Helium Valve Repaired, Astronauts Ready

Thanks to efforts by crews on the ground and onboard the International Space Station, next month's launch of the space shuttle Atlantis remains on track, NASA reports.

On Tuesday, crews at Kennedy Space Center repaired a stuck helium valve in the orbiter's forward control system -- while high overhead, Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani conducted a seven-hour, 16-minute spacewalk to connect the Harmony node, and its attached shuttle docking port, in its new position in front of the US laboratory Destiny.

As ANN reported, a third and final outing to ready Harmony for next month's scheduled arrival of Atlantis is scheduled for Saturday... after which time, the three-person crew onboard the ISS will finally have the chance to rest a bit, after working almost nonstop since Discovery left the station just over two weeks ago.

Atlantis Commander Steven Frick told Florida Today his crew is ready for a launch December 6. "The real challenge was on the station side," he said. "They're looking great now for December 6."

Also on Tuesday, Frick lead his crew through the same activities they will conduct on launch day, including getting on orange pressure suits, riding to the launch pad in the 'astrovan' and strapping into the orbiter.

Atlantis is scheduled to spend at least 11 days in orbit. Three spacewalks are planned while the shuttle is docked at the station, to deliver and install the European Space Agency's Columbus module (right) to the ISS.

Two ESA astronauts, Leopold Eyharts and Hans Schlegel, are part of STS-122... a source of pride to many Europeans.

"For us Europeans, it is a special event," Schlegel said. "For me personally, it is an honor and a duty and a joy for this team to bring up this unit and activate it in orbit."

A fourth spacewalk will likely be added to Atlantis' mission, to begin repairs to the stuck solar array joint observed during Discovery's visit last month.

FMI: www.nasa.gov