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James Donald 'Wexbee' Wetherbee American Pilot Astronaut. Born 27 November 1952. Flew in space six times. Personal: Male, Married, Two children. Born in Flushing, New York, USA. US Navy US Navy Astronaut Career Astronaut Group: NASA Group 10 - 1984. Inactive Entered space service: 23 May 1984. Left space service: 3 January 2005. Number of Flights: 6.00. Total Time: 66.43 days. NASA Official Biography- NAME: James D. Wetherbee (Commander, USN)
- NASA Astronaut
- PERSONAL DATA:
- Born November 27, 1952, in Flushing, New York. Considers Huntington Station, New York, his hometown. Married to the former Robin DeVore Platt of Jacksonville, Florida. They have two children. He enjoys tennis, skiing, softball, running, and music. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dana A. Wetherbee, reside in Huntington Station, New York. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry T. Platt, Jr., reside in Jacksonville, Florida.
- EDUCATION:
- Graduated from Holy Family Diocesan High School, South Huntington, New York, in 1970; received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1974.
- ORGANIZATIONS:
- Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
- SPECIAL HONORS:
- Distinguished Flying Cross; Navy Achievement Medal; two Meritorious Unit Commendations.
- EXPERIENCE:
- Wetherbee received his commission in the United States Navy in 1975 and was designated a naval aviator in December 1976. After training in the A-7E, he was assigned to Attack Squadron 72 (VA-72) from August 1977 to November 1980 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy and logged 125 night carrier landings. After attending the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, in 1981 he was assigned to the Systems Engineering Test Directorate. He was a project officer and test pilot for the weapons delivery system and avionics integration for the F/A-18 aircraft. Subsequently assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 132 (VFA-132), Wetherbee flew operationally in the F/A-18 from January 1984 until his selection for the astronaut candidate program. He has logged over 4,200 hours flying time and 345 carrier landings in 20 different types of aircraft.
- NASA EXPERIENCE:
- Selected by NASA in May 1984, Wetherbee became an astronaut in June 1985. A veteran of three space flights, Wetherbee has logged over 696 hours in space. He was the pilot on STS-32 in 1990, and was the mission commander on STS-52 in 1992 and STS-63 in 1995. From February to December 1996, Wetherbee served as Deputy Director of the Johnson Space Center. Wetherbee will command an international crew on STS-86, NASA's seventh Shuttle mission to rendezvous and dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is scheduled for September 1997.
STS-32 Columbia (January 9-20, 1990) saw the successful deployment of the Syncom IV-F5 satellite, and retrieval of the 21,400-pound Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) using the remote manipulator system (RMS). The crew also operated a variety of middeck experiments and conducted numerous medical test objectives, including in-flight aerobic exercise and muscle performance to evaluate human adaptation to extended duration missions. Mission duration was 261 hours, 01 minute, 38 seconds. STS-52 Columbia (October 22 to November 1, 1992) successfully deployed the Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS), a joint Italian-American project. The crew also operated the first U.S. Microgravity Payload (USMP) with French and American experiments, and successfully completed the initial flight tests of the Canadian-built Space Vision System (SVS). Mission duration was 236 hours, 56 minutes, 13 seconds. STS-63 Discovery (February 2-11, 1995), was the first flight of the new joint Russian-American Space Program. Mission highlights included the rendezvous with the Russian Space Station, Mir, operation of Spacehab, and the deployment and retrieval of Spartan 204. The mission was accomplished in 129 orbits, travelling over 2.9 million miles in 198 hours, 29 minutes. JANUARY 1997 Wetherbee Spaceflight Log - 9 January 1990 Flight: STS-32. Flight Up: STS-32. Flight Back: STS-32. Flight Time: 10.88 days.
- 22 October 1992 Flight: STS-52. Flight Up: STS-52. Flight Back: STS-52. Flight Time: 9.87 days.
- 3 February 1995 Flight: STS-63. Flight Up: STS-63. Flight Back: STS-63. Flight Time: 8.27 days.
- 26 September 1997 Flight: STS-86. Flight Up: STS-86. Flight Back: STS-86. Flight Time: 10.81 days.
