View source for STS-116

{{current spaceflight}}
:''All times are in [[Coordinated Universal Time]] (UTC), unless otherwise noted.''
{{Infobox Space mission |
  mission_name = STS-116 |
  insignia     = STS-116 patch.png|
  shuttle      = Discovery |
  crew_members = 7 |
  launch_pad   = [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|39-B]] |
  launch       = [[2006-12-09]] 20:47:35 [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]<br>([[2006-12-10]] 01:47:35 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]) |
  landing      = [[2006-12-22]] <br>15:55 EST|
  duration     = 12 Days, 19 hours, <br>9 Min.|
  altitude     = 122 nautical miles (225 km) |
  inclination  = 51.6 degrees |
  distance     = TBD |
  crew_photo   = STS-116 crew.jpg  |
  crew_caption = Back (L&ndash;R): [[Robert Curbeam|Curbeam]], [[Nicholas Patrick|Patrick]], [[Sunita Williams|Williams]], [[Christer Fuglesang|Fuglesang]] <br />Front (L&ndash;R): [[William Oefelein|Oefelein]], [[Joan Higginbotham|Higginbotham]], [[Mark L. Polansky|Polansky]] |
  previous     = [[STS-115]] |
  next         = [[STS-117]]
}}
'''[[STS-116]]''' is the current [[NASA]] [[Space Shuttle]] mission. The vehicle being used for this mission is the [[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']]. Liftoff was originally scheduled for [[December 7]], [[2006]], but that attempt was canceled due to a low cloud ceiling. ''Discovery'' successfully lifted off during the second launch attempt on Saturday, [[December 9]] [[2006]] at 8:47:35 p.m. [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]. It is the first night launch of a Space Shuttle orbiter since [[STS-113]], which launched on [[November 23]] [[2002]]. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061207_sts116_prelaunch.html |title=Night Launch: Shuttle Discovery Set for Evening Space Shot |accessdate=2006-12-19 |author= Ker Than|coauthors=Tarig Malik |date=[[2006-12-07]]| work = SPACE.com}}</ref>  The main goals of the mission are delivery and attachment of the [[International Space Station]]'s (ISS) third port [[Integrated Truss Structure|truss]] segment (the P5 truss), major rewiring of the station's power system, and exchange of ISS [[Expedition 14]] personnel.  It is scheduled to land at 3:56 p.m. EST on Friday, [[December 22]], [[2006]].

STS-116 marks the 1,000th time a human has ever crossed the 100 km [[Karman line|boundary of space]] when counting individual missions by astronauts.<ref>According to statistics kept by the ''Cité de l'Espace'' in Toulouse (France), as mentioned in ''le Monde'' of 8-Dec-2006 http://www.lemonde.fr/web/depeches/0,14-0,39-29071378@7-37,0.html </ref>
STS-116 was also the final scheduled [[Space Shuttle]] flight to be launched from [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|Pad 39B]] as NASA reconfigures it for the [[Ares I|Ares 1]].<ref name="pad39b">{{cite web| url = http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/164266main_2nd_exp_conf_05_DevelopmentAndOperation_DrSHorowitz.pdf| title = Development and operation
| accessdate = 2006-12-19| author = Scott "Doc" Horowitz}}</ref> The only remaining use of Pad 39B by Shuttles is as a reserve for a potential [[STS-3xx]] rescue mission for [[STS-125]], the final [[Hubble Space Telescope]] servicing mission.  <ref>{{cite news  | first = Chris | last = Bergin | title = NASA details Ares launch pad timeline | url = http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4913 | work = nasaspaceflight.com | date = 2006-11-19 | accessdate = 2006-12-19}}</ref>

==Crew==
As one of the main goals of STS-116 is to exchange [[International Space Station|ISS]] [[Expedition 14]] crew members, the crew of STS-116 changed mid-flight.  ISS Flight Engineer [[Sunita Williams|Sunita "Suni" Williams]] was part of the STS-116 crew for the first portion of the mission.  She then replaced ISS Flight Engineer [[Thomas Reiter]] on the Expedition 14 crew and Reiter joined the STS-116 crew for the return to Earth.

