CDR Fincke powered up the SM's amateur radio equipment (Kenwood VHF transceiver with manual frequency selection, headset, and power supply) and conducted, at 5:28am, a ham radio exchange with Technopolis, Mechelen, Antwerpen/Belgium. Technopolis is a permanent platform for science and technology in Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium. The mission of Technopolis is to bring science and technology to the people, offering permanent and temporary exhibitions, organizing workshops, school activities and other outreach activities. - NASA

The specialists from RSC Energia after S.P. Korolev conducted training sessions under the program in training of the International Space Station 19th (ISS-19) and 20th (ISS-20) Expedition crews. Gennadiy Padalka and his backup cosmonaut Maxim Suraev (ISS-19), as well as Roman Romanenko and his backup cosmonaut Dmitriy Kondratyev (ISS-20) were introduced at the Zvezda Service [...]

The spacewalk began at 7:51pm EST, 36 minutes late due to the pressure equalization valve (PEV; Russian: KVD) in the hatch between the spherical SM PkhO (Transfer Compartment) and the DC1 SU (Transfer Vestibule) not opening on electric command (requiring FE-2 Magnus to enter the PkhO for manual cycling of the valve). The EVA ended at 1:29am. Subsequent repressurization of the DC1 from the SM PkhO failed when the KVD valve remained closed, even on an attempt by Sandy Magnus to open it manually from inside. The spacewalkers had to repressurize the DC1 from one of the backup BPN tanks (#7). The hatch could then be opened. - NASA

The Inauguration Committee for President-elect Barack Obama officially extended an invitation on Wednesday for NASA to be part of the 56th Inaugural Parade on January 20. The crew of NASA's recent STS-126 space shuttle mission and other agency officials will join representatives from across the country and our armed forces in this historic parade down Pennsylvania Avenue [...]

The final four Europeans who are set to take part in a 105-day simulated Mars mission were presented to the media in Paris today (December 11). From March next year, two of the group will join four Russian participants inside in isolation facility in Moscow. 'A selection process which started with 5600 applicants has now [...]

Space shuttle Endeavour and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft shimmered in the Florida Sun Friday afternoon as the shuttle returned to its home spaceport at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Technicians from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are continuing preparation work on space shuttle Endeavour at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California so the shuttle can begin its cross-country flight Monday. An issue with preparations to install the flight tail cone on Endeavour has delayed plans to start the shuttle's flight Sunday morning. [...]

NASA has assigned the crews for space shuttle missions STS-130 and STS-131. The STS-130 mission will deliver a third connecting module to the International Space Station and a seven-windowed cupola to be used as a control room for robotics. The STS-131 mission will deliver research and science experiment equipment, a new sleeping area and supplies [...]

NASA announced on Thursday that space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope is targeted to launch May 12, 2009. The final servicing mission to Hubble was delayed in September when a data handling unit on the telescope failed. Since then, engineers have been working to prepare a spare for flight. They [...]

After landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Nov. 30, space shuttle Endeavour is about to make its cross-country journey back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, Endeavour is expected to begin its journey to Florida as early as Sunday.

Endeavour's main landing gear touched down at 3:25:06 p.m., followed by the nose gear at 3:25:21 p.m. CST. The shuttle's wheels stopped at 3:26:03 p.m., bringing the mission's elapsed time to 15 days, 20 hours, 30 minutes, 34 seconds. Endeavour traveled 6,615,109 miles during its journey.

Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew landed at 1:25 p.m. PST Sunday at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing a 16-day journey of more than 6.6 million miles. 'The STS-126 mission featured important repair work and prepared the International Space Station to house six crew members on long-duration missions beginning next year.

Space shuttle Endeavour has lined up with the runway and will drop its landing gear moments before landing. Endeavour's main gear and nose wheels are down and locked for landing. Endeavour is back on Earth! After 250 orbits of Earth, STS-126 has concluded safely with space shuttle Endeavour executing a perfect entry and landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. 'That was a great way to end a fantastic flight,' Capcom Alan Poindexter radioed the crew from Mission Control. The astronauts aboard the shuttle have about an hour of duties in front of them to 'safe' the vehicle so technicians can get it ready to move into its protective orbiter processing facility.

Endeavour's astronauts are beginning what is scheduled to be their flight's landing day. There are two Sunday opportunities to land at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The first, on orbit 250, would see a deorbit burn at 2:20 p.m. and a landing at 3:25 p.m. For the second, on orbit 251, the deorbit burn would be at 3:57 p.m. and the landing at 5 p.m.

As Endeavour's crew prepares for landing, mission managers are closely monitoring a cold front that could affect Sunday's entry and landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Forecasters are predicting the front could bring rain, possible thunderstorms and crosswinds that would violate the shuttle's flight rules into the Florida spaceport area. The two landing opportunities are at 12:19 p.m. and 1:54 p.m. CST. Should mission managers wave off landing in Florida, there are two opportunities at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 3:25 p.m. and 5 p.m. The California forecast is favorable.

