Coverage continues at Part 6 of our Mission Journal.

• 01 December 2002 - Evening Update - We wrap up Flight Day 9, the last full day the crews of Endeavour and Alpha will spend together. NASA reports:

  STS-113 Crew Prepares for Undocking
  Sunday was STS-113's last full day at the International Space Station. The crew had a busy first half of the day before enjoying some well-deserved time off that afternoon. Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington cleaned and stowed the spacesuits that they used during the mission's three successful spacewalks.

  Commander Jim Wetherbee raised the station's orbit during the mission's third reboost maneuver. Sunday's engine firing raised the station's orbit about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles), leaving it about 10 kilometers (6.25 miles) higher than when Endeavour arrived.

  The STS-113 crew also performed final cargo transfers and prepared for undocking. The crewmembers also checked out the equipment that will be used for undocking, which is scheduled for [Monday afternoon].

  Outgoing NASA ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and new ISS Science Officer Don Pettit performed some troubleshooting on the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) inside the Destiny Lab. The MSG's power distribution and conversion box failed and will be returned to Earth aboard Endeavour. The MSG is currently inactive.

  Watch NASA TV on Monday to see the departure of STS-113 from the International Space Station. Final farewells and hatch closure are slated to take place at [12:15PM EST/1715 GMT]. Space Shuttle Endeavour is slated to undock at [3:05PM EST/2005 GMT]. Undocking should take place ... over the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia. Endeavour is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center at [3:49PM EST/2049 GMT] on Wednesday. NASA TV Schedule

  The next update will be on Part 6 of the Mission Journal.

  
  

• 01 December - Afternoon Update - A quiet day in space continues, after yesterday's spacewalk hit a snag.  NASA reports:

  STS-113 Crew Raise ISS' Orbit
  Commander Jim Wetherbee issued a series of gentle pulses to Endeavour's small jets this morning, raising the altitude of the International Space Station by an additional 6 1/4 miles. With this third and final reboost complete, the station's altitude is now 251 by 243 statute miles.

  In other activities today, the crews will continue final transfer activities and enjoy some scheduled time off during their last full day of joint operations.

  The astronauts and cosmonauts will go to sleep just before 11 p.m. central time today [midnight EST Sunday/0005 GMT Monday], waking just before [8AM EST/1300 GMT] Monday to begin final preparations for Endeavour's departure.

  [The orbiter] is slated to undock from the station about [3:05PM EST/2005 GMT] Monday. Landing is scheduled for [3:49PM EST/2049 GMT] on Wednesday.

  Watch NASA TV at [2:55PM EST/1955 GMT] today to see STS-113, Expedition Five and Expedition Six crewmembers participate in interviews with CNN Español, Indian Country Today and Native American Calling radio network.

  Note that the media event that was scheduled for 3PM EST will now start 5 minutes earlier (as above). Also, the Mission Status Briefing that was scheduled for this afternoon has been cancelled.

  
  

• 01 December 2002 - Flight Day 9 - Sunday begins the last full day of docked operations for Endeavour and the ISS.  NASA reports:

  STS-113 Crew to Prepare for Undocking, Raise Station's Orbit
  Today is STS-113's last full day at the International Space Station. The crew will have a busy first half of the day before enjoying some well-deserved time off this afternoon. Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington will clean and stow the spacesuits that they used during the mission's three successful spacewalks.

  Commander Jim Wetherbee will raise the station's orbit during the mission's third reboost maneuver. Today's engine firing will raise the station's orbit about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles), leaving it about 10 miles higher than when Endeavour arrived.

  The STS-113 crew will also perform final cargo transfers and prepare for undocking. [They are] scheduled to be awakened at 7:33 a.m. CST [8:33AM EST/1333 GMT].

  The Expedition Six crew -- Commander Ken Bowersox, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and NASA ISS Science Officer Don Pettit -- will bid farewell to the Expedition Five and STS-113 crews at [12:15PM EST/1715 GMT] Monday before Space Shuttle Endeavour undocks from the station at [3:05PM EST/2005 GMT].

  See below for today's NASA TV events.

• 30 November 2002 - Evening Update - Not only did spacewalkers John Herrington and Mike Lopez-Alegria complete their spacewalk - they fixed the snagged ISS railcar, and completed extra tasks! NASA reports:

  Third Spacewalk Complete
  Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington wrapped up STS-113's third and final spacewalk at [9:25PM EST Saturday/0225 GMT Sunday]. Early in the spacewalk, Herrington did some troubleshooting work for the International Space Station's Mobile Transporter, or MT. He deployed a UHF antenna that was prohibiting the MT from moving down the P1 (P-One) Truss to Worksite 7.

