and they are operating perfectly. The third new battery is currently undergoing a 20-hour charging process, although controllers did note some apparently irregular readings in data during the early portions of the charging activity. However, after further analysis, controllers now believe the irregular information was likely a ground communications problem and that the battery is in excellent condition. Charging of the fourth new battery will begin later today and be completed before Atlantis undocks from the station on Friday.

Later, Voss and Williams installed several new storage compartments behind panels in the Zarya module. Helms and Usachev also installed a new Radio Telemetry System in the module, a memory unit that can store data onboard when the station is not in communications with the ground. The new memory unit replaces one that was nearing the end of its planned operational lifetime.

Commander Jim Halsell and Pilot Scott Horowitz fired Atlantis' steering jets to perform the second part of a three-day maneuver that is raising the station's orbit. Atlantis' jets were fired 27 times over the course of almost an hour to raise the Atlantis-station complex's average altitude by about nine miles. The third and final orbit-raising activity is planned tonight and will leave the station about 27 miles higher than when Atlantis arrived, in an optimum orbit to await the launch of a station living quarters module by Russia in July.

The crew has transferred more than a ton of gear -- ranging from sewing kits to clothing -- to the station to await use by the first resident crew. Among the items transferred this morning were a stationary bicycle ergometer as well as four 12-gallon bags of drinking water. Tonight, the crew will wrap up the transfer of equipment to the station with plans in place to unload a total of more than 3,000 pounds of gear by the time Atlantis leaves. Halsell, Horowitz and Mary Ellen Weber will take a brief break from their activities at 9:11 p.m. CDT for an interview by CBS News, Fox News and KTBS-TV of Shreveport, LA.

The crew will begin a sleep period at 7:11 a.m. CDT and awaken at 3:11 p.m. to begin the eighth day of the mission. Atlantis is scheduled to undock from the station at 6:07 p.m. CDT Friday and land at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 1:18 a.m. CDT Monday.

The Atlantis-International Space Station complex is now in an orbit with an altitude of about 225 miles, circling Earth every 91 minutes.

"I couldn't be happier with the way this mission has gone," Lead Flight Director Phil Engelauf said. "Our accomplishments are at more than 100 percent for the flight."

"The crew will be leaving a pristine International Space Station behind them," added Paul Hill, Lead Station Flight Director.

Highlights of the crew's work aboard the station included the installation of four new batteries and associated electronics; 10 new smoke detectors in the Zarya module; four new cooling fans; additional cables for the Zarya computer to enhance its capabilities; a new communications memory unit; and a new power distribution box for the United States-built backup communications system. A new communications antenna, the final parts of a Russian crane, and various cabling and handholds were installed on the station's exterior by Astronauts Jeff Williams and Jim Voss during a six-hour, 44-minute spacewalk. All of the new equipment has been checked out and is in excellent condition.

The crew unloaded over 3,300 pounds of gear from Atlantis. Subtracting equipment removed from the station and stowed on Atlantis, the net change in mass for the station is about one additional ton. Along with the new electrical equipment installed, the crew also stowed supplies for future crews aboard the station, including about 48 gallons of water in four 12-gallon bags; a treadmill, exercise bicycle ergometer, and resistive exercise device; and sewing kits, trash bags, clothes, tools, books, note pads and can openers, among other items. Overseeing the unloading and stowing of supplies was Astronaut Mary Ellen Weber. Also, Commander Jim Halsell and Pilot Scott Horowitz fired Atlantis' steering jets in gentle, hour-long maneuvers during each of the past three days to raise the station's orbital altitude by 27 miles. The station is now in the optimum orbit to await the arrival of the next major station component -- a Russian-built living quarters that will launch in July.

Astronaut Susan Helms and Cosmonaut Yury Usachev began backing out of the station -- closing five hatches behind them -- by closing a hatch to the Zarya module's main compartment at 12:23 a.m. CDT. The final hatch to the station was shut at 3:04 a.m. CDT as the orbiting complex flew about 234 miles above the Red Sea. Helms, Usachev and Voss will again visit the station next year to spend more than four months as the second crew to live aboard. In total, the astronauts on Atlantis spent three days, eight hours and one minute with the hatches open to the station during the mission.

Atlantis' undocking from the International Space Station is planned for 6:03 p.m. CDT, followed by a half-loop flyaround of the station - from above to underneath - before firing its jets for the final separation. Atlantis and the station are in an orbit with a high point of 238 miles and a low point of 230 miles, circling Earth every 92 minutes.

Undocking occurred at 6:03 p.m. Central time, as Pilot Scott Horowitz slowly backed Atlantis away from the space station and then flew a half-circle around the station, before firing Atlantis' jets in a final separation burn at 6:41 p.m. Atlantis' crew leaves behind a refurbished and rejuvenated space station with four new batteries, 10 new smoke detectors, and four new cooling fans in the Zarya module, a revamped communications system in the Unity module and 1 ½ tons of other supplies, including clothing and water.

Now flying solo, the seven-member Atlantis crew will enjoy several hours of off-duty time tonight in recognition of the ambitious pace of work they maintained throughout this flight. Commander Jim Halsell, Horowitz, and Mission Specialists Jeff Williams, Mary Ellen Weber, Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yury Usachev will power down some of the equipment used during today's undocking and flyaround, and then will perform some routine housekeeping tasks before beginning their scheduled off duty time.

Toward the end of the crew's day, Usachev will take some time to talk with Russian media gathered at the Russian Mission Control Center just outside of Moscow in an event scheduled at 4:26 a.m. Central time Saturday morning. Usachev, along with crewmates Voss and Helms, will visit the station again next year to spend more than four months on board as the second resident crew scheduled to live on board.

