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International Space
Station (ISS) Diary This section of the ISS diary covers 1998 October and 2000 May. It includes the first elements going into space and the work done by space shuttle crews in preparing the station for habitation. |
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Date and Time (GMT) |
Event |
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1998 Oct 21 |
- |
Space Shuttle Endeavour rolled-out to Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center |
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1998 Oct 26 |
- |
Unity module arrives at Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center |
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1998 Nov 13 |
- |
Unity module placed inside Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay |
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1998 Nov 18 |
- |
Proton rocket carrying the Zarya space station module moved to Launch Complex 23 at the Baikonur cosmodrome |
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1998 Nov 20 |
06:40 |
Zarya launched from Launch Complex 23 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Proton rocket into 176 x 343 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination |
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1998 Nov 25 |
- |
Zarya established in orbit of 383 x 396 kilometres, awaiting arrival of Space Shuttle 'Endeavour' |
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1998 Dec 3 |
08:59 |
Originally-planned launch time for Space Shuttle Endeavour to rendezvous with Zarya - a delay in the countdown due to an erroneous alarm resulted in the launch window closing before Endeavour could lift off |
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1998 Dec 4 |
08:35 |
Space Shuttle Endeavour launched from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-88. Crew consists of US Marine Col Robert Cabana (commander), US Marine Major Frederick Sturckow (pilot), and mission specialists - US Marine Lt-Col Nancy J Currie, USAF Col Jerry Ross, James Newman and cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev |
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1998 Dec 5 |
22:06 |
Mission specialist Currie uses Endeavour's remote manipulator system to raise Unity from Endeavour's cargo bay |
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1998 Dec 5 |
23:45 |
Unity is attached vertically to a docking adaptor in Endeavour's cargo bay |
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1998 Dec 6 |
23:47 |
Following rendezvous, mission specialist Currie controls Endeavour's remote manipulator arm to capture Zarya |
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1998 Dec 7 |
02:07 |
The Endeavour/Unity combination completes the docking with Zarya. Orbit is 386 x 401 kilometres |
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1998 Dec 7 |
22:10 |
Ross and Newman open Endeavour's hatch to start a space walk to connect external communications and electrical power cables between Zarya and Unity, and to install handholds and connectors to the outside of Unity for use on later space walks |
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1998 Dec 8 |
03:49 |
Zarya begins to supply electrical power to Unity - some of Unity's systems are powered up |
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1998 Dec 8 |
05:31 |
Ross and Newman seal Endeavour's hatch at the end of the space walk |
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1998 Dec 9 |
20:30 |
Ross and Newman open Endeavour's hatch to start a space walk to attach communications antennae to Unity for use with the Data Relay Tracking System; to install insulation blankets and a sunshade on Unity (they let go of one blanket which drifted away from the ISS); and to use a pole to complete the deployment of a rendezvous radar antenna on Zarya which had stuck in a partially-erected position |
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1998 Dec 10 |
03:35 |
Ross and Newman seal Endeavour's hatch at the end of the space walk |
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1998 Dec 10 |
19:54 |
Krikalev and Cabana become the first people to enter the ISS - the Endeavour crew check some ISS systems, install portable fans and lights, and carry equipment aboard from Endeavour |
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1998 Dec 10 |
21:12 |
The hatch between Unity and Zarya is opened for the first time |
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1998 Dec 11 |
22:41 |
The hatch between Unity and Zarya is closed |
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1998 Dec 12 |
00:26 |
Work is completed and the crew closes the hatch between Endeavour and Unity |
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1998 Dec 12 |
20:33 |
Ross and Newman open Endeavour's hatch to start a space walk to install a toolkit on the outside of Unity for use by future astronauts; to disconnect cables on Unity to ensure it cannot be undocked; to install a hand hold on Zarya and complete the deployment of a second antenna which has also stuck; and to test an astronaut manoeuvring unit |
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1998 Dec 13 |
03:32 |
Ross and Newman seal Endeavour's hatch at the end of the space walk |
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1998 Dec 13 |
20:25 |
Endeavour undocks from the International Space Station and begins a fly-around of the station |
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1998 Dec 13 |
21:39 |
Endeavour fires its thrusters and starts to move away from the ISS - joint operations are completed |
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1998 Dec 14 |
04:30 |
Argentinian SAC-A technology test satellite is ejected from Endeavour's cargo bay |
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1998 Dec 15 |
02:09 |
MightySat technology demonstration satellite is ejected from Endeavour's cargo bay |
