4 CURIERUL ROMÂNESC Iulie – Septembrie 2006 ______Shuttle mission STS-116

represents the most complex ISS construction flight yet attempted, a three-spacewalk mission to rewire the U.S. segment of the outpost and activate its sophisticated cooling system by Marc Ciupitu

Shuttle mission STS-116 Orbiter: Discovery Mission: STS-116 Launch: Dec. 7, 2006 Time: 9:38 p.m. EST Site: Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida Landing: Dec. 18 @ 5:03 p.m. EST The seven-astronaut crew assigned to the STS-116 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Site: Shuttle Landing Facility, KSC ✯ Space Shuttle mission STS-116 represents the most complex International Space Station (ISS) constru- ction flight yet attempted. Shuttle astronauts, flight controllers and space station engineers are in the final stages of training for an intricate three- spacewalk mission in December to conduct electronic bypass surgery on the U.S. segment of Commander Pilot William Oefelein Mission Specialist Mission Specialist Joan the orbital laboratory complex and activate its main Robert Curbeam power grid and sophisticated cooling systems. Mark Polansky Oefelein, who has logged Higginbotham A former Air Force test over 3,000 hours flying A veteran of two space To assist with the Construction has now reached the point where an pilot, Mark Polansky will more than 50 aircraft, will shuttle flights, Curbeam construction of the space interim power system, designed to support the ISS lead the crew of STS-116 make his first journey conducted three station, Higginbotham's during its initial assembly, needs to be phased out. on the 20th shuttle into space as the pilot for spacewalks before being primary task on STS-116 With the delivery and installation of new solar mission to the space the STS-116 mission. assigned as mission will be to operate the arrays during Space Shuttle mission STS-115 in station. specialist for STS-116. station's robotic arm. September, NASA is finally ready to activate the orbital laboratory's permanent power grid, a major step that sets the stage for future attachment of European and Japanese research modules. The seven-astronaut crew assigned to the STS-116 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery includes commander Mark Polansky, pilot William Oefelein and mission specialists Robert Curbeam, Joan Higginbotham, Nicholas Patrick, Sunita Williams and Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang, of the European Space Agency (ESA). Williams will relieve ESA astronaut Thomas Mission Specialist Mission Specialist Flight Engineer Space Shuttle Discovery Nicholas Patrick Christer Fuglesang Sunita Williams "EVERYONE HAS Reiter, of Germany, who has served aboard the On his first spaceflight, Williams will join space station since July. A member of the 1998 STEPPED UP, astronaut class and former European Space Agency Expedition 14 in IS PREPARED AND The STS-116 crew will deliver the spacer-like Port flight instructor, Patrick is astronaut Fuglesang progress and serve as a IS CONFIDENT 5 (P5) truss segment to the portside edge of the assigned to STS-116 as a joins the crew of STS- flight engineer after THAT THIS MISSION space station’s metallic backbone and perform mission specialist. 116 as a mission traveling to the station WILL BE VERY three spacewalks to rewire the power grid. specialist. on space shuttle mission SUCCESSFUL!" Oefelein, Curbeam and Fuglesang were part of a STS-116. different crew that was in training for the same Photos and info: © NASA. mission in the summer of 2003.