Endeavour's astronauts are beginning a day of preparations to return home. Ferguson and Boe, with help from Bowen, will check out the flight control surfaces, including the rudder and the wing flaps at 9:40 a.m. Those surfaces will guide Endeavour's unpowered flight through the atmosphere to a landing. Immediately afterwards, at 10:55 a.m., the astronauts will test fire reaction control system thrusters. The thrusters will control the shuttle's orientation as it descends and begins its re-entry through the atmosphere.

The space shuttle Endeavour and International Space Station parted ways at 8:47 a.m. CST. The shuttle crew then turned its attention to inspecting Endeavour's heat shield to prepare for landing Sunday.Endeavour Pilot Eric Boe, with help from Commander Chris Ferguson and other crew members, flew the orbiter away from the space station. The final separation maneuver was delayed to avoid the shuttle crossing paths with space debris. That burn was completed at 5:23 p.m.

The space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-astronaut crew are scheduled to leave the International Space Station at 8:47 a.m. CST. Latches will be released and springs will push the shuttle about two feet ahead of the station. Boe will pilot Endeavour to a point about 450 feet ahead of the station, then, at about 9:15 a.m., begin a flyaround. He will keep the cargo bay facing the orbiting laboratory so cameras there can document its condition. The shuttle will leave the area at about 11:15 a.m.

After Thanksgiving dinner with their hosts on the International Space Station, the seven members of the space shuttle Endeavour crew will board their spacecraft, close its hatches and make final preparations for Friday's undocking. The Multipurpose Logistics Module Leonardo has been loaded with items for return to Earth and is in the shuttle cargo bay. After the last few items are transferred from the station to Endeavour's middeck, Ferguson and Pettit will check out rendezvous tools. A little before 5 p.m., the station and shuttle crew members will say farewell to one another and close hatches between the two vehicles.

Mission Specialists Don Pettit and Shane Kimbrough used the station's Canadarm2 to move the pressurized cargo module. It was removed from the Harmony module and placed in the shuttle's cargo bay at 4:52 p.m. The shuttle and station crews will part ways and close hatches in the afternoon for undocking Friday.

Crew members will leave Leonardo for the last time a little after 10 a.m. CST. Mission specialists Don Pettit and Shane Kimbrough will use the station's Canadarm2 to take the pressurized cargo module from the Harmony node to Endeavour's cargo bay. It is scheduled to be berthed there about 5:50 p.m. The ISS Progress 31 cargo ship launched at 6:38 a.m. today (6:38 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The mission extension day has paid off for the on-orbit crews as well as the ground teams today. Not only is the crew ahead of schedule with transfer activity, but their hard work on a tricky water recycling unit and the massive solar array joint are showing signs of improvement.

Crew members aboard Endeavour and the International Space Station got good news on two fronts when they were awakened for a day to be devoted largely to transfer of materials from the station to be returned to Earth. The starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, which rotates in a paddle-wheel fashion the 240-foot solar wings on the station's right side, was automatically tracking the Sun for the first time in more than a year.

NASA managers decided to extend Endeavour's stay by one day with landing now scheduled for 12:18 p.m. CST Sunday. Astronauts Steve Bowen and Shane Kimbrough wrapped up the final spacewalk of the mission. The spacewalk began at 12:24 p.m. CST and lasted six hours, seven minutes, ending at 6:31 p.m. CST.

At Baikonur launch site the preparations continue for the launch of Progress M-01M cargo vehicle under the International Space Station program. Soyuz-U launch vehicle was rolled out from the integration building to the launch pad. Soyuz-U launch vehicle with Progress M-01M transport vehicle is installed on the launch pad. L-2 days activities have been started. - S P Korolev RSC Energia

The IMMT (ISS Mission Management Team) and the Shuttle Program this morning approved an extension of the ULF-2 flight by one day (i.e., undocking on Friday, 11/28) to provide additional time for the WRS (Water Recovery System) and TOCA (Total Organic Carbon Analyzer) troubleshooting activities and increase the chances of returning adequate distillate samples to the ground (or return the UPA if required). Thus, MPLM 'Leonardo' closeout & transfer to the Shuttle cargo bay will also slip a day. The extension will not interfere with the Progress 31P docking , scheduled for 11/30.

Spacewalkers Bowen and Kimbrough are scheduled to leave the station's Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Bowen will wear the all-white suit and Kimbrough's suit will have broken red stripes. They will work to finish up cleaning, lubrication and bearing assembly replacements on the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ).

Bowen and Kimbrough are scheduled to leave the station's Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Monday on the mission's fourth spacewalk and continue work on the station's Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJ). They both will remove insulating covers on the port SARJ and Kimbrough will follow through with its lubrication. Bowen will finish tasks on the starboard SARJ to install the final trundle bearing assembly.