- 8 March 2001 Flight: STS-102. Flight Up: STS-102. Flight Back: STS-102. Flight Time: 12.83 days.
- 24 November 2002 Flight: STS-113. Flight Up: STS-113. Flight Back: STS-113. Flight Time: 13.78 days.
Wetherbee Chronology 23 May 1984 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 10 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.. 9 January 1990 - STS-32. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-32. Manned five crew. Deployed Leasat 5, retrieved LDEF. Night landing. Payloads: Deployment of Syncom IV-5, retrieval of Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA)-3, Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) III-2, Latitude/Longitude Locator (L3), American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE), Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms in Space (CNCR)-01, Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS)-4, Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE), IMAX, Interim Operational Contamination Monitor (lOCM). 20 January 1990 - Landing of STS-32. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-32. STS-32 landed at 09:43 GMT. 22 October 1992 - STS-52. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-52. Deployed Lageos 2, CTA. Payloads: Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS) II/ Italian Research Interim Stage (IRIS), Canadian Experiments (CANEX) 2, United States Micro-gravity Payload (USMP) 1, Attitude Sensor Pack-age (ASP), Tank Pressure Control Experiment (TPCE), Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE), Heat Pipe Performance (HPP) experiment, Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Shuttle Plume Impingement Experiment (SPIE), Commercial Materials ITA Experiment (CMIX), Crystals by Vapor Transport Experiment (CVTE). 1 November 1992 - Landing of STS-52. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-52. STS-52 landed at 14:13 GMT. 3 February 1995 - STS-63. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-63, Mir EO-17, Mir LD-4. Deployed ODERACS 2A-2E; deployed and retrieved Spartan 204. Discovery rendezvoused with Russia's space station, Mir, to a distance of 11 m and performed a fly-around, but did not dock with Mir. Payloads: SPACEHAB 03, Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN) 204, Cryo Systems Experiment (CSE)/GLO-2 Experi-ment Payload (CGP)/Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS) 2, Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE), Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC) 11 February 1995 - Landing of STS-63. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-63, Mir EO-17, Mir LD-4. STS-63 landed at 11:51 GMT. 26 September 1997 - STS-86. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-86, Mir NASA-5, Mir NASA-4, Mir EO-24. Atlantis was launched on a mission to the Russian Mir space station. The TI rendevous terminal initiation burn was carried out at 17:32 GMT on September 27, and Atlantis docked with the SO (Docking Module) on the Mir complex at 19:58 GMT. The crew exchange was completed on September 28, with David Wolf replacing Michael Foale on the Mir crew. On October 1 cosmonaut Titov and astronaut Parazynski conducted a spacewalk from the Shuttle payload bay while Atlantis was docked to Mir. They retrieved four MEEP (Mir Environmental Effects Payload ) exposure packages from Mir's SO module and installed the Spektr solar array cap. The MEEP experiments had been attached to the Docking Module by astronauts Linda Godwin and Rich Clifford during Shuttle mission STS-76 in March 1996. In addition to retrieving the MEEP, Parazynski and Titov were to continue an evaluation of the Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER), a small jet-backpack designed for use as a type of life jacket during station assembly.