  Herrington and Lopez-Alegria also performed their scheduled tasks, including the installation of 33 spool positioning devices onto various station locations. They connected Ammonia Tank Assembly lines and reconfigured a circuit breaker on the Main Bus Switching Unit. STS-113 Pilot Paul Lockhart coordinated spacewalk activities and Commander Jim Wetherbee operated Space Shuttle Endeavour's robot arm. This was the 49th spacewalk performed at the station and the 24th based out of the station. It lasted seven hours.

  Sunday will be STS-113's last full day at the International Space Station. The shuttle and station crews will continue cargo transfers. [Also, they] will continue the series of handover briefings between the Expedition Five and Expedition Six space station crews, and will enjoy some scheduled time off in recognition of the demanding schedule they have been following.

  Watch NASA TV at 2 p.m. CST [3PM EST/2000 GMT] Sunday to see STS-113, Expedition Five and Expedition Six crewmembers participate in interviews with CNN Español, Indian Country Today and CNN. Endeavour is scheduled to undock at 2:05 p.m. CST [3:05PM EST/2005 GMT] Monday.

  Flight Day 7 pics and videos are now available in the NASA Gallery.

  
  

• 30 November - Afternoon Update - The third EVA is in progress. Trouble with the Space Station's railcar is being investigated, and some tasks may have to be rearranged.  NASA reports:

  Astronauts Conducting Third Spacewalk
  STS-113's third spacewalk began at 1:25 p.m. CST [2:25PM EST/1925 GMT] today despite a stalled Mobile Transporter rail car. The Mobile Transporter stalled about 10 feet from its planned stop on the station's new port truss this morning, where it would serve as a base of operations for the robotic arm.

  The first task for Herrington is the inspection of the International Space Station's Mobile Transporter, which stalled while it was moving along the Integrated Truss Structure. They will also look at the railway where the transporter is stalled.

  Troubleshooting of the transporter continues, but spacewalkers John Herrington and Mike Lopez-Alegria are believed to be able to accomplish all tasks today even without the aid of the arm if necessary.

  The major scheduled objective of this spacewalk is the installation 33 spool positioning devices onto various station locations. They are also slated to connect Ammonia Tank Assembly lines and reconfigure a circuit breaker on the Main Bus Switching Unit.

  This is the 49th spacewalk performed at the station and the 24th based out of the station. STS-113's first two excursions totaled 12 hours and 55 minutes. Today's spacewalk is slated to end about [9PM EST today/0200 GMT Sunday].

  Play-by-play links at top right.

  
  

• 30 November - Morning Update - Our Saturday coverage continues with more on today's EVA.  NASA reports:

  Third Spacewalk on Tap Today
  Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington are scheduled to begin STS-113's third and final spacewalk at 1:20 p.m. CST [2:20PM EST/1920 GMT] today. Their first task will be to install 33 spool positioning devices -- clamp-like devices that ensure that the quick disconnect fittings in the station's ammonia coolant lines release as designed -- onto various station locations. They will also connect Ammonia Tank Assembly lines and reconfigure a circuit breaker on the Main Bus Switching Unit. If time allows, Lopez-Alegria and Herrington also will reconfigure a pyrotechnic device designed to release the P1 (P-One) Truss radiator panels when they are deployed next year.

  STS-113 Pilot Paul Lockhart will coordinate spacewalk activities and Commander Jim Wetherbee will be at the controls of Space Shuttle Endeavour's robot arm. Expedition Six Commander Ken Bowersox and NASA ISS Science Officers Peggy Whitson and Don Pettit will spend time operating the station arm, Canadarm2.

  This will be the 49th spacewalk performed at the station and the 24th based out of the station. STS-113's first two excursions totaled 12 hours and 55 minutes. Today's spacewalk is slated to last 6.5 hours.

  In other activities, Expedition Five Commander Valery Korzun and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev will prepare for their return to Earth by conducting their final sessions with the Lower Body Negative Pressure suit. Expedition Five will end its stay at the International Space Station when it leaves with STS-113 on Monday. Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to land in Florida on Wednesday.

