Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani finished their spacewalk at 12:06 p.m. EST Wednesday. They spent 7 hours and 10 minutes outside the International Space Station on the starboard side of the truss structure.

+ Read more about the spacewalk at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition16/exp16...

The spacewalkers removed and replaced a Bearing Motor Roll Ring Module (BMRRM) that experienced electrical failures in early December. The BMRRM, or "broom", drives the solar arrays as they tilt towards the sun maximizing power generation.

WASHINGTON - NASA senior managers completed a review Wednesday of space shuttle Atlantis' readiness for flight. Pending closure of an issue with a shuttle radiator hose, the STS-122 mission will launch Feb. 7 at 2:45 p.m. EST.

During an inspection of Atlantis Tuesday, one of four hoses that carry Freon to the shuttle radiators in the payload bay was found bent and not properly retracted in its storage box. The others were fully retracted into their storage boxes, as expected. Teams are continuing to gather data and assess any potential forward work. Managers will convene Saturday to further review and analyze what, if any, remaining work is required before launch.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani will replace a motor at the base of one of the International Space Station's solar wings during a 6.5-hour spacewalk scheduled to begin early Wednesday.

Whitson will wear the spacesuit with red stripes as the lead spacewalker, while Tani will wear the spacesuit with broken stripes. They are to leave the station's Quest airlock at about 5:20 a.m. EST, though the spacewalk could begin earlier. NASA Television coverage will begin at 4 a.m.

Most of the spacewalk will focus on replacement of the motor, called the Bearing Motor Roll Ring Module (BMRRM). Called the 'broom," the motor drives the starboard solar wings as they tilt along their axis to follow the sun for optimal power generation as the station orbits the Earth.

HOUSTON - NASA will hold four media briefings next week to discuss International Space Station activities and provide a status of launch preparations for space shuttle mission STS-122. NASA Television also will provide live coverage of a Jan. 30 space station spacewalk, featuring Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani.

The first briefing at 1 p.m. CST on Monday, Jan. 28, will preview the spacewalk. NASA TV coverage of the spacewalk will begin at 3 a.m. on Jan. 30 and after its completion, a briefing will be held at approximately 1 p.m. During the spacewalk astronauts will replace a motor that enables one of the station's solar arrays to pivot toward the sun. The motor experienced electrical failures in early December 2007.

1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due to crew schedules onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February. 2. STS-120 Crew Talks with Italian Students On January 22, STS-120 crewmembers visited "La Sapienza" University in Rome where approximately 600 students from several universities and high schools gathered. Among those in attendance were students from the schools that participated in ARISS contacts with astronauts Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA, and Clay Anderson, KD5PLA. The crew gave a presentation on their mission which included educational activities, and showed videos to their audience. The complete story and photos of the event have been posted on the ARISS Web site. See: http://www.ariss-eu.org/2008_01_25.htm

The station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, is in position with cameras to videotape the condition of a solar array gear this weekend. The video inspection of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) as it rotates will assist engineers on the ground as they formulate a plan on future repairs. The starboard side SARJ will rotate 360 degrees twice, once on Saturday and once on Sunday.

Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Dan Tani were at the robotics workstation as the Canadarm2 walked off the Harmony Node to the Mobile Transporter (MT) on the station's truss structure. The MT then slowly moved the robotic arm near the Starboard 3 truss where it was maneuvered into position for this weekend's inspection.

Do you want to be part of the international network of ground stations that help support Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) operations? ARISS is looking to add numerous ground stations capable of relaying ISS amateur radio sessions with schools and also serve as back up communications relays should they be needed. Locations worldwide will be considered, but of greatest interest is the need for stations in Central America, South America, Falkland Islands, Western Australia, Canada, and Alaska.

The following are guidelines for stations wanting to be considered:

- Third Party agreement with United States or waiver from their telecom agency

1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due crew schedules onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February. 2. Astronaut Training Status On Wednesday, January 16, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, participated in a simulation of an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school contact. The Kenwood D700 radio in the JSC Service Module mockup was used for the contact. Skripochka spoke with the training support team who participated as students, asking Oleg questions about space and his visit on ISS. He is currently scheduled as an Expedition 17 backup crew member.

When did the U.S. launch its first satellite? What day did the first crew arrive at the International Space Station? A new calendar that highlights 50 years of NASA milestones and a decade of station assembly can be downloaded at: http://www.nasa.gov/station

The colorful 2008 calendar is packed with historical tidbits and photographs that capture the work and wonder of a decade building the world's largest orbiting laboratory. Each month of the calendar has a specific theme with images, photographs, significant NASA historical events and Web sites for educators.

"Teachers inspire. We hope this calendar also will inspire a new generation of explorers," said Mike Suffredini, manager, International Space Station Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The International Space Station continued to perform well Friday as the Expedition 16 crew wrapped up a productive week filled with science experiments and station maintenance.

All three crew members--Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Dan Tani--began Friday morning with a routine inspection of their orbital home, followed by the collection of their body mass measurements.

Source http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html