Atlantis undocked from Mir at 17:28 GMT on October 3 and conducted a flyaround focused on the damaged Spektr Module to determine the location of the puncture in its hull. The Mir crew pumped air into the Spektr Module using a pressure regulator valve, and the Shuttle crew observed evidence that, as expected, the leak seemed to be located at the base of the damaged solar panel. Final separation of Atlantis from Mir took place around 20:28 GMT. After two landing attempts were waved off on October 5 due to heavy cloud cover, the crew fired the engines to deorbit at 20:47 GMT on October 6 and landed at Kennedy Space Center at 21:55. 6 October 1997 - Landing of STS-86. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-86, Mir NASA-5, Mir NASA-4, Mir EO-24. STS-86 landed at 21:55 GMT with the crew of Wetherbee, Bloomfield, Titov Vladimir, Parazynski, Chretien, Lawrence and Foale aboard. 8 March 2001 - STS-102. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-102, ISS EO-2. STS 102 was an American shuttle spacecraft that carried a crew of seven astronauts (six American and one Russian). The primary mission was to deliver a multi-rack Italian container (Leonardo MultiPurpose Logistics Module, LMPLM) to the Destiny Module of the International Space Station, ISS. It docked with the ISS at 05:34 UT on 9 March. The 6.4 m x 4.6 m cylindrical LMPLM delivered new equipment to Destiny, and retrieved used/unwanted equipment, and trash back to the shuttle. The crew did a few spacewalks to install a platform on the ISS to support a Canadian robot arm when it arrives next month. The STS 102 left behind three of the astronauts (two American and one Russian) and brought back the three astronauts (one American and two Russian) who had been inhabiting the ISS for about four and a half months. It landed at Cape Canaveral at 07:31 UT on 21 March. Discovery was launched on mission STS-102 (Space Station flight 5A.1) into an initial 60 x 222 km x 51.6 deg orbit. The mission was delivery of supplies and equipment, and changeout of the Expedition One and Expedition Two station crews. STS-102 carried the Leonardo Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), built by Alenia Spazio (Torino), to the International Space Station. The 6.4 m x 4.6 m cylindrical MPLM was a descendant of the Spacelab long modules. Also carried was a Spacehab/Energia unpressurized Integrated Cargo Carrier with LCA/MTSAS-A, RU, and PFCS. A sidewall adapter beam with two GAS canisters (G-783 and WSVFM) was also on board. WSVFM measured vibration during launch. Another adapter beam, probably at the rear of the payload bay, carried SEM-9. SEM-9 and G-783 contained high school microgravity experiments.
Leonardo carried 16 'racks' of equipment, including the Human Research Facility Rack (Rack 13) which allowed the astronauts to do extensive medical experiments, the CHeCS Rack (28), the DDCU-1 and DDCU-2 racks (7 and 9), the Avionics-3 (Rack 6), and the MSS Avionics/Lab (Rack 11) and
Avionics/Cupola (Rack 12) racks for a total of 7 equipment racks to be installed on Destiny. Three Resupply Stowage Racks (50, 51, 52) and four Resupply Stowage Platforms (180, 181, 182 and 188) remained installed on Leonardo, with their equipment bags being individually transferred to the Station. System Racks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 were already on Destiny together with stowage racks 110 through 117. Each rack had a mass of 150-300 kg.
The orbiter fired its OMS engines at 1221 GMT to raise the orbit to 185 x 219 km. Discovery docked with the PMA-2 port on the Station at 0639 GMT on March 10. The LCA (Lab Cradle Assembly) was attached to Destiny's +Z side during an EVA. It was to be used on the next mission to temporarily place a Spacelab pallet on Destiny during installation of the Station's robot arm. Later, it would be the site for the main Station truss, beginning with segment S0.
The PMA-3, on Unity at the -Z nadir position, had to be moved to the port position to make room for Leonardo. An external stowage platform was attached to Destiny and the External Stowage Platform and the PFCS Pump Flow Control System were added to the port aft trunnion on Destiny. A rigid umbilical (RU) was connected to the PDGF grapple fixture on Destiny to support the Station's future robot arm. Leonardo was docked to Unity at -Z for a while so that its cargo could be transferred to the station easily; it was then be returned to the payload bay and brought back to earth.
