Orbiter: Atlantis
Mission: STS-132
Payload: MRM 1
Launch: May 14, 2010
Time: 2:20 p.m. EDT
Site: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center
Landing: May 26 @ approx. 8:48 a.m.
Site: KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility

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STS-132 Archive




Mission Status Center

By Justin Ray

Welcome to Spaceflight Now's live coverage of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission to the International Space Station. Text updates will appear automatically; there is no need to reload the page.
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FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
Astronauts Mike Good and Garrett Reisman carried out a successful six-hour 46-minute spacewalk Friday, completing the replacement of six space station solar array batteries, installing an ammonia coolant jumper and retrieving a robot arm grapple fixture.

Read our full story.
1717 GMT (1:17 p.m. EDT)
Activities planned for Saturday include stowing the cargo pallet back in Atlantis' payload bay and transferring items between the shuttle middeck and station.

The shuttle will undock from the outpost on Sunday morning and head for a planned landing in Florida on Wednesday.
1716 GMT (1:16 p.m. EDT)
The three spacewalks on Atlantis' mission lasted a grand total of 21 hours and 20 minutes.
1715 GMT (1:15 p.m. EDT)
This was the fourth EVA in the career of Mike Good and third for Garrett Reisman. Good has accumulated 29 hours, 53 minutes and Reisman has 21 hours, 12 minutes of spacewalking time on their previous excursions.
1714 GMT (1:14 p.m. EDT)
EVA ENDS. Repressurization of the Quest airlock module began at 1:13 p.m. EDT, marking the official end of today's spacewalk by Mike Good and Garrett Reisman. The EVA lasted 6 hours and 46 minutes.
1710 GMT (1:10 p.m. EDT)
The airlock hatch has been closed and locked. Standing by for repressurization.
1648 GMT (12:48 p.m. EDT)
The spacewalkers are returning to the airlock to finish this successful final outing that accomplished everything planned for the mission and even more tasks added on.
1638 GMT (12:38 p.m. EDT)
"Time to go inside," Garrett just said.
1610 GMT (12:10 p.m. EDT)
Now beyond the five-and-a-half hour mark, the remaining available minutes of this spacewalk will be spent reconfiguring tools to help out future missions.
1602 GMT (12:02 p.m. EDT)
The PDGF has been placed inside the airlock for the spacewalkers to carry inside the station when the EVA ends.
1555 GMT (11:55 a.m. EDT)
Now back at the Quest airlock, the spacewalkers are working to pack the large PDGF.
1540 GMT (11:40 a.m. EDT)
The circular PDGF is the device used by the International Space Station's robotic arm to grasp payloads. It also can be used as the anchor point, or shoulder, for the station's arm to operate from.
1531 GMT (11:31 a.m. EDT)
The spacewalkers are climbing back up toward the space station now, leaving the payload bay. That's surely the final time spacewalking astronauts will ever traverse in Atlantis' cargo hold before the orbiter is retired.
1523 GMT (11:23 a.m. EDT)
Mike and Garrett have unbolted the Power and Data Grapple Fixture from the sidewall bracket in shuttle Atlantis' payload bay. They will bring the device inside the space station for additional outfitting before it is taken back outside during a planned July 8 spacewalk. Astronauts Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson will attach the PDGF on the Russian Zarya module, giving the space station's robotic arm a new base of operations.
1518 GMT (11:18 a.m. EDT)
The shuttle-station complex just flew over the Kennedy Space Center. The spacewalkers could see the shuttle launch pads and runway with the naked eye.
1453 GMT (10:53 a.m. EDT)
With the clean-up instructions now finished after the P6 battery activities, the spacewalkers are en route to the payload bay to retrieve the Power and Data Grapple Fixture that was carried up on the sidewall of Atlantis.
1420 GMT (10:20 a.m. EDT)
Spacewalker Mike Good previewed what's next on this EVA in a pre-flight interview:

"We'll clean up all of that worksite and make sure that we don't leave anything out there at the end of the truss. And then our job is to go all the way back and into the shuttle's payload bay which is something I'm really looking forward to. I had a lot of time in the shuttle payload bay on the Hubble mission and it'll be fun to get back into the payload bay again. It kind of feels like home to me.

"So I'll go there with Garrett and we're going to, one of the things that we're taking up on the side wall of the payload bay is a grapple fixture and so we're taking it up with us. It's something that we're going to leave on the station so all our job is to go out there and take it, remove four of the bolts, take it off the side wall of the payload bay of the shuttle and carry it back in to the airlock with us. So when we repressurize and go back into station it won't be just Garrett and I in that airlock. We'll have this great big grapple fixture in there with us so hopefully there'll be room for everybody in there.

