[sarex] STS-114 MCC Status Report #11

["ARTHUR Z. ROWE" <N1ORC@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

STS-114 MCC Status Report #11
Sunday, July 31, 2005 – 3 p.m. CDT
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

The transfer of equipment and supplies from Discovery to the 
International Space Station and preparations for Monday’s planned 
spacewalk by Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson were 
the focus of today's activities in space.

Noguchi, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Robinson, along 
with remaining Discovery crewmembers, Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot 
Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and 
Charlie Camarda, worked on moving items from the Shuttle to the Station. 
They were helped by International Space Station Commander Sergei 
Krikalev and NASA ISS Science Officer John Phillips.

Approximately six tons of hardware and equipment, including the 
600-pound Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) that will be installed on the 
exterior of the Station during Monday’s spacewalk, will be moved from 
Discovery to the Station. Just over three and a half tons of material, 
including the replaced CMG, will return to Earth aboard Discovery.

Noguchi, Robinson and Thomas prepared for Monday’s spacewalk by setting 
up some of the tools and they will use to install the new CMG outside 
the Station. Thomas will once again serve as coach and monitor inside 
Discovery during the spacewalk. Working from aboard the Station, Kelly 
and Lawrence will use the Station’s Canadarm2 to maneuver Noguchi 
between the two spacecraft during the removal and installation of the 
CMGs. In preparation for that activity, Kelly and Lawrence “walked” the 
Station arm into position on the Destiny Laboratory. All nine 
crewmembers also participated in a review of spacewalk activities near 
the end of their working day.

Collins, Kelly and Carmarda talked with reporters from ABC News, Fox 
News and NBC at about 5:40 a.m. CDT. About 7:25 a.m. Collins, Noguchi, 
Robinson and Phillips talked with CBS News, CNN and Discovery Channel.

Engineers and mission managers continued to analyze information about 
Discovery's thermal protection system. They have cleared the orbiter's 
tiles and a decision was expected later today on the analysis of 
reinforced carbon-carbon protection for the nose cone and wing leading 
edges.

Mission managers continue to look at two gap-filler areas. These 
coated-fiber gap fillers are used to keep hot gas from flowing into gaps 
in the thermal protection, in these two cases, in tile-protected areas. 
Two gap fillers are protruding, and teams are working to determine 
whether any action is required by the crew.

The next STS-114 mission status report will be issued Monday morning, or 
earlier if events warrant.

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