The station is now in the optimum orbit to await the arrival of the next major station component -- a Russian-built living quarters that will launch in July -- flying in an orbit with a high point of 238 miles and a low point of 230 miles, circling the Earth every 92 minutes.

Atlantis undocked at 6:03 p.m. CDT, leaving behind a pristine space station after spending five days, 18 hours and 32 minutes attached to the orbiting outpost. After flying a half-loop around the station, Pilot Scott Horowitz fired Atlantis' jets to separate from the vicinity. The crew then had a well-deserved half-day break.

This evening, Commander Jim Halsell and Horowitz will test the equipment Atlantis will use during the return home to ensure it remains in good condition. They also will test-fire the shuttle's steering jets, used to control the orientation of the spacecraft as it re-enters the atmosphere. The crew will participate in a press conference from orbit at 10:41 p.m. CDT, fielding questions from media at JSC, Kennedy and at the Russian Mission Control Center.

Atlantis is in excellent condition, as is the International Space Station, now 50 miles behind the Shuttle and moving 7 miles further with each orbit of Earth. For a touchdown in Florida at 1:20 a.m. CDT on Monday, Atlantis would fire its engines to begin a descent at 12:16 a.m. CDT Monday. A second opportunity also exists for a landing in Florida on the next orbit, with an engine firing by Atlantis to begin the descent at 1:53 a.m. CDT Monday leading to a touchdown at 2:56 a.m. CDT Monday. The long-range weather forecast for Monday at the Kennedy Space Center calls for possible showers and low clouds in the vicinity, conditions that could be unacceptable for landing.

The crew begins a sleep period at 7:11 a.m. CDT and will awaken at 3:11 p.m. to begin what is planned to be their final full day in orbit, a day devoted to the pre-landing checkouts and packing.

Shortly after 7 p.m. today, Commander Jim Halsell, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams successfully test fired Atlantis' steering jets and verified the performance of the various aerosurfaces that will be used during Atlantis' high-speed return to Earth. This checkout of Atlantis' flight control surfaces and systems is a routine activity on the day prior to landing to verify that all required systems are operating as expected. The tests were monitored by Entry flight director John Shannon from Mission Control in Houston.

As Halsell, Horowitz and Williams conducted their work from the flight deck, crewmates Mary Ellen Weber, Jim Voss, Susan Helms and Yury Usachev continued stowing away equipment used over the past nine days on orbit. Throughout the five days of docked operations with the International Space Station, the Spacehab module in Atlantis' payload bay served as a way station for more than 3,000 pounds of material transferred between the two vehicles. As the astronauts prepare for their Memorial Day landing, they will ensure that equipment housed in that module -- and in Atlantis' crew cabin -- is properly stowed and secured in place.

Midway through the crew day -- about 11 p.m. -- the astronauts will gather for a final review of entry and landing procedures, and then will continue their stowage activities. Williams and Voss, who conducted a 6 1/2 hour space walk earlier in the mission, also will pack up and stow away their spacesuits and associated hardware.

The crew will take time from tonight's entry preparations to talk with reporters located at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Russian Mission Control Center outside of Moscow in an interview scheduled to begin at 10:41 p.m.

Preliminary weather forecasts for Monday morning's landing indicate a slight possibility of rain within 30 miles of the landing site, and cross winds in excess of acceptable limits. The weather forecasts will be refined over the course of the next 24 hours in preparation for landing. For a 1:20 a.m. Central time landing at KSC, Atlantis' orbital maneuvering system engines would be fired in a deorbit burn at 12:13 a.m. In the event weather precludes a landing on the first opportunity, a second opportunity exists for a landing in Florida on the next orbit, with a deorbit burn at 1:50 a.m. resulting in a 2:56 a.m. landing.

Saturday evening, Commander Jim Halsell, Pilot Scott Horowitz and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams successfully test fired Atlantis' steering jets and verified the performance of the equipment Atlantis will use for its trip home, finding everything in good shape. Early Sunday, Halsell fired Atlantis steering jets to lower its orbit by about nine miles, a maneuver that optimizes the landing opportunities that will be available for the shuttle.

For a 1:20 a.m. Monday landing at KSC, Atlantis' orbital maneuvering system engines would be fired in a deorbit burn at 12:13 a.m. In the event weather precludes a landing on the first opportunity, a second opportunity exists for a landing in Florida on the next orbit, with a deorbit burn at 1:50 a.m. resulting in a 2:56 a.m. landing. The weather forecast for landing indicates acceptable conditions, although forecasters will be monitoring the progress of a front moving toward Florida throughout the day and its potential effect on winds at the Shuttle Landing Facility runway.

Two opportunities for a landing in Florida also are available on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, if needed. Also on Wednesday, Atlantis could land at Edwards Air Force Base, California, if required.

The crew sleep period begins at 7:11 a.m. and will end with a wake-up call from Mission Control at 3:11 p.m. Central. They will begin deorbit preparations in earnest just after 8 p.m. The shuttle's payload bay doors would be closed at about 9:30 p.m. and a go or no go decision would be made by Mission Control at about midnight in preparation for a 1:20 a.m. Monday landing.

Commander Jim Halsell flew Atlantis to a nighttime touchdown at the Florida spaceport at 1:20 a.m. Central time to complete a 4,076,000 mile mission, the second Shuttle flight of the year. It was the 14th nighttime landing in Shuttle history and the 22nd consecutive mission to end with a landing at KSC. Halsell was joined on Atlantis' flight deck by Pilot Scott Horowitz, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and Mission Specialist Mary Ellen Weber. Crewmates Susan Helms, Jim Voss and Yury Usachev were seated down on the orbiter's middeck for entry and landing.

