14 DAY TRIAL // With the launch of space shuttle Atlantis imminent, the crew on the International Space Station (ISS) is currently buzzing with chores and tasks they need to perform before the NASA orbiter can dock. Earlier today, at 7:16 am EDT (13:16 UTC), they conducted a series of maneuvers that prompted the separation of the Progress 35 unmanned cargo space capsule from the station. Engineers at the Russian Mission Control then sent commands that ignited the spacecraft's engines, and moved it to an orbit a safe distance away from the international facility, Space Fellowship reports.
The capsule was undocked from the aft end of the Russian-built Zvezda service module, and it is scheduled to remain in space for more than six weeks. Mission planners say that they want to conduct more tests on it, before finally plunging it into the atmosphere. The procedure, which will most likely take place on or around July 1, will see the Progress vehicle disintegrating and burning up in the upper atmosphere. With this chore out of the way, the six members of Expedition 23 are currently focusing their attention on the upcoming relocation process of the Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft.
According to plans, the Soyuz capsule will be moved from the Earth-facing port of the Zarya module on Wednesday. Expedition 23 flight engineers T.J. Creamer (NASA) and Soichi Noguchi (JAXA) will work with commander Oleg Kotov (RosCosmos) in moving the spacecraft to the spot previously occupied by the now-departed Progress 36 capsule. The Earth-facing port of Zarya will therefore be cleared, and ready to receive the MRM-1 Rassvet module, which Atlantis is delivering to orbit.
The new chamber weighs in excess of 18,000 pounds, and the American space agency is fairing it to orbit as part of a bartering agreement it signed with the Russian Federal Space Agency. In order to make the most of all available space, engineers have placed inside the module about 3,000 pounds of equipment, food, water, fuel and spare parts, which will also be delivered to the station for storage. On one of its sides, the MRM-1 contains a radiator and an airlock.
The MRM-1 was delivered to Florida for shuttle integration in December 2009. It was constructed and assembled by RSC Energia, which is one of the largest Russian aerospace firms. It is in charge with most aspects of the country's manned spaceflight programs, and also builds the Soyuz TMA and Progress M capsules. These are the workhorse spacecrafts for RosCosmos, and they deliver astronauts and supplies to the ISS, respectively.