STS-115 is the next Space Shuttle program mission and first to return to Assembly of the International Space Station following two "Return to Flight" test missions. The mission will use Space Shuttle Atlantis with launch officially scheduled for August 28, with the launch window open until September 7 2006. This mission is also refered to as ISS-12A by the ISS program. The key mission objective is to deliver the second left-side truss segment (ITS P3/P4), a pair of solar arrays (2A and 4A), and batteries.

Crew

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• Brent Jett (4), Commander
• Christopher Ferguson (1), Pilot
• Joseph Tanner (4), Mission Specialist
• Daniel Burbank (2), Mission Specialist
• Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (1), Mission Specialist
• Steven MacLean (2), Mission Specialist - Canada

Mission parameters

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• Mass: -
• Perigee: -
• Apogee: -
• Inclination: 51.6°
• Period: -

Mission highlights

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The primary mission objective of STS-115, refered to as ISS-12A by the ISS program, is delivery and installation of the second left-side truss segment (ITS P3/P4), a pair of solar arrays, and associated batteries.

CSA Astronaut MacLean will become the first Canadian to operate Canadarm2 and its Mobile Base in space as he is handed a new set of solar arrays from his crewmate controlling the original Canadian robotic arm, the Canadarm. Once again, the two Canadian robotic arms will work "hand-in-hand" in space. MacLean will perform two spacewalks during the course of the 10-day mission.

Mission objectives

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• Delivery and installation of two truss segments (P3 and P4)
• Delivery and deployment of two new solar arrays (4A and 2A)
• Four spacewalks are planned for the 10-day mission

Pre-launch

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The 27 August is being considered as a potential launch date (if confirmed, the first time the shuttle program has brought a planned launch date forward), the main issue being discussed with regard to a 27 August launch is lighting for the external tank imagery. July 25th is the current date set for the orbiter and ET mating to occur, with the rollout to Pad 39B occurring about a week later. The launch window is co-ordinated with the a Soyuz (Soyuz TMA-9) launch. The Soyuz can not dock with the Shuttle on station. Post mission Management Team press briefing, from STS-121, on 16th July 2006

See also

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• Space science
• Space shuttle
• List of space shuttle missions
• List of human spaceflights chronologically

External links

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• STS-115 mission overview from NASA
• Return to flight website
• Space and astronautics news' STS-115 page.

Human spaceflights | Space Shuttle missions | 2006

STS-115 | STS-115 | STS-115