Atlantis returned to Earth after Flight Director John Shannon determined that crosswinds at the Kennedy Space Center's three-mile long landing strip were gentle and steady, enabling him to give the astronauts the green light to come home on time. Halsell fired the Shuttle's braking rockets at 12:12 a.m. Central time, allowing Atlantis to drop out of orbit for its high-speed descent. Atlantis passed over southern Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico before crossing over the Sarasota / Ft. Myers area of Florida en route to the Cape. Atlantis broke the quiet of the pre-dawn hours in Central Florida with a double sonic boom just minutes before touchdown, heralding its arrival at the landing site as it went subsonic.

Left in orbit is the renovated International Space Station, equipped with an upgraded electrical system, new fans, filters, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and communications gear. ISS flight controllers report that the complex is functioning in excellent condition. The Station is orbiting at an altitude of about 238 statute miles, awaiting the arrival of its next component, the Russian Service Module "Zvezda", which is scheduled to be launched on a modified Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in July. The ISS will automatically rendezvous and dock with "Zvezda" about two weeks after the new module is placed in orbit.

Atlantis will now be processed for the next Shuttle flight in early September to return to the International Space Station with another crew for the outfitting and supply of the newly arrived Service Module. That flight, STS-106, will be led by veteran Commander Terry Wilcutt.

The STS-101 astronauts will spend Memorial Day relaxing with their families in Florida before returning to Houston Tuesday afternoon at around 1:30 p.m. Central time for a welcoming ceremony at Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center. JSC employees and families are invited to attend the ceremony.

Almost immediately after Atlantis departed following its mission to install an addition on the home in space, station Commander Yury Usachev, and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms began unpacking and stowing supplies delivered by Atlantis, while at the same time beginning to prepare for the arrival of their replacement crew.

The Expedition Three crew consists of Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. The three will be delivered aboard Discovery by its crew of Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Dan Barry and Pat Forrester.

The STS-105 and Expedition Three crews will travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Sunday and the countdown begins Monday.

While Discovery's countdown to launch to the ISS is set to begin, half a world away at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the fifth Progress supply craft is being readied for launch Aug. 21 followed Sept. 15 by the launch of the next station component - a Russian docking compartment named Pirs, the Russian word for pier.

Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev, Voss and Helms also continue to oversee a variety of science investigations while packing for the trip home.

The International Space Station (ISS) is orbiting in excellent shape at an altitude averaging 240 miles (385 km).

The STS-105 mission to deliver the third resident crew to the ISS is scheduled to launch tomorrow at 4:38 p.m. Central time as the ISS sails over the Southern Ocean south of Adelaide, Australia at an altitude of around 240 statute miles.

Discovery's Commander, Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow, and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry are ready to ferry Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin to the Station for a four-month mission, succeeding Usachev, Voss and Helms, who have been aloft since March 8.

Discovery was cleared for launch earlier this week by Shuttle managers after reviewing the status of fuel injector units used in the hydraulic power units that steer the Shuttle's solid rocket booster nozzles during the first two minutes of powered flight.

Last night aboard the ISS, one of three command and control computers (C & C 1) which is used as a backup for the operation of some Station systems experienced a problem reading its hard drive, or Mass Storage Device. The hard drive stores commands for a variety of vehicle activities on the U.S. segment of the complex. Flight controllers attempted to reboot the computer with no success and are continuing efforts to bring it back into operation. This computer has lost only some of its functional capability. The Station's primary computer (C & C 3) is operating normally, however, and a third computer (C & C 2) is being transitioned from standby status to act as the backup for C & C 3.

A newly refurbished command and control computer had already been manifested to be launched on Discovery to the ISS as a spare, and would be installed for operation, if required. The backup computer glitch has had no impact on Station operations and will not affect the joint mission to deliver the new Expedition crew to the orbital outpost.

As Usachev, Voss and Helms prepared to handover command of the Station to a new crew, Russian engineers prepared two vehicles for launch right after the STS-105 mission. At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, a Progress resupply ship is being readied for launch on August 21 to deliver food, fuel and supplies for the new Expedition Three crew. It is scheduled to dock to the aft docking port of the Zvezda Service Module on August 23, one day after the current Progress attached to the ISS is jettisoned. And the newest ISS module, a Russian Docking Compartment named Pirs, the Russian word for pier, is in the final stages of preparation for launch on September 15 to link up to the earthward facing docking port of Zvezda. It will provide a new docking port for future visiting Russian vehicles.

In addition to packing to come home, the Expedition Two crew continues to oversee a variety of science investigations.

The International Space Station (ISS) is orbiting at an altitude averaging 240 miles (385 km).

The 15,107 kg payload consisted of:

• Bay 1-2: Orbiter Docking System/External Airlock and 3 EMU spacesuits - 2160 kg
• Bay 4P: Adapter beam with G-780 (Mayo High School, Rochester, Minnesota experiment to study germination of faba beans) and PSP-1 (NASA-GSFC canister with passive experiments and ballast) - 200 kg
• Bay 5: Integrated Cargo Carrier/KYD - 1280 kg, with the Early Ammonia Servicer for the station's P6 truss- 640 kg and two small exposure experiments PEC-1 and PEC-2, to be installed on the be installed on the ISS Quest module as part of the MISSE materials exposure program
• Bay 7-12: MPLM FM1 (Leonardo) module - 9800 kg total including 3300 kg of payload to be transferred to the Station
• Bay 13P: Adapter beam with G-774 (Microgravity Smoldering Combustion (MSC) experiment) and SEM-10 (canister with 11 school experiments) - 410 kg
• Bay 13S: Adapter beam with Simplesat and ACE avionics - 355 kg
• Sill: RMS arm - 410 kg

The Leonardo MPLM module was lifted out of Discovery's payload bay at 1326 GMT on August 13 and docked to Unity's nadir at 1554 GMT. 3300 kg of cargo from Leonardo was transferred to the Station. Then 1700 kg of station garbage and materials were loaded into Leonardo. It was unberthed from Unity at 1816 GMT on August 19 and returned to the payload bay for the return to Earth at 1917 GMT.