* [[Mark L. Polansky|Mark Polansky]] (2) - Commander
* [[William Oefelein]] (1) - Pilot
* [[Nicholas Patrick]] (1) - Mission specialist 1
* [[Robert Curbeam]] (3) - Mission specialist 2
* [[Christer Fuglesang]] (1) - Mission specialist 3 - [[European Space Agency|ESA]] [[Sweden]]
* [[Joan Higginbotham]] (1) - Mission specialist 4

'''Launching ISS [[Expedition 14]] crew'''

* [[Sunita Williams|Sunita "Suni" Williams]]  (1) - ISS Flight Engineer

'''Landing ISS [[Expedition 14]] crew'''

* [[Thomas Reiter]] (2) - ISS Flight Engineer - [[European Space Agency|ESA]] [[Germany]]

<small>Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.</small>

==Mission highlights==
[[Image:ISS after STS-116 in December 2006.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A photograph of the [[International Space Station|ISS]] after STS-116 with the new [[Integrated Truss Structure|P5 truss segment]]]]
* The STS-116 mission [[ISS assembly sequence|delivered and attached]] the [[International Space Station]]'s third port truss segment, the [[Integrated Truss Structure|P5 truss]].
* The STS-116 mission brought to the Station [[Expedition 14]] crew member [[Sunita Williams]] and will bring home [[Expedition 14]] crew member [[Thomas Reiter]] from European Space Agency (launched by [[STS-121]]).
* [[Christer Fuglesang]] became [[Sweden]]'s first astronaut. His flight is a rare occurrence of two [[European Astronaut Corps|ESA astronauts]] flying in space together.
* The third of three [[SPHERES]] testbeds launched to the ISS.
* Astronauts completed major rewiring of the [[electrical system of the International Space Station]] in order to bring online the P3/P4 [[Integrated Truss Structure#Solar arrays|solar array]] installed by [[STS-115]] in [[September 2006|September]].
* Additional rewiring was done to ISS Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA2) to enable ''[[Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System]] (SSPTS)'' commencing with [[STS-118]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uplink.space.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=missions&Number=598317&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=1&vc=1|title=Re: STS-116/12A.1 Status (bbs posting)|author=eriolastrada}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uplink.space.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=missions&Number=598891&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=1&vc=1|title=Re: STS-116/12A.1 Status (bbs posting)|author=shuttle_guy}}</ref><ref name="aiaa_SSPTS">[http://pdf.aiaa.org/preview/CDReadyMIECEC05_1090/PV2005_5689.pdf A Power Converter for Manned Spacecraft from COTS Components]</ref><ref name="apcu_mass">[http://www.astronautix.com/craft/endavour.htm Astronautix Endeavour STS-97 payload]</ref>
* One half of the original P6 solar array installed by [[STS-97]] was folded to make room for the new P4 array deployed by STS-115 to rotate to track the sun.
* STS-116 was the last STS mission scheduled for launch from pad 39B.  The pad will be refitted for upcoming [[Ares I]] launches. <ref name="pad39b"/>
* The crew of STS-116 consists of five rookie astronauts. Only Mission Commander [[Mark L. Polansky|Mark Polansky]] (2) and Mission specialist [[Robert Curbeam]] (3) had previously flown in space.
* Robert Curbeam became the first astronaut to make four EVAs during the same mission.<ref>{{cite news  | first = Mark | last = Carreau | title = Astronaut Curbeam to set record with walk No. 4 | url = http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4408898.html | work = Houston Chronicle | date = 2006-12-18 | accessdate = 2006-12-19}}</ref>

==Mission payloads==
[[Image:P5 Truss segment prepared for launch on STS-116.jpg|thumb|In the Space Station Processing Facility, an overhead crane moves the P5 truss for mission STS-116 to the payload canister.]] 
[[Image:Discovery Payload Bay STS-116.jpg|175px|right|thumb|''Discovery's'' payload bay, containing the [[SPACEHAB]] module and ISS P5 Truss.]]
The primary payload for the STS-116 mission is the [[Integrated Truss Structure|P5 Truss]] segment of the [[International Space Station]]. The shuttle also carries a [[Spacehab]] Logistics Module to resupply the ISS, as well as four satellites, which will be deployed after undocking from the ISS: the [[ANDE]] technology demonstrator, developed by the Naval Research Laboratory, and three [[CubeSat]]s ([[RAFT-1]] and [[MARScom]] for the [[United States Naval Academy]], and [[MEPSI 2A/2B]] for [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency|DARPA]]). It will be the first Shuttle mission to deploy satellites since [[STS-113]] in 2002.