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1998 Dec 16 |
02:23 |
Mission Control gives Endeavour a 'Go' to fire its OMS engines for re-entry |
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1998 Dec 16 |
02:47 |
Endeavour fires its OMS engines to initiate re-entry |
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1998 Dec 16 |
03:53 |
Endeavour lands on the Kennedy Space Center runway |
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1998 Dec 16 |
03:54 |
Wheel stop - Endeavour's mission is completed |
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1998 Dec 16 |
- |
A test firing of Zarya's thusters raises the ISS orbit from 387 x 399 kilometres to 394 x 400 kilometres |
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1998 Dec 21 |
- |
Two firings of Zarya's thrusters raises the ISS orbit further to 397 x 403 kilometres |
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1999 Apr 24 |
- |
Space Shuttle Discovery rolled-out to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center |
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1999 May 16 |
- |
Space Shuttle Discovery rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs to insulation on the External Tank necessitated by exposure to hailstorms |
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1999 May 20 |
- |
Space Shuttle Discovery returned to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center |
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1999 May 27 |
10:49 |
Space Shuttle Discovery launched from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-96. Crew consists of Commander Kent V Rominger, USN (commander), Lt-Col Rick D Husband, USAF (pilot), and mission specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette (Canada), and Colonel Valery Ivanovich Tokarev, Russian Air Force. |
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1999 May 29 |
04:24 |
Discovery becomes the first spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station as it links up with the PMA-2 docking adaptor on the Unity Module - orbit is 379 x 385 kilometres at 51.6 degrees inclination |
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1999 May 30 |
02:56 |
Jernigan and Barry open Discovery's hatch to start a space walk to inspect paintwork on the outside of the two modules, to add thermal insulation to Unity, and to transfer equipment, including two cranes (the US Orbital Transfer Device, and the the Russian "Strela"), for use on future missions, to the exterior of the Zarya module - the cranes and some sets of tools are secured to the outside of the station ready for assembly by a later crew |
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1999 May 30 |
10:51 |
Jernigan and Barry seal Discovery's hatch at the end of the space walk - one hour and 25 minutes later than planned due to difficulties with retaining bolts when removing equipment from Discovery's cargo bay |
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1999 May 31 |
01:14 |
The hatch into Unity is opened and the crew begins transferring two tonnes of equipment and supplies from Discovery's Spacehab module aboard the International Space Station, including clothing, water, sleeping bags and spare parts - work includes fitting noise suppression equipment to Zarya's air-circulation fans which have proved to be noisier than anticipated, repairing a radio system onboard Unity, and replacing battery chargers onboard Zarya |
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1999 Jun 2 |
- |
Work is completed onboard the ISS |
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1999 Jun 3 |
09:44 |
Approx time - the crew closes the hatch between Discovery and Unity |
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1999 Jun 3 |
10:33 |
Approx time - operation using Discovery's Reaction Control System to boost the orbit of ISS is started |
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1999 Jun 3 |
11:10 |
Approx time - orbit boost for the ISS is completed - orbit is now 385 x 399 kilometres at 51.6 degrees inclination |
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1999 Jun 3 |
22:39 |
Discovery undocks from the International Space Station |
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1999 Jun 3 |
22:57 |
Discovery begins a fly-around of the station |
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1999 Jun 4 |
00:53 |
Discovery fires its RCS engines and moves away from the International Space Station |
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1999 Jun 5 |
07:21 |
STARSHINE (Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment ) satellite is ejected from Discovery's cargo bay - it is a 0.5 metre diameter, hollow sphere covered with over 800 polished aluminum mirrors to permit its easy visibility from the ground for use by students in measuring upper atmosphere air density and calculating the orbit |
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1999 Jun 6 |
04:36 |
Mission Control gives Discovery a 'Go' to fire its OMS engines for re-entry |
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1999 Jun 6 |
04:54 |
Discovery fires its OMS engines for three and a half minutes to initiate re-entry |
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1999 Jun 6 |
06:02 |
Discovery lands on the Kennedy Space Center runway |
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1999 Jun 6 |
06:03 |
Wheel stop - Discovery's mission is completed |
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1999 Jun 13 |
- |
The International Space Station passes seven kilometres from a Russian-launched rocket stage - mission controllers had originally calculated a miss distance of one kilometre, and attempted to fire Zarya's thrusters to change the station's orbit slightly, but in the event, Zarya's computer had rejected the command as dangerous because the data it received would have resulted in a thruster firing for longer than permitted by safety rules |