Discovery undocked at 1452 GMT on August 20 with the Expedition 2 crew aboard, leaving Expedition 3 at the Station.

At 1830 GMT on August 20 the Simplesat test satellite was ejected from a GAS canister in the cargo bay. Discovery landed at Kennedy Space Center at 1822:58 GMT on August 22 on runway 15, after a deorbit burn at 1715 GMT. The Expedition Two crew of Usachyov, Voss and Helms had been in space for 167 days. Discovery was taken out of service after the flight for structural inspections. Its last maintenance down period was in 1995-1996.

As the station sailed over the Pacific Ocean southwest of the border between Mexico and Guatemala, Discovery rocketed away from Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center at 4:10 p.m. Central time en route to a rendezvous and docking Sunday afternoon.

Aboard Discovery were Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry along with Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. They will replace the Expedition Two crew, Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms, who were wrapping up their 155th day in space at the time of Discovery's launch.

Less than nine minutes after beginning its journey, Discovery settled into its preliminary orbit as the crew prepared to open the ship's payload bay doors prior to receiving the green light to begin orbital operations. This is the fifth shuttle mission of the year.

Discovery's crew will spend the next few hours unpacking equipment, setting up computers and conducting the first in a series of engine firings to refine the shuttle's orbit as it heads for the station. The crew will begin an eight-hour sleep period shortly after 11 p.m. and will be awakened at 7:15 a.m. Saturday for its first full day in orbit. That day will be devoted to preparations for Sunday's rendezvous and docking and eight days of joint operations with the Expedition Two crew, highlighted by the official transfer of command of the station from Usachev to Culbertson.

Aboard the station, Usachev, Voss and Helms have spent most of the past couple of weeks packing gear for the trip home aboard Discovery, and tidying up for the arrival of visitors about 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Discovery is in an orbit inclined 51.6 degrees to either side of the Equator with all of its systems operating normally.

Discovery's astronauts and cosmonauts, Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry, and Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, were awakened to "Back in the Saddle Again" by Gene Autry. It was played for Culbertson, making his third flight into space, eight years after he last flew.

At the time the crew was awakened, some 8000 statute miles separated Discovery from the ISS. A second firing of Discovery's orbital maneuvering systems engines is scheduled for early in the crew's day today to further adjust its orbit in preparation for rendezvous and docking with the station. Also scheduled today are the checkout of spacesuits to be worn by Barry and Forrester during two spacewalks next week, the preparation of rendezvous and navigation tools and a test of the shuttle's robotic arm, all routine work on the day before docking. Crewmembers also will perform a camera survey of Discovery's cargo bay with arm-mounted cameras.

Discovery is scheduled to linkup to the ISS tomorrow at 1:37 p.m. Central time as the two spacecraft fly over the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia, just south of the Indonesian island of Jawa.

The major objective of the STS-105 mission of Discovery is the swapout of the new resident Station crew, led by Culbertson, with the Expedition Two crew, Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms, who have been aboard the Station more than five months. They are to return to Earth aboard Discovery on August 22.

Discovery also is bringing equipment, supplies and scientific experiments to the Station. Almost 7,000 pounds of that cargo is in Leonardo, the Italian-built Multipurpose Logistics Module in Discovery's cargo bay. Once that is transferred to the station, Leonardo will be packed with other equipment, unused items and trash for return to Earth.

During their eight days docked to the station, Discovery Mission Specialists Barry and Forrester will perform two spacewalks. On the first, next Thursday, they will install a device called an Early Ammonia Servicer on the Station. It contains spare ammonia that could be used to cool Station systems should it be needed. During the second spacewalk, two days later, they will install heater cables for the station's large S0 truss segment, which will be delivered on a future mission, as well as handrails.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth in excellent shape with no issues being worked by the flight control team.

Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry, along with Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, checked out Shuttle systems, navigational tools and docking hardware in advance of Discovery's planned linkup to the ISS.

The docking is scheduled to occur Sunday at 1:38 p.m. Central time over the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia, just south of the Indonesian island of Jawa.

Forrester and Horowitz powered up, unfurled and checked out Discovery's 50-foot long robotic arm, which will be used by Forrester to move the Leonardo cargo module from Discovery's payload bay to the ISS for the transfer of food and supplies, and by Horowitz to transport Barry and Forrester around the Station during their two spacewalks next week.

In addition, Barry and Forrester tested the devices they will use tomorrow to measure Discovery's distance from the ISS and its rate of closure on the complex during the terminal phase of the Shuttle's approach to the Station. Discovery's docking mechanism was also checked out and its outer docking ring extended to ensure it is ready for tomorrow's capture of the ISS docking port on the forward end of the Station's Destiny laboratory module.

Next week, Barry and Forrester will test the spacesuits they will wear during their two excursions outside Discovery to attach a spare cooling reservoir to the ISS and to hook up heating cables for a large truss structure that will be mounted to the Station next year.

The crew enjoyed a few hours of spare time this afternoon to relax as they wound down for the start of an eight-hour sleep period just after 9 p.m. Central time tonight.

Aboard the ISS, Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms spent the day packing up personal items and preparing Station systems for tomorrow's arrival of their replacements, Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. This was the 156th day in space for the current occupants of the ISS.