{| class="wikitable"
!Location
!Cargo
!Mass
|-
|Bay 1-2
|Orbiter Docking System
|1800 kg?
|-
|Bay 3
|Tunnel Adapter
|112 kg
|-
|Bay 4-5
|Spacehab Logistics Module
|5399 kg
|-
|Bay 5P?
|APCU (Assembly Power Converter Unit) <I>(28VDC-to-124VDC)</i><ref name="aiaa_SSPTS"/><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://shuttlepayloads.jsc.nasa.gov/data/PayloadDocs/documents/21492.pdf?PAGE=84 |PAGE=5-10 |title = Space Shuttle Program Payload Bay Payload User's Guide  "Figure 5.1.3-1. Typical payload - APC"| |date=December, 2000 |publisher=NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref>
with SPDU (Station Power Distribution Unit)<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.meitechinc.com/Services/sdad_projects.asp| title = MEI System Design Analysis and Development - Projects | accessdate = 2006-12-17 | publisher = MEI Technologies}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web
| url = http://shuttlepayloads.jsc.nasa.gov/data/PayloadDocs/documents/07700/App_03.pdf?page=66| title = Space Shuttle Program "System Description and Design Data - Electrical Power and Avionics  (NSTS 07700, Vol. XIV, Appendix 3)"| accessdate = 2006-12-17| publisher = NASA| pages = 111}}Section 8.5, page 66</ref> <ref name="sts-98-eva-ref">{{cite web| url = http://www.spaceref.com/iss/eva/10847.EVA.Ref.5A.STS98.pdf?page=161| title = SPDU position from STS-98| accessdate = 2006-12-17| work = Spaceref.com}} </ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/163524main_ASC_116_F_B_1.pdf?page=174 |page=174|title=Ascent Checklist STS-116 | accessdate = 2006-12-17|publisher=Mission Operations Directorate Flight Design and Dynamics Division| date= 2006-10-19}} page 174: AFT FLIGHT DECK PAYLOADS SWITCH LIST FOR HANDOVER</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://shuttlepayloads.jsc.nasa.gov/data/PayloadDocs/documents/21492.pdf?PAGE=92 |PAGE=5-18 |title = Space Shuttle Program Payload Bay Payload User's Guide  (Section 5.2.2.3 Station Power Distribution Unit)| |date=December, 2000 |publisher=NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center|accessdate=2006-12-17}}</ref>
|2 x 35kg
20kg
|-
|Bay 7-8
|Truss segment P5
|1860 kg
|-valign="top"
|Bay 11-12
|
{|
|Integrated Cargo Carrier||839 kg
|-
|STP-H2, FRAM||1398 kg
|-
|Service Module Debris Panels||100 kg?
|-
|RAFT-1||4 kg
|-
|MARScom||3 kg
|-
|MEPSI 2A/2B||3 kg
|-
|ANDE launch cylinder||20 kg?
|-
|ANDE-MAA||50 kg
|-
|ANDE-FCAL||75 kg
|}
| total 2942 kg
|-
|Sill
|OBSS 202
|450 kg?
|-
|Sill
|RMS  303
|390 kg  
|-
! !! !! Total 12523 kg
|}

==Mission background==

STS-116 was planned (post [[STS-114|return-to-flight]]) to launch on December 14, 2006.  But on November 29 NASA announced that the launch team had been asked to aim for a launch on December 7 rather than the original target date of Dec. 14. The launch window for the STS-116 mission opened on December 7 and extended through December 17. The seven-member flight crew arrived for launch at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility on December 3 in the afternoon.<ref>{{cite web
  | url = http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061203crewarrival/
  | title = Discovery astronauts arrive at the Cape for launch
  | publisher = Spaceflight Now
  | accessdate = 2006-12-03
}}</ref>
Primary payloads on the 12-day mission are the P5 integrated truss segment, SPACEHAB single logistics module, and an integrated cargo carrier. The STS-116 mission is the 20th Shuttle flight to the station.

Launch on the new, earlier date required a night-time launch. Subsequent to the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|''Columbia'' disaster]], NASA had imposed rules requiring shuttle launches to be conducted during the day, when light would be sufficient for cameras to observe falling debris. With the redesign of shuttle tank foam having minimized the amount of falling debris and the availability of in-orbit inspection procedures, the daylight-launch requirement was relaxed.<ref>{{cite web  | url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060929/sc_nm/space_shuttle_dc_2  | title = NASA hopes to launch next shuttle a week early  | publisher = Yahoo! News  | accessdate = 2006-09-30}}</ref>

[[Image:STS-116 Rollout (KSC-06PD-2474).jpg|300px|left|thumb|''Discovery'' on its way to Launchpad 39B during rollout.]]

