The news briefings to preview the year's first space shuttle mission have been rescheduled to Friday, Jan. 29, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the briefings live. Reporters may ask questions from participating NASA locations.

The series of briefings will focus on shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission to deliver the final module of the U.S. portion of the International Space Station. The briefings have been rescheduled to allow more analysis of engineering data from the test of high-pressure ammonia jumper hose assemblies that failed during a prelaunch test last week. The results will determine if there will be any impact to the shuttle mission. Teams continue to work toward a target launch of Feb. 7.

NASA Headquarters in Washington will welcome space shuttle Atlantis' STS-129 astronauts for a visit on Monday, Jan. 11, through Thursday, Jan. 14. The crew wrapped up an 11-day journey in space of nearly 4.5 million miles on Nov. 27.

Commander Charlie Hobaugh, Pilot Barry Wilmore, Mission Specialists Leland Melvin, Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher will share mission highlights with NASA employees, school children, college students and the general public while in the nation's capital. Reporters interested in covering the events or interviewing a crew member should contact NASA Public Affairs at 202-358-1100.

After reaching its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday, space shuttle Endeavour now awaits its next major milestone for the upcoming STS-130 mission. Reporters are invited to cover the launch dress rehearsal, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, scheduled to take place at Kennedy from Jan. 19 to 21.

Endeavour arrived at Launch Pad 39A at 8:45 a.m. EST Wednesday on top of a giant crawler-transporter. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 4:13 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The shuttle was secured on the pad at 10:37 a.m.

NASA officials will discuss an upcoming spacewalk by two Russian cosmonauts, the relocation of a Soyuz spacecraft to a new docking port and other International Space Station activities during a briefing at 1 p.m. CST on Monday, Jan. 11. The briefing will take place at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and will be broadcast live on NASA Television and the agency's Web site. Reporters at participating NASA centers may ask questions.

The briefing participants are:
- Pete Hasbrook, Expedition 22 increment manager, Johnson Space Center
- David Korth, Expedition 22 lead flight director, Johnson Space Center

Topics in this report:
1. ARISS Featured at Marconi Commemoration Event
2. ISS Ham Debrief Held
3. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline

1. ARISS Featured at Marconi Commemoration Event
On Thursday, January 7, students attending the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" Marconi Commemoration Event in Rome, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with on-orbit astronaut Jeffrey Williams, KD5TVQ. The contact was facilitated by telebridge station W6SRJ in California. An audience of 200 watched as eleven questions were asked and answered. After the contact, Princess Elettra Marconi, daughter of Guglielmo Marconi and Mr. Dieter Isakeit of ESA ESRIN (European Space Research Institute) Corporate Communication Office & Communication and Knowledge Department, sent greetings to the ISS crew. Presentations were given by ARISS mentor Francesco De Paolis as well as Mr. Augusto Cramarossa, Italian Space Agency, Head of Strategy, National and International, Mr. Massimo Pucini, Deputy Mayor of Moteporzio Catone town and Mrs. Marina Ruggeri, Director Department of Electronics Engineering - University "Tor Vergata."

The launch of Shuttle Endeavour on the STS 130 flight now faces a potential delay due to technical problems with the external ammonia connecting lines which are designed to provide critical cooling capability to the new Tranquility module. Tranquility is a pressurized module being brought aloft as payload in the cargo bay of Endeavour on the STS 130 mission. Launch of Endeavour is currently set for 4:39 AM on Feb. 7.

NASA spokesman Allard Beutel told me Friday afternoon Jan 8 that, “As space station and space shuttle teams prepared for February’s launch of Endeavour, a high-pressure ammonia jumper hose assembly failed during a prelaunch test Thursday. Four such hoses, which will be used to connect the new Tranquility module to the station’s cooling system, are to be installed and activated by spacewalkers during the STS-130 mission.”