The exchange of crew members on the Station will occur on Monday, although formal command of the Station will not be transferred from Usachev to Culbertson until a few hours before Discovery's undocking on August 20.

Almost 7,000 pounds of food, supplies and personal items for the Expedition Three crew are housed in Leonardo, the Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM).

Once the module is transferred to the Station and unpacked, it will be filled with equipment no longer needed on the ISS, including Expedition Two crew clothing and trash for return to Earth.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth in excellent shape with no issues being worked by the flight control team.

Discovery Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry, along with the Expedition Three crew, will begin rendezvous operations a little before 9 a.m. today. The shuttle will begin a final approach to the station from a point about 9 miles behind the outpost with the last major rendezvous maneuver scheduled at around 11:15 a.m.

With Discovery about 600 feet directly below the station, Horowitz will fly the shuttle in a quarter circle to a point in front of the complex. From there he will very slowly and precisely maneuver Discovery toward the station, pausing about 30 feet from the ISS to precisely align the docking mechanisms of the two craft.

Docking is expected to occur at 1:38 p.m. over the Indian Ocean just south of the Indonesian island of Jawa. The hatches separating the two spacecraft are to be opened around 3:30 p.m. allowing the current station residents, Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms to greet their replacements and the Discovery astronauts who will bring them home after more than five months in space.

ISS flight controllers are expected to ask the Expedition Two crew on Wednesday to try to reboot one of three command and control computers which experienced a hard drive problem last week and which has been put in standby mode with no impact to station operations. If the reboot does not recover the use of the hard drive, the crew may be asked to replace a component in the computer with a spare being brought to the station on Discovery. Two other command and control computers, a prime and a backup, are working perfectly in support of U.S. segment systems.

Discovery is orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes in good shape in pursuit of the International Space Station.

Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms looked on from the station's Destiny laboratory as Discovery arrived this afternoon, then worked in concert with their Shuttle counterparts to ensure a tight seal and a firm mate between the two vehicles.

At 3:41 p.m., hatches finally swung open between Discovery and the ISS, and the two crews greeted one another. First aboard the station was Culbertson to survey his home for the next four months. Within minutes, all ten astronauts and cosmonauts had shared greetings before settling in for a station safety briefing conducted by Usachev.

Monday the crews will attach the Leonardo cargo carrier to the station at about 9:30 a.m. and begin unloading its supplies.

Just prior to this operation, the two station crews will systematically begin the process of handing over command from Expedition Two to Expedition Three. The plan is for Culbertson and Helms to remove her form-fitting seat liner from the Soyuz spacecraft and replace it with Culbertson's at about 7 a.m. Two hours later at about 9 a.m., Dezhurov and Usachev will do the same followed at 12:30 p.m. by the seat liner swap of Tyurin and Voss. The Soyuz is used as a return vehicle in the event of a problem on the station.

Crew sleep is scheduled for about 8 tonight with a musical wakeup call from Mission Control at 5:10 a.m. Monday.

The station and shuttle complex is orbiting the Earth every 92 minutes in good shape.

The wakeup music was for Discovery Commander Scott Horowitz from his wife.

The Expedition Two crew became members of Discovery's crew yesterday after Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson and cosmonauts Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir Dezhurov transferred their personal seat liners to the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station, officially beginning the third Expedition aboard the orbital outpost.

Several tons of equipment, food and supplies for the new station crew will be unloaded today from the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, which was attached to the Unity module of the station yesterday. The two Expedition crews will begin extensive discussions today in a handover of operations, enabling the new residents to familiarize themselves with station systems and life on board the expanding complex.

Later today, Usachev and Dezhurov will spend some time loading updated software into the computers of the Zvezda Service Module. The new software is designed to create greater efficiency in Russian commanding of systems in their segment of the station.

Discovery also will perform a reboost of the station this afternoon, increasing its average altitude by around two statute miles. At 2 p.m. Usachev and Culbertson will discuss the progress of the flight with three television networks in a series of interviews to be broadcast on NASA Television.

Discovery and the station are orbiting at an average altitude of about 244 statute miles, orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes.

Barry and crewmate Pat Forrester will conduct the first space walk of Discovery's flight to the International Space Station at around 9:30 this morning to install the Early Ammonia Servicer on the station's P6 truss structure. The servicing unit contains spare ammonia that could be used in the station's cooling system, if needed.

They also will attach an experiment to the station to expose samples of materials to the space environment. Carrying the acronym MISSE, for Materials International Space Station Experiment, it contains about 1,500 samples of materials in two suitcase-like containers. The samples will remain outside the station for about a year, then will be returned to Earth for analysis.

Discovery Commander Scott Horowitz will operate the shuttle's robotic arm during the space walk. Pilot Rick Sturckow will serve as the space walk choreographer from inside the shuttle's cabin during the 61/2-hour space walk, which will be staged from Discovery's airlock.

A second space walk is planned for Saturday. Barry and Forrester will hook up heater cables for another truss structure to be delivered to the station next year.

Aboard the ISS, the computers of the Zvezda Service Module once again commanded the station's gyroscopes to assume control of the orientation of the complex at around 5 a.m. after Russian flight controllers completed their loading of upgraded software commands to those computers. In the meantime, Discovery maintained control of the complex until the computer upgrades were completed with no impact to station operations.

While Barry and Forrester conduct their space walk, the Expedition Three crew, Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, will continue stowage of equipment and supplies inside the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module for return to Earth. The Italian-built pressurized module brought almost 7,000 pounds of equipment, supplies and two scientific experiment racks to the station.

At 7:10 this morning, Culbertson and his crewmates plan to offer a few commemorative words to mark the 1000th day in space for the International Space Station since the Zarya module was launched on November 20, 1998 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Discovery and the station are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of 244 statute miles with all systems functioning normally.