Today's spacewalk preparations include tool assembly, an hour-long spacewalk procedures review and the beginning of the campout in the Quest airlock for the spacewalkers. Bowen and Kimbrough are scheduled to leave the station's Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Monday on the mission's fourth spacewalk.

Mission ULF-2's EVA-3 was completed successfully last night by Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper & Steve Bowen in 6h 57min, accomplishing nearly all of its objectives and some get-aheads. Following the usual hygiene break/with mask prebreathe for Bowen & Kimbrough at ~9:30am-10:40am tomorrow morning after spending the night on 10.2 psi, the A/L hatch will be closed again for EVA preps in 10.2 psi, followed by EMU purge and prebreathe in the EMUs.  Afterwards, with CL depressurization and EV1/EV2 egress, EVA-4 nominally begins at ~1:45pm EST.

Astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen today completed the third spacewalk of Endeavour's mission to the International Space Station. The spacewalk began at 12:01 p.m. CST and ended at 6:58 p.m. for a total time of six hours and 57 minutes.

Mission ULF-2's EVA-3 is underway, having begun at 1:01pm EST (44 min ahead of schedule). EVA-3 is being performed by Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (EV1) & Steve Bowen (EV2). EV1 & EV2 began their 'campout' (nachalo desaturatsiy = desaturation start) last night at ~11:20pm in the U.S. Airlock (A/L) with hatch closure and depressurization of the CL (Crewlock) from 14.7 to 10.2 psi, followed by mask prebreathe at ~11:20pm-12:25am. This morning, following the usual hygiene break/with mask prebreathe for the two spacewalkers at ~9:30am-10:40am after spending the night on 10.2 psi, the A/L hatch was closed again for EVA preps in 10.2 psi, followed by EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) purge and prebreathe in the EMUs, assisted by CDR Ferguson. Afterwards, with CL depressurization and EV1/EV2 egress, EVA-3 began at 1:01pm, with MS4 Kimbrough providing IVA (Intravehicular Activity) assist. EVA-3 is expected to last about 7h (i.e., until ~8:01pm). - NASA Office of Space Operations

Spacewalkers Piper and Bowen are scheduled to leave the station's Quest airlock at 12:45 p.m. Piper, the lead spacewalker, will wear the red-striped suit while Bowen will be in the all-white suit. Their work will be further cleaning and lubrication of the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) and replacement of some of more its bearing assemblies.

The space shuttle and International Space Station crews were hard at work transferring, assembling and testing hardware at the station today. Expedition 18 Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus tested latches on the Exposed Facility Berthing Mechanism for the Japanese Kibo laboratory. The mechanism will be used to install an exterior science platform from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency during a shuttle flight next year.

MPLM (Multi-Purpose Logistics Module) cargo transfers by Pettit, Bowen, Ferguson, Boe, Magnus, Kimbrough and Fincke are continuing at a brisk pace, remaining well ahead of schedule. - NASA Office of Space Operations

NASA and its international partners have assigned the International Space Station's crew members through 2010. The numbering sequence of expeditions was modified to reflect the start of six-person crews. The update to the expedition numbering begins with the docking of a Soyuz spacecraft in May 2009. That Soyuz will mark the beginning of six-person crew [...]

After completing a spacewalk on Thursday, Endeavour and International Space Station crew members will work today on getting ready for another spacewalk on Saturday, transferring material between the station and the shuttle and other tasks.

Mission ULF-2's EVA-2 is underway, having begun at 12:58pm EST (47 min ahead of schedule). It is performed by Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (EV1) & Shane Kimbrough (EV3). EV1 & EV3 began their 'campout' (nachalo desaturatsiy = desaturation start) last night at ~11:20pm in the U.S. Airlock (A/L) with hatch closure and depressurization of the CL (Crewlock) from 14.7 to 10.2 psi, followed by mask prebreathe at ~11:20pm-12:25am. This morning, following the usual hygiene break/with mask prebreathe for the two spacewalkers at ~9:30am-10:40am after spending the night on 10.2 psi, the A/L hatch was closed again for EVA preps in 10.2 psi, followed by EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) purge and prebreathe in the EMUs, assisted by CDR Ferguson. Afterwards, with CL depressurization and EV1/EV3 egress, EVA-1 began at 12:58pm. - NASA Office of Space Operations

Building on Tuesday's spacewalk experience, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Shane Kimbrough headed out of the International Space Station's Quest Airlock at 11:58 a.m. CST to continue the process of removing debris around the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) and applying lubrication in an effort to eventually restore it to full functionality. The EVA ended at 6:43 p.m. for a total time of six hours and 45 minutes. As the spacewalkers were finishing up their activities, ground controllers noticed that Kimbrough's carbon dioxide levels were increasing, so he made his way back to the airlock a few minutes ahead of Piper.

Flames shot more than 100 feet high in a successful 5.5-second ground test firing Thursday, Nov. 20, of a launch abort motor for NASA's next generation spacecraft, the Orion crew exploration vehicle. NASA and the Orion industry team conducted the firing at the Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, facility in Promontory, Utah.