Rollover of ''Discovery'' to the [[Vehicle Assembly Building]] (VAB) occurred on October 31, and on November 1 the orbiter was raised into a vertical orientation and moved into High Bay 3 to be mated with the [[Space Shuttle external tank|external tank]] and [[Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster|solid rocket boosters]]. Rollout to [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|Launch Complex 39B]] was completed on Thursday November 11.

The crew for the mission arrived at Kennedy Space Center on November 13 to begin their final four-day prelaunch training for the mission, which included familiarization activities, rehearsal of emergency procedures and practice on NASA's Shuttle Training Aircraft, along with a simulated countdown, which took place on the morning of November 16. The astronauts then traveled to [[Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center|Johnson Space Center]] in Houston, Texas, and  returned to Kennedy Space Center on December 3, four days before the planned launch date.

The payloads for the mission, including a SPACEHAB module and the P5 truss, were loaded from the payload canister into ''Discovery's'' payload bay on 16 November, and, with the sealing of the payload bay doors, all that remained was to fill the external fuel tank before the ''Discovery'' shuttle stack was in full launch configuration. With the completion of the Flight Readiness Review over November 28-29 (which evaluated all activities and elements necessary for the safe and successful performance of the shuttle during the mission, including the Orbiter itself, the payload and flight crew), ''Discovery'' was given her Certificate of Flight Readiness, the launch date was officially set to December 7, and the mission officially given the "Go" for launch.

==Mission timeline==

===December 7 (Launch attempt 1)===

Following the completion of the pre-launch preparations, all eyes were on the Florida skies, due to a forecasted low cloud ceiling for the night of the launch. The mission's seven astronauts were loaded into ''Discovery'' ready for the scheduled launch at 09:37pm EST, with hopes high for a break in the clouds, but as the scheduled launch time approached it became apparent that the cloud would not break, and the launch attempt was scrubbed, with the next attempt scheduled for December 9.<ref>{{cite web
  | url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/07/space.shuttle.ap/index.html
  | title= "NASA hoping clouds will part for Discovery"
  | accessdate=2006-12-08
}}</ref>
Prior to the initial attempt on December 7, NASA had determined that they would not attempt a launch on Friday because of the [[Surface weather analysis|cold front]] moving in that eventually scrubbed Thursday's launch attempt.

===December 9 (Flight day 1 - Launch)===

[[Image:Sts116-launch.png|left|180px|thumb|''Discovery'' at liftoff]]
[[Image:STS-116 Boarding (NASA STS116-S-006) 2006-Dec-09.jpg|200px|right|thumb|STS-116 crew about to board the astrovan for the trip to pad [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|39B]].]]
[[Image:1 Min to MECO - STS-116.JPG|200px|right|thumb|[[NASA TV]] screenshot from camera mounted on the external tank at about 1 minute to Main Engines Cut-Off (MECO). Launch occurred at night, giving an impressive view from the darkness.]]
[[Image:165149main KSC06PD2794 high.jpg|180px|left|thumb|The [[Space_Shuttle_Solid_Rocket_Booster | solid rocket boosters]] being retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean after the takeoff of STS-116.]]

Discovery lifted off successfully at 20:47 [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]] (01:47 [[UTC]]), lighting up much of the eastern seaboard. Weather conditions - in particular crosswinds at the launch and landing sites - continued to trend positively in the hours approaching the launch window Saturday night. The fueling process for Discovery's external tanks began at 12:46 [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]] (17:46 UTC) and was completed at approximately 15:45 [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]] (20:45 UTC). If a [[Space_Shuttle_abort_modes#Intact_abort_modes|transatlantic abort landing]] (TAL) had been required during ascent, the shuttle had three possible landing sites: [[Zaragoza]] or [[Morón Air Base]] in Spain,  or [[Istres]], France. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/tal_sites.html |title= European Landing Sites for Shuttle Flights |accessdate=2006-12-17}}.</ref>

The launch was the third shuttle mission in five months, being preceded by [[STS-121]] in July and [[STS-115]] in September, and was the first night launch in four years since [[STS-113]] and first night launch following the Columbia accident during [[STS-107]].

