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18 October - Evening Update -
It's been a
great
flight.
Space Shuttle Atlantis glided to a
perfect landing at Kennedy Space Center's
Shuttle Landing Facility today
after a
construction mission to the
International Space Station that left the
orbital outpost as the new
record-holder for
largest man-made object in space.
NASA reports:
STS-112 Crew Return
 JSC employees, contractors, friends and family are invited to Hangar 990
at Ellington Field on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 5:30 p.m. [CDT, 2230 GMT] to celebrate the
homecoming of the STS-112 crew.
Commander Jeff Ashby, Pilot Pam Melroy and Mission Specialists David
Wolf, Sandra Magnus, Piers Sellers and Fyodor Yurchikhin are returning
from their successful mission to the International Space Station aboard
Atlantis.
While at the International Space Station, the STS-112 crew
conducted joint operations with the Expedition Five crew, installed and
activated the S1 (S-One) Truss and performed three spacewalks.
Landing
videos and Flight Day 10 photos are up at
the NASA Gallery. Final
mission stats, more
landing video, and
landing pics
at KSC.
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18 October - Afternoon Update - TOUCHDOWN! -
Atlantis
came in for a beautiful
landing at
Kennedy Space Center's
Runway 33, right on time.
NASA reports:
Atlantis Returns Home
 Space
Shuttle Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to wrap up
STS-112, an International Space Station assembly mission. Landing occurred
at 10:44 a.m. CDT [11:44AM EDT/1544 GMT], ending the mission at the 10-day, 19-hour,
58-minute mark.
 The landing was the 60th by a shuttle at Kennedy Space Center
and concluded the 15th shuttle flight to the International Space Station
and the 26th flight of Atlantis.
Watch
NASA TV to see coverage of STS-112 post-flight activities.
NASA TV Schedule
Flight Day 9 photos are up at the NASA Gallery.
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18 October - Morning Update - DEORBIT BURN! Atlantis has fired its
Orbital Maneuvering System to slow the spacecraft down enough to
drop out of
orbit. NASA reports:
Crew
Performs Deorbit Burn; Atlantis to Land in Florida
 STS-112 Commander Jeff Ashby and Pilot Pam Melroy fired Space Shuttle
Atlantis' engines to perform the deorbit burn. The burn puts Atlantis on
track to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 10:44 a.m. CDT [11:44AM
EDT/1544 GMT] today.
STS-112 is returning home following an 11-day mission to install
and activate the S1 (S-One) Truss onto the International Space Station,
which required three spacewalks. The crew also transferred cargo and
supplies to the station that will be used primarily by the next resident
crew of the station -- Expedition Six -- scheduled to arrive at the
station on the next shuttle mission of Endeavour next month.
The STS-112
Landing Ground Tracks are available.
Flight Day 11 videos and
Flight
Day 8 photos are up at the NASA Gallery. Live
landing coverage on NASA
TV.
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18 October 2002 - LANDING DAY -
Flight Day 12 is when
Atlantis and her
crew of six will
return home to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Weather is
looking good.
The orbiter's payload bay doors were closed shortly after 8AM EDT (1200 GMT).
NASA reports:
STS-112 to Return Home Today
 The
STS-112 crewmembers conclude their mission to the International Space
Station today when Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at Kennedy Space Center,
Fla., with weather expected to be near perfect for landing at 10:44 a.m.
CDT [11:44AM EDT/1544 GMT]. The de-orbit burn for the first of two landing
opportunities occurs at 9:36 a.m. CDT [10:36AM EDT/1436 GMT]. The second
opportunity, if required, is at 12:21 p.m. CDT [1:21PM EDT/1721 GMT].
Touchdown is
looking good for
11:44AM EDT (1544 GMT)
today. Check the play-by-play links at
top right for up-to-the-minute status, and watch
NASA TV to see the landing live!
Here are post-spacewalk pics from Monday...
...and here is one from Flight Day 10 (Wednesday):
- Click thumbnail for full-size image -
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16 October 2002 - Evening Update -
Shuttle Atlantis
continues on its way
home, after
undocking this morning from the
International Space Station.