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1999 Jul 8 |
- |
Russian Spaceflight Control Centre suffers five hour power cut due to severe hail storms affecting the local power supply and the backup generator system |
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1999 Jul 15 |
- |
Russian Spaceflight Control Centre suffers a second, one hour power cut due to maintenence work following the incident on 1999 July 8 - this time the standby power system operates successfully |
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1999 Oct 26 |
14:03 |
Zarya's thrusters fired for five seconds to raise the International Space Station's orbit by 1.5 kilometres because of a calculation showing that it would pass 1.4 kilometres from a Pegasus launch vehicle on 27 October |
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1999 Oct 27 |
08:00 |
Approximate time - the International Space Station passes 139 kilometres from a Pegasus rocket stage, orbit is 366 x 382 kilometres at 51.6 degrees inclination |
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2000 Mar 25 |
- |
Space Shuttle Atlantis rolled-out to Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center |
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2000 Apr 24 |
20:15 |
Originally-planned launch time for Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station - lift off postponed during the standard T-9 minute hold due to high winds at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility |
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2000 Apr 25 |
19:52 |
Originally-planned second launch attempt for Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station - lift off postponed T-40 minutes due to hugh winds at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility |
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2000 Apr 26 |
19:27 |
Originally-planned third launch attempt for Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station - lift off postponed due to weather conditions at the trans-Atlantic abort landing sites in Spain and Morocco |
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2000 Apr 28 |
- |
NASA agrees to postpone a launch attempt of Shuttle Atlantis to the ISS planned for 10:38 on 18 May because of a delayed launch attempt of an Atlas III rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
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2000 May 19 |
10:11 |
Space Shuttle Atlantis launched from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-101. Crew consists of Commander Col James D Halsell, USAF, (commander), Col Scott J Horowitz, USAF (pilot), and mission specialists Col Susan J Helms, USAF, Yuri Usachev (Russia), retired Col James S Voss, USA, Mary Ellen Weber, Lt-Col Jeffrey Williams, USA. |
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2000 May 21 |
04:31 |
Atlantis docks with the PMA-2 docking adaptor on the Unity Module of the International Space Station while passing over the Ukraine and within range of Russian tracking stations - orbit is 332 x 341 kilometres at 51.6 degrees inclination |
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2000 May 22 |
01:48 |
Voss and Williams open Atlantis's hatch to start a space walk to secure the US Orbital Transfer Device (OTD) crane to be used to transfer astronauts around the outside of the ISS - it had become loose from its mounting on Unity following initial installation by astronauts Jernigan and Barry during Discovery's STS-96 mission one year previously. - they complete assembly of the Russian "Strela" crane (similar to one on Mir) on the outside of Zarya by adding a further section, install further handholds on the outside of the station, replace a faulty radio antenna on Unity and take photographs of the station's exterior surface |
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2000 May 22 |
08:32 |
Voss and Williams seal Atlantis's hatch at the end of the space walk. |
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2000 May 23 |
00:03 |
The hatch into Unity is opened and the crew of Atlantis begins work inside the station to replace four of the six batteries in the Zarya module, install additional fans and ducting for air circulation, and to unload supplies from Atlantis's Spacehab module |
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2000 May 24 |
00:02 |
Atlantis begins an approximately one hour programme of firing its Reaction Control System (RCS) to raise the orbit of the ISS - 27 firings of 130 seconds duration each |
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2000 May 25 |
01:16 |
Atlantis begins a second one hour programme of firing its Reaction Control System (RCS) to raise the orbit of the ISS, using a similar firing pattern to the first session |
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2000 May 25 |
23:36 |
Atlantis begins a third one hour programme of firing its Reaction Control System (RCS) to raise the orbit of the ISS, using a similar firing pattern to the earlier sessions - orbit is now 372 x 380 kilometres at 51.6 degrees inclination |
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2000 May 26 |
08:08 |
The crew closes the hatch between Atlantis and Unity |
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2000 May 26 |
23:03 |
Atlantis undocks from the International Space Station and begins a fly-around to photograph and inspect the exterior of the ISS |
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2000 May 26 |
23:44 |
Atlantis fires its RCS and moves away from the ISS |
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2000 May 29 |
05:12 |
Atlantis fires its OMS engines to initiate re-entry |
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2000 May 29 |
06:20 |
Atlantis lands on the Kennedy Space Center runway |
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2000 May 29 |
06:21 |
Wheel stop - Atlantis's mission is completed |