Earlier today, the computers inside the Zvezda module once again assumed control of the station's attitude - or position in space -- after Russian flight controllers completed the loading of upgraded software commands to those computers. In the meantime, Discovery maintained control of the complex until the computer upgrades were completed with no impact to station operations.

The Expedition Three crew --Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin -- earlier today offered commemorative remarks on the occasion of the 1000th day in space for the International Space Station since the Zarya module was launched on Nov. 20, 1998 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Discovery and the station are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of 244 statute miles with all systems functioning normally.

Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms continued handover briefings with the Expedition Three crew while stowage of equipment, discarded items and belongings of the Expedition Two crew continued aboard the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module for return to Earth.

The new station Commander, Frank Culbertson, and Russian cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin, officially took command of the station Monday afternoon to begin a four month stay on the ISS. The Expedition Two crewmembers, which spent more than five months on the station, will return home aboard Discovery next week.

In preparation for the space walk set to begin about 9 a.m. Saturday, Dan Barry and Pat Forrester reviewed procedures and checked hardware that will be used during the excursion outside the station to hook up heater cables for a truss structure to be delivered to the station next year.

Shuttle Commander Scott Horowitz and Pilot Rick Sturckow performed the mission's second reboost of the station early in the day, raising the average altitude of the ISS by 2.2 statute miles (3.5 kilometers). Discovery's thrusters were systematically fired 253 times over the course of an hour. It was the final reboost planned prior to Discovery's departure Monday morning.

The crew heads to bed about 9 tonight, Central time and will be awakened by Mission Control at 4:10 a.m. CDT Saturday.

Discovery and the station are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of 247 statute miles with all systems functioning well.

Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms will continue handover briefings with the Expedition Three crew. The new station commander, Frank Culbertson, and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir Dezhurov have taken up residence aboard the station. The Expedition Two crewmembers, who spent more than five months on the station, will return home aboard Discovery next week.

Aboard Discovery, Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow, and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry, along with the Expedition Two crewmembers, were awakened at 4:10 a.m. Central time to the sounds of "Time Bomb", a song performed for Forrester by his sons, Patrick and Andrew.

On the heels of their successful space walk yesterday to install an ammonia coolant reservoir and a suite of experiments on the station, Barry and Forrester will be reviewing procedures and will check out hardware for the mission's second space walk on Saturday to hook up heater cables for a truss structure to be delivered to the station next year

Horowitz and Sturckow will perform the mission's second reboost of the station this morning, this one to raise the ISS' altitude by about two statute miles. The three Russian crewmembers aboard the shuttle/station complex will field questions from Russian reporters at the Russian Mission Control Center outside Moscow at 11:15 a.m. Central time. Three hours later, at 2:15 p.m., all ten crewmembers will hold a news conference with U.S. reporters at NASA centers. At 3 p.m., the crewmembers will gather for a change of command ceremony on the station as Expedition Two Commander Usachev passes the baton to Expedition Three Commander Culbertson. The formal handover of command actually occurred late Monday afternoon after the crews exchanged custom-made Soyuz seat liners for the return capsule docked to the station.

Discovery and the station are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of 244 statute miles with systems functioning well.

Discovery's astronauts, including the returning Expedition Two crew, were awakened at 4 a.m. Central time by "Hotel California," performed by the Eagles. It was requested for Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev by his wife.

The new station crew, Commander Frank Culbertson and Cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin, are beginning a four-month stay on the station. They will be separated from Discovery's crew by closed hatches to accommodate today's space walk

Barry and Forrester are to emerge from the shuttle's airlock a little after 9 a.m. Central time. Commander Scott Horowitz will operate the shuttle's robotic arm to move the space walkers around while Pilot Rick Sturckow will serve as the space walk choreographer.

The heating cables Barry and Forrester will install are for the S0 truss, to be delivered to the station next year. The space walk is the 26th in support of the assembly of the International Space Station and is expected to last around 6 hours.

Discovery and the station are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of 246 statute miles with all systems functioning well.

The ten crewmembers aboard Discovery and the station are spending their final day and night together prior to the farewell ceremony and hatch closing scheduled for about 7 a.m. CDT tomorrow. That follows the wakeup call from Mission Control set for 4:40 a.m.

Leonardo brought almost 7,000 pounds of material to the station, including equipment, supplies and two scientific racks for the new Expedition Three crew of Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Leonardo - one of three pressurized cargo carriers provided by the Italian Space Agency - completes its second visit to the station.

Astronaut Pat Forrester carefully removed the high-tech moving van from the station and placed it back in Discovery's payload bay at 2:15 p.m. CDT. He was backed up throughout the operation by Discovery Commander Scott Horowitz, who operated the arm during the spacewalks by Forrester and Dan Barry to outfit the station with spare equipment and scientific gear.

Once Discovery departs, Pilot Rick Sturckow will perform a strategic fly around of the station at a distance of about 400 feet before firing thrusters shortly after 11 a.m. to depart the vicinity of the complex. Wednesday afternoon, Discovery is set to return to the Kennedy Space Center with the Expedition Two crew of Yury Usachev, Jim Voss and Susan Helms. The three departed the Florida spaceport March 8 and will return after 167 days in space.

Meanwhile, Russian space officials are set to launch the fifth Progress resupply craft to the International Space Station Tuesday at 4:24 a.m. Central time followed by an automatic docking early Thursday. The Progress will carry supplies, food and equipment for the new Expedition Three crew. Its predecessor will be undocked Wednesday and commanded to burn up harmlessly in Earth's atmosphere.

Discovery and the ISS are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 246 statute miles with all systems functioning normally.