NASA reports:
ISS Crew Bids Farewell to STS-112
 Expedition
Five Commander Valery Korzun, Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev and NASA ISS
Science Officer Peggy Whitson said goodbye to the STS-112 crew Wednesday.
 STS-112
delivered the S1 (S-One) Truss to the station. The S1, which is the third
piece of the Integrated Truss Structure delivered to the station, was
installed Oct. 10. Three spacewalks were performed to activate and outfit
the S1. With the new addition, the station now has a mass of 166,118
kilograms (366,227 pounds) and is 52 meters (171 feet) long, 73 meters
(240 feet) wide and 27.4 meters (90 feet) high.
One
Night, Two Spaceships
Wednesday and Thursday are unusually good days for North Americans to view the International
Space Station
overhead. The Space
Shuttle Atlantis undocked from station Wednesday morning, Oct. 16th.
The pair will make a series of evening appearances over many US cities
both days. Alert sky watchers
may be able to see both craft soaring overhead in tandem.
Flight
Day 9 videos are now available in the NASA Gallery.
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16 October - Morning Update - Farewells
said, hatches
shut, thrusters
fired... and Atlantis has
undocked from Space
Station Alpha. NASA reports:
STS-112
Departs ISS
 The
STS-112 crewmembers said goodbye to the Expedition Five crew and began
their trip home. Space Shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International
Space Station today at 8:13 a.m. CDT [9:13AM EDT/1313 GMT]. Prior to
undocking, the hatches between the station and Atlantis were closed at
6:15 a.m. CDT [7:15AM EDT/1115 GMT].
While at the station, the STS-112 crew successfully installed
and activated the S1 (S-One) Truss. To complete installation and
activation, the crew conducted three spacewalks. Also, the crew
transferred cargo between the shuttle and station.
 Following undocking, Pilot Pam Melroy performed a partial
fly-around of the station. The crewmembers are now preparing for their
return to Earth. Atlantis is slated to touch down Friday at 10:45 a.m. CDT
[11:45AM EDT/1545 GMT] at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Flight
Day 9 Highlights are up at The Houston
Chronicle. See this morning's entry for
upcoming NASA
TV events today.
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16 October 2002 - UNDOCKING DAY -
Flight Day 10 is
here,
and this morning will see
Atlantis crew
part ways with the
International Space Station.
NASA reports:
Atlantis Wrapping Up after Construction Job
 With three spacewalks behind them, the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis
[finished] joint operations with the International Space Station on
Tuesday. On Monday, astronauts Piers Sellers and David Wolf connected
fluid lines and performed other work that allow the recently installed
space station truss to be activated. The shuttle's engines were also fired
to boost the station into a higher orbit.
Watch
NASA TV on Wednesday to see coverage of STS-112's departure from the
International Space Station. The STS-112 and Expedition Five crews are
scheduled to bid farewell and close the hatches between the station and
Space Shuttle Atlantis at 5:59 a.m. CDT [6:59AM EDT/1059 GMT]. Atlantis is
scheduled to undock at 8:13 a.m. CDT [9:13AM EDT/1313 GMT].
Then at 12:39 p.m. CDT [1:39PM EDT/1739 GMT], the STS-112 crew will participate in
interviews with the ABC Radio Network, MSNBC and KUSA-TV of Denver, Colo.
NASA TV Schedule
Back on the
ground, analysis of
Atlantis' launch reveals that backup
explosive bolts (that
release the
Shuttle when the
engines ignite)
malfunctioned. Further
investigation will take place upon the
orbiter's
return to KSC.
Check the play-by-play links at
right for up-to-the-minute status, and watch
NASA TV to see the action live!
Check out our exclusive screen
captures from Monday's spacewalk!
For reports covering the last spacewalk, see
Part 4 of our Mission Journal.
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The
STS-112 crewmembers were awakened at 2:16 a.m. CDT [3:16AM
EDT/0716 GMT] today for the last full scheduled day in space before they
return to Earth on Friday.
