A day after launching into orbit, the privately-built Genesis 2 expandable module successfully relayed high-resolution images taken on June 29 during on-orbit checkout procedures.

The two pictures confirmed the operation of the inflatable module's camera system followed by download to the Mission Operations center for the Las Vegas, Nevada-based spaceflight firm Bigelow Aerospace. The testing will continue as the ground team perfects the acquisition of the Genesis 2 signal.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/070701_genesis2_firstimage.html

To celebrate Youth Day on Saturday, June 16, students in South Africa spoke with astronaut Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, via amateur radio. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, arranged the contact with a few undergraduates and other students from a high school radio club who had just earned their ham licenses a few days earlier. The headmaster was pleased with the outcome and plans to promote Amateur Radio as a major support subject at the school.

http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/news/

After the departure of the space shuttle Atlantis, Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov returned to their daily operations aboard the International Space Station this week, while newly arrived Flight Engineer Clay Anderson began conducting scientific experiments.

Complete release at http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/jun/HQ_SS0732_station_status.html