STS-117

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  31600 / 07024A Launch date - time  08 Jun 2007 - 23:38:04 UT Launch site  KSC, LC39A Launch vehicle  Space Shuttle (#118) Orbiter  Atlantis #28 Primary payload  ITS-S3/4 Mass (kg)   Flight Crew   Docking date - time  10 Jun 2007 - 19:36 UT Target spacecraft/port  ISS/xx Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee  334 x 354 km    - Inclination  51.63°    - Period  91.42 min Undocking date - time  19 Jun 2007 - 14:42 UT Landing date - time (wheel stop)  22 Jun 2007 - 19:50:48 UT Rollout time  70 sec Landing location  Edwards AFB, runway 22 Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  13d 20h 12m 44s Nbr orbits  219 Landing crew  Anderson replaced by Williams (crew STS-)

Flight Crew

Atlantis is starting to mate with the External tank for STS-117.

Summary:

Mission report:

• The launch was originally planned for March 15, but postponed due to damage from a hail storm on February 26, 2007.
• Space Shuttle OV-104 Atlantis was launched at 2338 UTC on Jun 8 and reached preliminary 55 x 228 km x 51.6 deg orbit 8 minutes later. Mission STS-117 carries new solar panels for the International Space Station and is ISS flight 13A. Atlantis raised its orbit to 155 x 230 km at 0016 UTC on Jun 9.
  
  

  Arrival of STS-117

  STS-117 open bay

  
  
• Docking with the Station on Jun 10 at 1936 UTC.
  Atlantis cargo bay manifest:

  Location Cargo Mass Bay 1-2 Orbiter Docking System 1800 kg? EMU 1-2 240 kg? Bay 3P? APC with SPDU 20 kg? Bay 4-12? Truss segment S3/S4 16183 kg Sill OBSS 201 450 kg? Sill RMS 301 390 kg -------------------------------------------------------- Total 19083 kg

  STS-117 payload

  
  
• The S3/S4 truss was added to the end of the S1 (starboard) truss with contact at 1803 UTC on Jun 11.
• The first spacewalk began with depressurization of the Quest airlock at 2000 UTC on Jun 11 (6h 15m). Jim Reilly in EMU 3010 and Danny Olivas in EMU 3004 opened the hatch at 2002 UTC.
  They begon activation of the S3/S4 truss and starting to prepare the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, also known as the SARJ, for activation. The work included connecting power, data and cooling cables between S1 and S3; releasing the launch restraints from and deploying the four solar array blanket boxes on S4 and releasing the cinches and winches holding the photovoltaic radiator on S4. They also rotated the keel pin on S3; rigidized four Alpha Joint Interface Structure struts and installed one Drive Lock Assembly on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint; and at least removed some of the SARJ launch locks and restraints.
  They closed the hatch at 0212 UTC on Jun 12 and repressurized at 0217 UTC.
• The S4 solar array wings 1A and 3A were deployed between 1546 and 1758 UTC. Meanwhile, the 2B solar array wing on P6 was retracted in stages between Jun 13 and Jun 16.
  
  

  The newly installed S3/S4 truss assembly during the first EVA of mission STS-117 on June 11, 2007

  STS-117 configuration

  
  
• Quest was depressurized for EVA-2 at 1825 UTC on Jun 13 (7h 16m), with hatch open at 1827. Astronauts Patrick Forrester and Steve Swanson, in EMUs 3018 and 3006; to continue the activation of the S3/S4 and assist in the retraction of the starboard solar array on the Port 6 (P6) truss. They removed all of the launch locks holding the 10-foot-wide solar alpha rotary joint in place, but were not able to remove the joint's launch restraints as well; they left them for a later spacewalk.
• Third EVA by Reilly and Olivas on 15.06.2007 (7h 58m).
  The Quest was depressurized sometime around 1720 UTC, with hatch open at abut 1724 UTC. Olivas repaired a loose thermal blanket on Atlantis' left OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) pod, that came loose from the shuttle during launch. Meanwhile Reilly installed a hydrogen vent on the Destiny module. Then, the astronauts helped with the completion of retraction on the P6 SAW-2B solar array. The hatch was closed at 0118 UTC and the airlock was repressurized at 0122 UTC.
• Fourth and unplanned spacewalk by Forrester and Swanson, took place on 17.06.2007 (6h 29m). The astronauts depressurized the airlock aroud 1622 UTC, with hatch open at 1624 UTC;. They activate the new solar array rotation mechanism SARJ and ready the lab complex for a critical sequence of upcoming construction flights; work included the removal of a keel pin and drag link from S3, the complete bolting down of a piece of debris shielding on the Destiny laboratory, the installation of a computer network cable on Unity, and the removal of a Global Positioning System antenna, and after more operations with S3/S4 and activation of a vent valve on Destiny, they closed the hatch at 2251 UTC and repressurized the airlock at 2254 UTC.
• A change in the electrical properties of the station with the attachment of S3/S4 resulted in a spacecraft charging event which triggered the failure of computers in the Russian segment of ISS. This caused some concern, but workarounds were found to allow the Expedition 15 crew to continue their mission. Sunita Williams transferred to the Shuttle, returning home with the Atlantis crew, and was replaced by Clay Anderson who was launched on STS-117.
• Atlantis undocked at 1442 UTC on Jun 19; deorbit was at 1843 UTC on Jun 22, lowering the Shuttle's orbit from 333 x 354 km to about 31 x 354 km and leading to a landing at 1949 UTC on runway 22 at Edwards Air Force Base, because of blustery Florida weather.
• On July 1, 2007 STS-117 Atlantis/747 departs from Edwards AFB.
  NASA 905 took off from Edwards AFB Runway 22 at 1304 UTC on Jul 1 and landed around 1546 UTC at Amarillo, Texas. Later that day it flew onward to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. On Jul 2 the SCA continued to Ft Campbell, Kentucky and on Jul 3 returned to the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. By Jul 4 Atlantis was in the Orbiter Processing Facility.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel KSC. Credit: J. Vd Dr.

Landing cancel Edwards AFB. Credit: J. Vd Dr.