REAL TIME SATELLITE TRACKING ^{powered by AJAX}

U.S. MISSILE-WARNING SATELLITE FAILS - A Northrop Grumman Corp U.S. military satellite used to track enemy missiles stopped working in mid-September, underscoring the urgent need to keep a program for replacement satellites on track, a defense official and several analysts said on Monday. The U.S. Air Force had no comment, but Space News reported on Monday that the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer John Young has signed a memorandum asking Congress to provide $117 million in funding in fiscal 2009 for a new satellite to hedge against a potential gap in satellite coverage around 2014    More
(Source: Reuters)

NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD MARK 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Nations around the world will join together to mark a milestone in space exploration this week, celebrating the 10th birthday of a unique research laboratory, the International Space Station. Now the largest spacecraft ever built, the orbital assembly of the space station began with the launch from Kazakhstan of its first bus-sized component, Zarya, on Nov. 20, 1998. The launch began an international construction project of unprecedented complexity and sophistication.    More
(Source: NASA)

ASTRONAUT WHO LOST TOOL BAG ADMITS MAKING MISTAKE - The astronaut who lost her tool bag on a spacewalk admitted Wednesday that she made a mistake by not checking to see if the sack was tied down, and said she's still smarting over the whole thing. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper said in an interview with The Associated Press that it was "very disheartening" to lose her bag full of tools. She was trying to clean up grease that had oozed out of a grease gun in the backpack-size bag, when the tote and everything in it floated away Tuesday. The bag was one of the largest items ever lost by a spacewalking astronaut. NASA put the price tag of the tool bag at $100,000.    More
(Source: Associated Press)

ASTRONAUTS RESUME SPACEWALK AFTER TOOLS LOST - Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper has resumed work on SARJ cleanup and lubrication. At approx. 3:33 p.m. EST, Piper reported that one of the Braycote lubrication guns had released grease into her toolbag. As she was cleaning the bag and wiping the tools and equipment inside, the bag floated away. Another bag carrying identical equipment is now being shared by Piper and Bowen. EVA officers in Mission Control believe there is enough equipment for the spacewalkers to complete the planned SARJ trundle bearing assembly removal and race ring cleaning.    More
(Source: NASA)

FIRST STS-126 SPACEWALK BEGIN - Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen began the first STS-126 spacewalk at 1:09 p.m. EST. They are scheduled to work outside the International Space Station for 6.5 hours. Their tasks include cleaning and lubricating the starboard solar alpha rotary joint, replacing a nitrogen assembly tank and other station assembly tasks. Shuttle astronaut Shane Kimbrough is the intravehicular officer guiding the spacewalkers during their excursion.   More
(Source: NASA)

FIRST STS-126 SPACEWALK PLANNED FOR TODAY - The STS-126 and Expedition 18 crews woke up today at 8:55 a.m. EST. Shuttle astronauts Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen are scheduled to perform their mission's first spacewalk today at 1:45 p.m. They "camped out" in the station's Quest airlock overnight to reduce their preparation time.    More
(Source: NASA)

CREWS PREPARE FOR SPACEWALK - The STS-126 and Expedition 18 crew members reviewed spacewalk procedures to prepare for the first of four spacewalks planned during the mission. The spacewalkers, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen, are following a proven protocol known as the “campout”. This consists of spending the night in the Quest airlock to lessen the preparatory time before beginning the spacewalk scheduled for 1:45 p.m. EST.    More
(Source: NASA)

LEONARDO ATTACHED TO STATION - The Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module has been attached to the space station. Inside the MPLM are systems to be installed in the U.S. Destiny lab and Harmony node, such as: two water recovery systems racks for recycling urine into potable water, a second toilet system, new galley components, two new food warmers, a food refrigerator, an experiment freezer, a combustion science experiment rack, two separate sleeping quarters and a resistance exercise device.   More
(Source: NASA)

SHUTTLE ARRIVES AT STATION, DELIVERS NEW FLIGHT ENGINEER - The hatches between the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour are now open. Expedition 18 welcomed the STS-126 crew members inside the Harmony Node at 7:16 p.m. EST on Sunday. Sandra Magnus, who arrived aboard Endeavour, swapped Soyuz seatliners with station astronaut Greg Chamitoff at 9:50 p.m. replacing him as Expedition 18 Flight Engineer. Chamitoff is now an STS-126 mission specialist and will return home on Endeavour in two weeks.   More
(Source: NASA)