"Then we'll take that grapple fixture inside. There are some more parts coming up on later missions - Russian Progress vehicles - that will be a frame and bracket that they'll mount that grapple fixture on. It's a grapple fixture that's used for the robotic arm and on a later stage EVA, someday they'll take it back outside and they'll put it on one of the Russian modules, one of the Russian segments. So again, we're just taking some parts up for them and we've got to get this part out of the payload bay and actually inside so that's one of the last things that Garrett and I will do."
1400 GMT (10:00 a.m. EDT)
Passing the three-and-a-half hour mark as the cargo pallet is maneuvered away from the P6 truss by the space station's robotic arm. The carrier will be attached to the mobile transporter where it will spend the next. The astronauts will berth the pallet back into Atlantis' payload bay tomorrow.
1340 GMT (9:40 a.m. EDT)
Now it's time for the spacewalkers to put away the tools and equipment used for the battery work and tidy up the worksite before leaving the Port 6 truss.
1331 GMT (9:31 a.m. EDT)
After a laborious two-spacewalk process, the exchange of six aging batteries that had lasted beyond their design life with a half-dozen new power packs has been accomplished by the space shuttle Atlantis astronauts. This achieves another of the primary objectives for the mission.
1328 GMT (9:28 a.m. EDT)
The final old battery is now secure in the pallet for the ride home. This two-spacewalk process of swapping out the space station's oldest power units with a new six-pack is successfully complete.
1327 GMT (9:27 a.m. EDT)
One more bolt to go!
1320 GMT (9:20 a.m. EDT)
The spacewalkers are picking up the last old battery and putting it into the cargo carrier. Just nearing the three-hour mark in the EVA.
1308 GMT (9:08 a.m. EDT)
The International Space Station's original power truss has a half-dozen brand new batteries to last through this decade. The spacewalkers just completed attaching the sixth and final replacement battery carried to orbit aboard shuttle Atlantis.

These batteries are part of the truss' Channel B power string. The astronauts on Endeavour's STS-127 mission last summer successfully replaced the six batteries in the Channel A power string.
1254 GMT (8:54 a.m. EDT)
The last of the new batteries launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis has left its delivery pallet in the hands of spacewalker Mike "Bueno" Good. That vacant slot on the carrier will be filled in a little while by the very first old battery removed the station on Wednesday and has been sitting on a temporary bracket atop the Port 6 truss for the past two days. This juggling of new and old power packs between the pallet and station was a carefully thought out shuffle.
1241 GMT (8:41 a.m. EDT)
Mike and Garrett have that old battery stowed on the Integrated Cargo Carrier and covered up with a thermal blanket. Now they'll retrieve the sixth new battery for installation.
1227 GMT (8:27 a.m. EDT)
Now two hours into the EVA.
1225 GMT (8:25 a.m. EDT)
The last of the six batteries slated for removal during Atlantis' mission to the International Space Station has been taken out.
1213 GMT (8:13 a.m. EDT)
Battery Echo has slid into its now home on the Port 6 solar array power truss and been bolted down. The spacewalkers have just one more new power pack to plug in.
1200 GMT (8:00 a.m. EDT)
Spacewalker Mike Good previewed this EVA in a pre-flight interview:

"On EVA 3 it's kind of a clean-up day. It's to get everything done that we had hoped to get done on the whole mission, so whatever's left. What we're planning is to finish the remaining two batteries so assuming that Steve and I got done with the four of the six batteries on the second spacewalk, Garrett and I'll go out there and finish up the last pair of batteries, the last two batteries we'll take out of the truss and get them onto the pallet and get the new batteries off the pallet and into the truss."
1154 GMT (7:54 a.m. EDT)
The fifth of the fresh new batteries for the International Space Station's power system has been pulled off the launch carrier by the spacewalkers. The station's arm is holding the carrier as close to the worksite as possible. This particular pallet also carried the spare communications antenna and Dextre platform for the station that were unloaded during Monday's spacewalk. The structure will hold the old batteries during their return to Earth aboard the shuttle.
1146 GMT (7:46 a.m. EDT)
Robotic arm operator Piers Sellers is repositioning the pallet for the spacewalkers to remove the next new battery for installation into the space station.
1141 GMT (7:41 a.m. EDT)
The latest old battery has been placed aboard the carrier pallet, its mission at the space station now complete after almost 10 years.
1122 GMT (7:22 a.m. EDT)
The spacewalkers have removed a fifth aging new battery from the Port 6 truss, the original power module launched to the International Space Station in November 2000 aboard shuttle Endeavour's STS-97 mission.
1104 GMT (7:04 a.m. EDT)
And the spacewalkers have completed their first task of the day with the backup ammonia jumper. After this brief stop, they will continue onward in the climb along the station's port-side trusses to reach P6 where the battery replacement chores will resume from Wednesday's EVA.
1055 GMT (6:55 a.m. EDT)
The spacewalking duo has made its way to the interface between the P4 and P5 trusses of the International Space Station's backbone. It's here where they will install an ammonia cooling jumper line as part of an added-on task for this EVA because time permits.
1043 GMT (6:43 a.m. EDT)
Both spacewalkers have emerged from the airlock. This is the fourth EVA in Mike's career after doing two on the Hubble Space Telescope servicing flight last year and one earlier on this spaceflight for a total spacewalking time lasting 23 hours, 7 minutes. This is Garrett's third spacewalk after doing one on his first flight to the station in 2008 and one earlier this week to accumulate 14 hours, 26 minutes of EVA time.
1027 GMT (6:27 a.m. EDT)
EVA BEGINS. The spacewalkers switched their suits to internal battery power at 6:27 a.m. EDT, marking the official start time for today's EVA by Mike "Bueno" Good and Garrett "Big G" Reisman. This is the third and final spacewalk planned during Atlantis' mission at the International Space Station.