Discovery's crew, including the returning Expedition Two crewmembers, were awakened shortly after 4 a.m. Central time by the sounds of "Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters, played for Jim Voss by his wife Suzan.

Leonardo brought almost 7,000 pounds of material to the station, including equipment, supplies and two scientific racks for the new Expedition Three crew of Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. Leonardo, which is one of three pressurized cargo carriers for station resupply activities provided by the Italian Space Agency, is completing its second visit to the station.

Mission Specialist Pat Forrester will use the shuttle's robotic arm this afternoon to unberth Leonardo from the station and move it to Discovery, beginning the one-hour operation a little before 12:30 p.m. He will be backed up by Discovery Commander Scott Horowitz, who operated the arm during two successful space walks by Forrester and Dan Barry to outfit the station with critical spare equipment and scientific gear.

Overnight, controllers reworked the crewmembers' flight plan to give them some time off this afternoon after Leonardo is returned to Discovery. The day will be highlighted by final handover discussions between the two Expedition crews before hatches are closed one last time between Discovery and the station tomorrow morning just before 7 a.m. Central time. Discovery is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 9:52 a.m. Central time Monday to set the stage for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday afternoon, completing 167 days in space for Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev, Voss and Susan Helms.

Meanwhile, Russian space officials are all set to launch a new Progress resupply craft to the International Space Station on Tuesday at 4:24 a.m. Central time for a docking early Thursday. The Progress will carry supplies, food and equipment for the new Expedition Three crew. The Progress currently docked to the aft end of the Zvezda Service Module will be undocked on Wednesday and commanded to a destructive reentry in Earth's atmosphere.

Discovery and the ISS are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 246 statute miles with all systems functioning normally.

The final farewells and hatch closing are scheduled for just before 7 a.m. Central time. Discovery's crewmembers, Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow, and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry, assisted by the returning Expedition Two crew, Commander Yury Usachev and Astronauts Jim Voss and Susan Helms, will undock Discovery at 9:52 a.m. as the two craft sail over the south Pacific due west of the southern coast of Chile.

With Sturckow at the controls, the shuttle will conduct a flyaround of the station, circling it 11/4 times before the shuttle's jets are fired at 11:12 a.m. to drop Discovery into a lower orbit for final separation from the station.

The seven crewmembers aboard Discovery were awakened at 3:40 a.m. by the sounds of "Brand New Day," played by Sting. The song was for Helms, requested by her family and friends. She and her Expedition Two crewmates are wrapping up five and a half months on orbit.

Parked in Discovery's cargo bay is Leonardo, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module that brought 7,300 pounds of material to the station, including equipment, supplies and two scientific racks. It is returning to Earth with almost 2 tons of unneeded equipment from the station, trash and personal effects of the Expedition Two crew.

Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin are beginning a science-intensive increment that is scheduled to end with their replacement by the Expedition Four crew late this year.

Also on today's schedule for Discovery's crewmembers after undocking is the deployment of a small science satellite called Simplesat, designed to evaluate the use of inexpensive commercially available hardware in space. It is designed to demonstrate GPS attitude control and pointing in free flight. It will be spring-ejected from a canister at the rear of the Shuttle's cargo bay.

The Russians are all set to launch an unmanned Progress resupply craft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan tomorrow at 4:24 a.m. Central time. It is the fifth Progress to be launched to the station, and is scheduled to dock a little after 5 a.m. on Thursday, the day after the current Progress attached to the ISS is undocked from the rear of the Zvezda Service Module to burn up in the atmosphere with its load of trash.

Discovery and the ISS are circling the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of 246 statute miles. All systems are functioning well.

Discovery Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow, and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry, along with Expedition Two crewmembers Commander Yury Usachev, and Astronauts Jim Voss and Susan Helms, were awakened at 3:10 a.m. CDT to the sounds of "East Bound and Down" by Jerry Reed, at the request of their Houston-based training team.

Activities on board Discovery will focus on tomorrow's planned return trip to Earth as the astronauts stow away the equipment and hardware used during their mission and verify the performance of Discovery's landing systems. Horowitz, Sturckow and Barry will conduct the standard day-before-landing checkouts of the flight control surfaces, the rudder and flaps that will control the shuttle during its descent through the atmosphere.

Later in the day, they will set up three recumbent seats on Discovery's middeck for use by the returning Expedition Two crewmembers during Wednesday's re-entry. The seats are designed to minimize the forces of reentry after their more than five months in space.

Expedition Three crewmembers Frank Culbertson, Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin, were awakened about 12:30 a.m. to begin their first day alone aboard the space station. The day's plan includes activation and checkout of Express Rack 4 - one of two scientific racks for the U.S. laboratory Destiny delivered during STS-105 - exercise and a review of plans for unloading the next Russian unpiloted cargo carrier, Progress 5, scheduled to arrive at the station Thursday morning.

Crewmembers also activated the current Progress vehicle, docked at the rear of the station's Zvezda module, before closing the hatches that connect it to the station. Progress 4 is scheduled to be undocked from the station shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday. The new Progress supply ship - Progress 5 - was launched on a Soyuz rocket at 4:24 a.m. today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is scheduled to dock at the station about 5 a.m. Thursday with its cargo of fuel, food and equipment.

Discovery is circling the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of about 240 statute miles. Systems aboard the shuttle and the International Space Station are functioning well.

Leading the station now by more than a thousand miles, Discovery's aero surfaces and maneuvering engines were tested early today by the shuttle's Commander Scott Horowitz and Pilot Rick Sturckow while the remaining crewmembers busily prepared the cabin for the high-speed reentry.