At 0232 GMT on March 19 command of ISS was transferred to Expedition 2 and the hatches were closed. Discovery undocked at 0432 GMT and flew once around the station before departing at 0548 GMT. ISS mass after undocking was 115527 kg. The OMS engines fired for the deorbit burn at 0625 GMT on March 21, and Discovery touched down on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center at 0731 GMT. 8 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #01. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Shuttle Discovery blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center at sunrise this morning to deliver a new resident crew to the International Space Station (ISS) as the third shuttle mission in less than four months began in flawless fashion. Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Andy Thomas, Paul ...more... 8 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #02. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Space Shuttle Discovery continues to close in on the International Space Station following Thursday morning's flawless launch from the Kennedy Space Center. Docking is scheduled for 11:36 Friday night. In preparation for that rendezvous and docking, Discovery's crew was awakened at ...more... 9 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #04. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. With the International Space Station 300 miles ahead, the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery awoke this afternoon to begin a third day in space, a day that will bring a new crew to the growing International Space Station. The shuttle crew was awakened with the Russian song "Vashe Blagorodiye," a song ...more... 9 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #03. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Discovery continues its pursuit of the International Space Station, currently trailing the outpost by 3,520 miles and closing that distance at the rate of about 660 miles with every orbit of the Earth. All systems aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery are ready for tonight's docking, scheduled for 11:34 p.m. as the two spacecraft fly just off the east coast of Brazil.Overnight, the STS-102 astronauts Jim Wetherbee, Jim Kelly, Paul Richards and Andy ...more... 10 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #05. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Commander Jim Wetherbee waited patiently as International Space Station controllers locked solar arrays in place before he steered the Space Shuttle Discovery to a 12:38 a.m. CST Saturday docking. "You have a great looking ship there, Captain Shepherd," Wetherbee radioed to the ...more... 11 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #07. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. STS-102 Mission Specialists Susan Helms and Jim Voss donned space suits and stepped outside Discovery late last night to prepare one of the International Space Station's berthing ports for the Leonardo transfer module. The pair, destined to become members of the Expedition Two crew aboard the station ...more... 12 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #09. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Leonardo, the first of three logistics modules developed and built by the Italian Space Agency, was affixed to a berthing port on Unity overnight as mission specialist Andy Thomas carefully maneuvered it into place at 12:02 CST a.m. today. Operating Discovery's robotic arm, Thomas grappled the "crate" full of equipment ...more... 13 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #11. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Astronauts Paul Richards and Andy Thomas spent six and a half hours outside the International Space Station this morning, continuing work to outfit the station and prepare for delivery of its own robotic arm next month. With help from shuttle robotic arm operator Jim Kelly and space walk choreographer ...more... 13 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #12. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Ahead of schedule in their work and with a growing record of success, the astronauts and cosmonauts of Discovery and the International Space Station will spend today finalizing the swap of crew members aboard the orbiting science complex and continuing to unload supplies.Discovery's crew was awakened this evening for the seventh day of the mission with ...more... 14 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #13. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The first crew exchange aboard the International Space Station is complete now that Susan Helms has moved her custom-fitted Soyuz seat liner into the Russian return vehicle about midnight CST today. Helms was the third and final Expedition Two crew member to make the move, following ...more... 14 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #14. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The crew of Discovery and the International Space Station will begin packing for the trip home today, having virtually completed unloading almost five tons of equipment and experiments brought by the shuttle. The crews will spend today packing trash and unneeded equipment as well as luggage ...more... 15 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #16. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The 10 astronauts and cosmonauts aboard Discovery and the International Space Station will spend another day docked to the orbiting science outpost to pack for the trip home. Discovery's STS-102 mission now will end with a landing back in Florida about 1 a.m. Wednesday.The crew was awakened to the song "She Blinded Me With Science" performed by Thomas ...more... 15 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #15. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Aboard the International Space Station today, astronauts and cosmonauts assembled and partially activated a key piece of construction equipment - the control station for a 58-foot-long robot arm that will be delivered to the station next month. Expedition Two Flight Engineers Jim Voss and Susan Helms spent most of their workday ...more... 16 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #18. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station will spend a final full day today packing the Leonardo cargo module on the station before they detach Leonardo from the complex Saturday night and secure it in the Shuttle payload bay for the trip home.The crew was awakened to the Irish song "The Rising of the Moon" performed by The ...more... 16 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #17. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station welcomed the addition of another day orbiting the Earth in tandem as they continued to pack for the trip home. Discovery's return will mark the homecoming of the first resident space station crew. Lead Flight Director John Shannon said shuttle and station managers decided to extend ...more... 17 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #19. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station spent their day carefully packing the Leonardo cargo transfer module and reboosting the station's orbit. Mission Specialist Andy Thomas coordinated the loading of about a ton of materials ...more... 17 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #20. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. With their time together drawing to a close, the crews of Discovery and the International Space Station today plan to detach the Leonardo cargo module from the station and latch it back aboard the shuttle for return to Earth. Almost five tons of equipment and experiments were unloaded from Leonardo during ...more... 18 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #22. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Discovery's crew - including the first crew of the International Space Station now returning home after four and a half months in orbit - bids farewell to the second station crew tonight, undocking the shuttle from the outpost and preparing for a return to Earth Tuesday.The hatches between the shuttle and station were to be closed for a final time at ...more... 18 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #21. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Carrying nearly one ton of trash and excess equipment, along with personal items belonging to the returning Expedition One crew, the Leonardo cargo carrier was detached from its port on the International Space Station early this morning and gently placed back in Discovery's payload bay by Mission Specialist Andy Thomas.After crewmate Paul Richards released the 16 bolts and associated latches holding ...more... 19 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #23. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. The Space Shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 10:32 p.m. CST Sunday, leaving the second station crew to get settled in and begin in earnest the research planned aboard the orbiting laboratory. The hatches between the shuttle and station were closed for a final time at 8:32 ...more... 20 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #25. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. All of Discovery's systems are checked out for landing, with Commander Jim Wetherbee and his team ready to escort home the first International Space Station expedition crew late Tuesday. Landing is scheduled for 11:56 p.m. CST Tuesday (12:56 a.m. EST Wednesday), but ...more... 20 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #26. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. Discovery's astronauts were awakened at 3:42 p.m. Central time today to begin preparing for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Fla. later this evening. There are two landing opportunities available this evening for Discovery's return ...more... 21 March 2001 - STS-102 Mission Status Report #27. Flight: ISS EO-1, ISS EO-2, STS-102. After a surprising turnaround in the Florida weather, Discovery's astronauts -- and the first International Space Station residents -- returned home to Kennedy Space Center at 1:31 a.m. CST Wednesday. STS-102 Commander Jim Wetherbee fired Space Shuttle Discovery's engines at 12:26 ...more... 21 March 2001 - Landing of STS-102. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-102, ISS EO-1. STS-102 landed at 07:31 GMT with the crew of Wetherbee, Kelly, Thomas Andrew, Richards Paul, Gidzenko, Krikalyov and Shepherd aboard. 1 November 2002 - International Space Station Status Report #02-49. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EP-4. A Russian-Belgian cosmonaut crew arrived at the International Space Station in the wee hours this morning in a newly modified Soyuz capsule after a flawless two-day flight following launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Russian "taxi crew" Commander Sergei Zalyotin, European Space Agency Flight Engineer ...more... 8 November 2002 - International Space Station Status Report #02-50. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EP-4. All six people living aboard the International Space Station have started packing up for their return to Earth. The visiting "taxi crew" will be coming home tomorrow after delivering a new crew return capsule and performing a host of experiments, and the Expedition 5 crew, which has been on orbit for nearly five months, will return aboard the space shuttle later this month.The week started out with Expedition 5 Commander Valery Korzun, NASA ISS Science ...more... 9 November 2002 - International Space Station Status Report #02-51. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EP-4. A Russian-Belgian cosmonaut crew departed the International Space Station today after delivering a new Soyuz return vehicle to the complex and conducting more than a week's worth of joint scientific experiments with the residents on board. Russian "taxi crew" Commander Sergei Zalyotin, European Space Agency Flight Engineer ...more... 23 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #01. Flight: ISS EO-5. Endeavour lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:50 p.m. CST today, carrying three new residents and a 14-ton truss segment to the International Space Station. At the time of Endeavour's launch, the International Space Station was orbiting 240 statute miles over Southern Austria.On board the International Space Station, the current residents - Expedition Five ...more... 24 November 2002 - STS-113. Assignment: Prime Crew. Flight: STS-113, ISS EO-6. ISS assembly mission ISS-11A delayed from August 22, September 6, 19, October 6, November 2, 10, 11, 19 and 23 due to SSME problems and then damage to the Shuttle's manipulator arm. Shuttle mission STS-113 carried a crew of seven astronauts (six American and one Russian) and a 13.7-m truss of 12.5 tons to the International Space Station (ISS). During several hours of EVA, the crew installed and secured the truss assembly. The truss was to provide structural support for the station's thermal control radiators, and brought the total mass of the ISS to over 200 tons. Prior to leaving the ISS, the shuttle released a pair of tethered (15-m long) picosatellites. It was to leave the ISS on December 2. 