The EVA is getting underway an official 18 minutes ahead of schedule.
1026 GMT (6:26 a.m. EDT)
The depressurization has been completed and the Quest airlock's outer hatch leading to space is now open.
1008 GMT (6:08 a.m. EDT)
Depressurization stopped at 5.0 psi for a planned leak check.
0956 GMT (5:56 a.m. EDT)
Airlock depressurization has begun.
0945 GMT (5:45 a.m. EDT)
Preparations for the spacewalk are running about 30 minutes ahead of schedule, Mission Control says.
0935 GMT (5:35 a.m. EDT)
All dressed up and ready for head outside the International Space Station, Mike Good and Garrett Reisman have moved into the section of the airlock that will be depressurized shortly. And the inner hatch has been closed.
0910 GMT (5:10 a.m. EDT)
Astronauts Mike Good and Garrett Reisman are suiting up for a planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk today to finish replacing the International Space Station's oldest set of solar array batteries. They also plan to install an ammonia coolant jumper between two power truss segments, retrieve a robot arm grapple fixture and repair insulation on a Canadian robot arm extension.

Read our full story.
0840 GMT (4:40 a.m. EDT)
The latest version of the NASA Television schedule (Rev. G) can be downloaded here.
0758 GMT (3:58 a.m. EDT)
The spacewalkers are starting to get suited up for today's EVA.
0551 GMT (1:51 a.m. EDT)
The astronauts just woke up and Flight Day 8 is underway.
THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010
2035 GMT (4:35 p.m. EDT)
The low-key day for the space shuttle Atlantis astronauts is nearing bedtime now. Mike Good and Garrett Reisman have packed their tools and reviewed the game plan for Friday's spacewalk to finish the battery swapout, relocate a robotic arm grappling fixture from the sidewall of the shuttle payload bay to the space station and work on a variety of other "get-ahead" tasks as time permits.

The crew will be awakened at 1:50 a.m. and the EVA is slated to start around 6:45 a.m. EDT.
1445 GMT (10:45 a.m. EDT)
For the latest video from Atlantis' mission, check out our extensive archive for STS-132 here.

Beautiful High Definition footage of can be seen here.

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1430 GMT (10:30 a.m. EDT)
The commander of the shuttle Atlantis says his crew is "elated" with the progress of their mission to the International Space Station, including two complex-but-successful spacewalks and the problem-free attachment of a new Russian module.

Read our full story.
1345 GMT (9:45 a.m. EDT)
The space shuttle crew has gone into some off-duty time, a well deserved pause from the hectic pace the astronauts have been under since launch last Friday.

"Take a break and recharge our batteries," commander Ken Ham says. "We've been hitting it pretty hard these last few days and I think we're all really tired. Some of us actually slept in a little bit this morning, which was really nice.

"And we get an opportunity to ... look out the window, out the cupola, at the Earth and see some of the more amazing sights that are down there as well as some of the tragedies like the oil slick.

"All in all, it's a day to take pictures and make some memories."
1054 GMT (6:54 a.m. EDT)
The hatchway to the Russian Mini Research Module 1 was opened at 6:52 a.m. EDT for the first time. This opening was brief to enable the crew to take air samples.

Taking advantage of the Rassvet's interior volume, NASA has packed 3,000 pounds of equipment, spare parts, food and provisions in the module for trucking to the station. But that unloading won't occur until after Atlantis' departure from the space station.
0918 GMT (5:18 a.m. EDT)
The Atlantis astronauts worked through a relatively light day in space Thursday, preparing for a third and final spacewalk Friday before taking their afternoon off to relax and enjoy the view from 220 miles up.

Read our full story.
0825 GMT (4:25 a.m. EDT)
The latest version of the NASA Television schedule (Rev. F) can be downloaded here.
0559 GMT (1:59 a.m. EDT)
Mission Control has awakened the astronaut to begin Flight Day 7 of space shuttle Atlantis' trip to the International Space Station. Today's highlights will include opening the door to the newly installed Rassvet module for the first time, then some off-duty relaxation for the crew before pressing into final preps for Friday's spacewalk.


Read our earlier status center coverage.

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Shuttle Atlantis on launch pad 39A.
Spaceflight Now photo by Justin Ray.