Late in the day, the reclining seats that will be occupied by Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev, and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms were put into position on the orbiter's middeck. The reclined position has been proven to be the most comfortable method of return to Earth from space by long duration crewmembers.

Weather forecasters are predicting favorable conditions in Central Florida for Discovery's return to Earth, prompting mission managers to forego calling up support at the backup landing site in California.

To prepare for deorbit and landing activities, the shuttle crew will awaken at 3:10 a.m. Wednesday and start deorbit preparations about 6:45 a.m. The payload bay doors are to be closed at about 8 a.m. with the deorbit firing of the twin Orbital Maneuvering System engines on the tail of Discovery targeted for 10:37 a.m.

While Discovery was readied for the trip home, the Expedition Three crew of Frank Culbertson, Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin activated one of the two scientific racks delivered by Discovery's crew. The crew also prepared for the undocking of a Progress supply vehicle docked to the station since late May. The undocking is set for 1:05 a.m. Wednesday to make room for the next Progress already on its way following launch at 4:24 a.m. today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. As was its four predecessors, the 5 Progress is loaded with fuel, food and other equipment for use by the Expedition Three crew.

The launch pad now is free for the next launch of a Soyuz Sept. 15 delivering the Russian Docking Compartment to the station.

Discovery is circling the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of about 240 statute miles. Systems aboard it and the International Space Station are in excellent shape.

Discovery is about 1,300 statute miles ahead of the space station and widening the gap by about 50 miles per 90-minute orbit. The seven-member crew - Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow, Mission Specialists Dan Barry and Pat Forrester, along with the returning Expedition Two crew members, Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Susan Helms and Jim Voss - were awakened at 3:10 a.m. CDT to begin a day with two landing opportunities at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Weather conditions in Florida hold promise for today's landing, but the entry team of flight controllers will be watching for a chance of rain near the landing site.

The first opportunity would see a deorbit burn at 10:37 a.m., resulting in an 11:46 a.m. CDT (12:46 p.m. EDT) landing. Discovery would descend across southern Mexico, cross the Bay of Campeche, skirt the northwestern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, and cross the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall on Florida's western coast. For the second opportunity, the deorbit burn would occur at 12:17 p.m. The shuttle would cross northern Mexico, descend over the Rio Grande near Laredo, and fly along the Gulf Coast before crossing the Florida peninsula for a 1:23 p.m. landing.

Aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition Three crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and Cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - were awakened a little after midnight for the undocking of the Progress 4 vehicle. That spacecraft was moved to make way for the Progress 5 cargo vehicle which launched at 4:24 a.m. Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is scheduled to dock at the rear of the space station's Zvezda Service Module about 5 a.m. tomorrow.

Progress 4 docked to the space station last May 22 with a cargo of equipment, food, fuel and spare computer parts. After unloading, it was refilled with trash. Just before 1 a.m. flight controllers at Moscow's Mission Control Center sent the command for it to undock. About three minutes later, springs pushed it away from the station, and three minutes after that, Progress jet thrusters were fired to increase the separation rate. At about 4 a.m. a deorbit burn command initiated its descent to fiery destruction in the Earth's atmosphere.

Discovery is circling the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of about 240 statute miles. Systems aboard the shuttle and the space station are functioning well.

Following a one-orbit wave-off due to a rain shower that popped up off the end of the landing strip, STS-105 Commander Scott Horowitz fired Discovery's engines to begin the shuttle's return through the atmosphere, concluding a 4.3 million mile voyage. On Discovery's middeck, the Expedition Two crew - Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms - rode home in recumbent seats designed to lessen the effects of gravity.

Following routine medical examinations, the STS-105 crew - Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Dan Barry and Pat Forrester - along with the Expedition Two crew, will be reunited with their families. All seven crewmembers are expected back in Houston about 5 p.m. Thursday for a public welcome home ceremony at Ellington Field.

During their 12 days on orbit, the STS-105 astronauts worked with both the returning Expedition Two crew and newly-arrived Expedition Three crew to transfer more than two tons of experiment hardware, food and logistical supplies between Discovery and the station. In addition, Barry and Forrester performed two spacewalks to prepare the station for future growth.

In the meantime, aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition Three crew - Commander Frank Culbertson and Cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Mikhail Tyurin - are preparing for the arrival of a Progress 5 cargo vehicle which is scheduled to dock to the aft docking port of the Zvezda module of the Station about 5 a.m. tomorrow.

The unmanned Progress 5 craft linked up to the aft docking port of the Zvezda Service Module at 4:51 a.m. Central time (951 GMT) after an automated two-day excursion following its launch Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The docking occurred over Central Asia.

Within a few minutes after docking, hooks and latches were commanded to close between the Progress and Zvezda, forming a hard mate and a tight seal between the two craft. Hatches between the two vehicles will be opened later today, enabling Station Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin to unload some 3000 pounds of supplies and personal effects.

The arrival of the Progress vehicle at the Station sets the stage for the launch of the next module for the outpost next month --- the Russian Docking Compartment named Pirs, the Russian word for pier. The Docking Compartment will automatically link up to the nadir, or earthward facing docking port of Zvezda two days after launch, providing an additional docking port for future Russian vehicles arriving at the ISS.

At the Kennedy Space Center, Expedition Two Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms are in excellent shape, readapting to gravity and enjoying life back on Earth after167 days in space, 163 days of which were spent aboard the ISS. They are scheduled to return to Ellington Field in Houston late this afternoon with their Discovery crewmates, Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry following yesterday's landing of Discovery at the Florida spaceport.

In addition to attending to the newly arrived Progress craft, the Expedition Three crew continues to oversee a variety of science investigations.

The International Space Station (ISS) is orbiting at an altitude averaging 240 miles (385 km).