24 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #03. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour's crew spent its first full day in space preparing for its arrival at the International Space Station. Endeavour, now 1,400 miles behind the station and closing, is scheduled to dock at 3:26 p.m. Central time Monday. In preparation for Monday's docking, Endeavour's crew - Commander Jim Wetherbee, ...more... 24 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #02. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour's crew was awakened at 8:50 a.m. today to begin its first full day in orbit, a day dedicated to preparations for Monday's docking to the International Space Station. As the crew awoke, Endeavour and the station were separated by about 2,700 miles, with Endeavour slightly below and behind the ISS.Onboard the station, the Expedition Five crew, Commander Valery Korzun, NASA ISS ...more... 25 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #04. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. The crew of Endeavour awakened at 7:29 a.m. to begin final preparations for this afternoon's docking with the International Space Station. Endeavour is now 350 miles behind the space station closing the distance between them at the rate of about 130 miles every orbit. Docking is slated to occur at 3:26 p.m. central time today with the two spacecraft high over the Kazakh/Uzbekistan border.Onboard the space station, the Expedition Five crew - Commander Valery Korzun, NASA ...more... 25 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #05. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour docked with the International Space Station at 3:59 CST this afternoon, bringing a new crew and another segment of the station's backbone, the Port One (P1) segment of the Integrated Truss System. The rendezvous and docking of Endeavour with shuttle Commander Jim Wetherbee at ...more... 26 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #07. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour and International Space Station crewmembers completed a smooth installation of the Port One (P1) truss and a spacewalk to hook up connections between P1 and the rest of the station. The spacewalk, by Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington successfully completed scheduled tasks.P1 was removed from Endeavour's payload bay at 9:22 a.m. CST by the shuttle's robotic ...more... 26 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #06. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. The crew of Endeavour was awakened at 7:26 a.m. to begin a day that will see the installation of the Port One (P1) truss onto the International Space Station. The P1 is the third such truss to be installed on the station this year and is one of 11 truss segments that will make up the station's final Integrated Truss Structure.Beginning around 9:20 a.m., Endeavour Commander Jim Wetherbee will use the shuttle's ...more... 27 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #09. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour and International Space Station crewmembers worked today to transfer equipment and supplies between their docked spacecraft. Expedition 5 crewmembers exchanged notes with their Expedition 6 successors and mission specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington prepared for a Thanksgiving Day spacewalk.The transfer of items between the two spacecraft is going smoothly, as are the handover ...more... 27 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #08. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour's crew today will focus its efforts on transferring supplies and equipment to the International Space Station that will be used by the station's Expedition Six crew during their four-month stay aboard the complex. The station and shuttle crew members also will move supplies, equipment and completed experiments that were used by the Expedition Five crew to the shuttle for return to Earth.In the afternoon, Endeavour's crew - Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart ...more... 28 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #11. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour astronauts Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington completed the second of three spacewalks of the STS-113 mission, accomplishing all their scheduled tasks on the International Space Station's new Port One (P1) truss and doing two additional jobs during the 6-hour, 10-minute outing.The Thanksgiving Day spacewalk started at 12:36 p.m. CST, almost 45 minutes ahead ...more... 28 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #10. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. A Thanksgiving Day spacewalk will highlight activities aboard Endeavour and the International Space Station today. Endeavour Mission Specialists Mike Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington will exit the ...more... 29 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #13. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Transfer of equipment and supplies from Endeavour's middeck to the International Space Station passed the 1,700-pound mark today, with about 75 percent of the total material from the shuttle now aboard the orbiting laboratory. More than 750 pounds of material has been moved from the station to Endeavour's crew compartment.Handover briefings of the Expedition 6 crew, Commander Ken Bowersox, cosmonaut Nikolai ...more... 29 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #12. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. With the Expedition Six crewmembers settling into their new on-orbit home, today's activities largely will focus on continuing transfer of equipment, experiments and hardware, and a formal Change of Command ceremony between resident crews on board the International Space Station.Among the items to be transferred today are various science experiments, two returning ...more... 30 November 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #14 . Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Today Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington will perform their third and final spacewalk of the mission. The spacewalk is set to begin at 1:20 p.m. Central Time. Pilot Paul Lockhart will coordinate the spacewalk from the aft flight deck of Endeavour. ...more... 1 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #16. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. With most of their mission objectives successfully completed, the crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station will enjoy some scheduled time off during their last full day of joint operations. Since Endeavour arrived at the station on November 25, the 10 astronauts and cosmonauts ...more... 1 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #17. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. The crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station today got ready to say goodbye to one another, checking out tools that will be used during undocking of the two spacecraft on Monday. They also configured and stowed spacesuits used in the mission's three spacewalks. Crewmembers got some afternoon time off to relax and talk via radio with family members.This morning Endeavour Commander Jim Wetherbee initiated a series of firings of ...more... 2 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #19. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station today, leaving behind the Expedition 6 crew -- Commander Ken Bowersox, NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit and Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin -- to begin its four-month stay. After final farewells among the STS-113 and Expedition 5 and 6 crews, the hatches ...more... 2 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #18. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Today, the crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station will bid each other a final farewell and shortly after will close hatches between the two spacecraft in preparation for Endeavour's departure this afternoon. Endeavour will leave behind the Expedition Six Crew - Commander Ken Bowersox, NASA ...more... 3 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #21. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Activities aboard Endeavour today focused on preparations for Wednesday's planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center, concluding a voyage of 4.5 million miles. Commander Jim Wetherbee, Pilot Paul Lockhart and Flight Engineer John Herrington ...more... 3 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #20. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour's crew will turn its attention to a return trip home today as they prepare for a possible landing Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Weather permitting, Endeavour is scheduled for a landing at 2:48 p.m. central time Wednesday. The crew will spend its day stowing away equipment and hardware, and preparing their ...more... 4 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #23. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. The Space Shuttle Endeavour will spend at least one more day in space awaiting acceptable landing weather after two opportunities to return to Florida today were bypassed due to low clouds at the landing site. Flight controllers are now focusing on opportunities for landing on Thursday at ...more... 4 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #22. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Activities aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour today will focus on a planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center this afternoon. Endeavour has two opportunities to land today. The first begins with a deorbit burn ...more... 5 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #24. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. The Space Shuttle Endeavour will spend at least one more day in space after rain, clouds and windy conditions at the Kennedy Space Center prompted flight controllers to wave off today's opportunities to bring Endeavour and its crew of seven home. There are two opportunities for Endeavour to return home to Florida on Friday. The ...more... 6 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #26. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. A stalled cold front at the Kennedy Space Center, resulting in low clouds and overcast weather, will keep Endeavour aloft for another 24 hours. For the third consecutive day, flight controllers were forced to wave off opportunities to bring Endeavour home to Florida.There are a total of four landing opportunities on Saturday, two in Florida and ...more... 6 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #25. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Flight controllers will once again closely watch weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center in hope of bringing Endeavour and its seven-member crew home today. There are two landing opportunities in Florida today. The first begins with a deorbit ...more... 7 December 2002 - Landing of STS-113. Assignment: Return Crew. Flight: STS-113, ISS EO-5. STS-113 landed at 19:36 GMT. 7 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #28. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. Endeavour descended to a flawless landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this afternoon, ending four days of landing attempts thwarted by bad weather and returning home an International Space Station crew that spent 185 days in space. Commander Jim Wetherbee guided Endeavour to a touchdown on KSC's shuttle runway ...more... 7 December 2002 - STS-113 MCC Status Report #27. Flight: ISS EO-5, ISS EO-6, STS-113. With the most favorable weather forecast so far this week, Endeavour and crew are focusing on a landing today preferably at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., although a landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., where the weather is clear and calm, is possible.This is the fourth day of landing attempts for Endeavour. There are four landing ...more... Bibliography and Further Reading
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