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More Details for 2007-06-18

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The astronauts on space shuttle Atlantis got up this morning looking ahead to time off duty and awaiting word on when they’ll undock from the International Space Station.

Wakeup sounded at 6:08 a.m. CDT today with the song “Redeemer” by Nicole C. Mullen, played for Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester. The shuttle astronauts are scheduled off duty during the first half of their day, and to complete transfers between Atlantis and the station by late afternoon Houston time. Farewells and hatch closing are scheduled to begin at 5:23 p.m.

This morning the shuttle will maneuver the Atlantis/ISS complex into position for a water and wastewater dump, and after it maneuvers back about 9:15 a.m. it will hand over attitude control to the Russian segment’s terminal computer for a test of its ability to fire Russian thrusters and maintain station attitude. If that test is successful, shuttle and station program managers are expected to confirm the plan for Atlantis to undock from ISS at 9:42 a.m. Tuesday.

Commands sent from the ISS Flight Control Room overnight activated the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint and tested its rotation; the new joint was put into autotrack test mode at 7 a.m.

Once that test is complete ISS will have four U.S. solar array wings tracking the sun through each orbit of the Earth. Those arrays are capable of generating enough electricity to power the modules already on orbit and the next pressurized modules due to arrive: the second connecting node, Harmony; the European Space Agency laboratory, Columbus; and the Kibo laboratory, from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.