  Check the play-by-play links at top right for up-to-the-minute commentary, and follow the action live on NASA TV!.

  
  

• 30 November 2002 - Flight Day 8 - The third spacewalk of the mission is on tap for today.  NASA reports:

  STS-113 Shuttle Mission Activities
  The crew of Endeavour is scheduled to be awakened at 7:34 a.m. CST [8:34AM EST/1334 GMT]. The Expedition Six crew aboard the International Space Station is scheduled to awaken at 7:50 a.m. [8:50AM EST/1350 GMT].

  [This afternoon,] Mission Specialists Michael Lopez-Alegria and John Herrington are scheduled to begin their third spacewalk of the mission. Watch NASA TV on Saturday to see coverage of STS-113's final spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 1:20 p.m. CST [2:20PM EST/1920 GMT]. NASA TV Schedule

  After yesterday's Change Of Command ceremony, the Expedition 5 crew said they are ready to come home and eat some real food.

  New docking pics are now available in the NASA Gallery.

• 29 November 2002 - Evening Update - The Expedition 5 and 6 crews have completed their ceremonial Change Of Command (which really happened on Monday, when the custom seatliners were swapped out in their Soyuz escape vehicle). Tomorrow will see the third and final spacewalk of the mission. NASA reports:

  Crews Hold Change of Command Ceremony
  Flight Day 7 was busy for the STS-113 crewmembers. Along with the International Space Station crewmembers, they continued to transfer cargo between the station and Space Shuttle Endeavour, including science experiments that will be returning to Earth on the orbiter.

  Commander Jim Wetherbee fired Endeavour's thruster jets in a maneuver that raised the orbit of the station by about three-fourths of a mile Friday morning. It was the second of three reboost maneuvers.

  All 10 astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station/Endeavour complex talked with reporters at Johnson and Kennedy space centers during the crew news conference, then posed for the crew photo.

  A formal change of command ceremony for the Expedition Five and Six crews was held that afternoon. Handover talks between the two station crews continued. The Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) in the station's U.S. laboratory Destiny continues to function smoothly after Thursday repairs by Expedition 5 NASA ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Bowersox.

  Flight Day 5 and Flight Day 6 videos are now available in the NASA Gallery.

  
  

• 29 November 2002 - Flight Day 7 - Friday will be spent prepping for tomorrow's spacewalk, the last of three EVAs to outfit the new P1 Truss. Yesterday's EVA, the first ever to take place on Thanksgiving Day, featured a "wild ride" aboard the Station's "big arm," Canadarm2. Despite the holiday, the spacewalkers finished up their tasks early and got a head start on some items scheduled for tomorrow's excursion. Today will also see the formal Change Of Command ceremony aboard the ISS.  NASA reports:

  Cargo Transfers to Continue
  Flight Day 7 will be busy for the STS-113 crewmembers. Along with the International Space Station crewmembers, they will transfer cargo between the station and Space Shuttle Endeavour, including science experiments that will be returning to Earth with STS-113.

  A series of hand-over briefings also will continue as the returning Expedition 5 crew members - Valery Korzun, Peggy Whitson and Sergei Treschev - help the station's newest residents, the Expedition Six crew - Ken Bowersox, Nikolai Budarin and Don Pettit - become familiar with their new home.

  Commander Jim Wetherbee will fire Endeavour's thruster jets in a maneuver that will raise the orbit of the station by less than a mile about 11 a.m. CST [noon EST/1700 GMT]. It will be the second of three reboost maneuvers.

  Although the Expedition Six crew began its official time on board the Station on Tuesday, the 10 astronauts and cosmonauts will participate in a formal Change of Command ceremony this afternoon. The ceremony is scheduled for [3:20PM EST/2020 GMT], but may occur earlier. The official change of command took place Monday night when Expedition Five's custom-made seatliners in the Soyuz TMA-1 were replaced with Expedition Six's.

  Later in the day, shuttle and station crewmembers will review plans for STS-113's third spacewalk, which is slated to begin at [2:20PM EST/1920 GMT] Saturday. Also, all 10 astronauts and cosmonauts will participate in the Joint Crew News Conference at [4:49PM EST/2149 GMT] today.

  Mission photos from Yahoo. Check the play-by-play links at top right for up-to-the-minute commentary, and follow the flight live on NASA TV!

For reports covering the first two spacewalks, see Part 4 of our Mission Journal.