===December 10 (Flight day 2)===

Flight day 2 began for the astronauts at 15:47 UTC. The first order of business for the day was a thorough inspection of the Shuttle. Using sensors and cameras attached to a fifty-foot boom, which was in turn connected to a fifty-foot robotic arm, Nicholas Patrick inspected the leading edge of the wings and the nose cap. The process, which took five and a half hours, suffered a minor glitch that required Patrick to order the arm to manually grab the boom. During this time, the crew also inspected the upper surface of the orbiter. <ref name="spacecomdaytwo">{{cite news | authorlink = http://www.livescience.com/blogs/author/kerthan | author = Ker Than | title = NASA: Discovery Shuttle in Good Shape After Launch | url = http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061210_sts116_inspectionsbrief.html | work = SPACE.com | date = 2006-12-12 | accessdate = 2006-12-12}}</ref> Astronauts also completed a check of the spacesuits to be used during the mission, along with preparation for docking with the [[International Space Station]].

[[Image:STS-116 Payload (NASA S116-E-05364).jpg|200px|right|thumb|As seen through windows on the aft flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery, the [[payload]] bay is featured in this image photographed by a STS-116 Crewmember during flight day three activities. Pictured in the payload bay is the shuttle's docking mechanism (foreground), [[Spacehab module]] (partially obscured), the Canadian-built [[Remote Manipulator System]] (RMS) robotic arm (right), and the Remote Manipulator System/[[Orbiter Boom Sensor System]] (left, in stowed position).]]

===December 11 (Flight day 3 - Docking to ISS)===

Flight day 3 began for the astronauts at 15:18 [[UTC]]. Following the [[rendezvous pitch maneuver]], docking to the [[International Space Station]] occurred at 22:12 UTC. The hatch between the International Space Station and Discovery was opened at 23:54 UTC. <ref>{{cite news
 | title =  Shuttle docks with space station | url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/11/space.shuttle.ap/index.html | work = CNN.com | date = 2006-12-11 | accessdate = 2006-12-11 }}</ref> The joint ISS/Shuttle crew then worked to undertake some further detailed inspection of the orbiter and unloaded the P5 truss segment from the payload bay, handing it off successfully from the [[Remote Manipulator System|shuttle robotic arm]] to the [[Mobile Servicing System |station arm]]. The astronauts scheduled for Day 4's [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]], Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang, ended their day by entering the airlock for a "campout" sleep session to prepare for the EVA by purging their bodies of nitrogen in a lower-pressure environment.<ref>{{cite news  | author = Ker Than | title = Mission Discovery: Shuttle Astronauts Dock at ISS | url = http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061211_sts116_dock.html | work = SPACE.com | date = 2006-12-11 | accessdate = 2006-12-12}}</ref> Such a practice is common in order for the astronauts to avoid getting [[decompression sickness]].

===December 12 (Flight day 4 - EVA #1)===
[[Image:STS-116 - P5 Truss hand-off to ISS (NASA S116-E-05765).jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']]'s [[Remote Manipulator System|Canadarm-1]] robotic arm hands off the P5 truss section to the International Space Station's [[Mobile Servicing System|Canadarm-2]] during shuttle mission [[STS-116]] in December, 2006.]]
[[Image:STS-116 spacewalk 1.jpg|200 px|left|thumb|Whilst flying over [[New Zealand]], Robert L. Curbeam, Jr. and Christer Fuglesang participate in the mission's first spacewalk.]]

Flight day 4 began for the astronauts at 15:47 UTC. <ref name="fday3preview">{{cite news  | first = William | last = Harwood | title = Crew set for spacewalk to install truss segment | url = http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061212fd4pre/ | work = Spaceflight Now | date = | accessdate =}}</ref> During the first [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]] of the mission, the astronauts of STS-116 brought the ISS one step closer to completion with the addition of the P5 truss segment.

The EVA began at 20:31 UTC, with Curbeam and Fuglesang removing launch restraints from the P5 truss and Mission Specialist Joan Higginbotham making use of the station's [[Mobile Servicing System |robotic arm]] (the ''Canadarm2'') to move the truss segment to within inches of its new position on the P4 truss. The spacewalkers then guided Higginbotham with visual cues as the precise operation to finalize the attachment of the truss was completed. <ref name="flightdayfour">{{cite news  | author = Dan Nicolae Alexa | title = NASA Resumes Construction of the ISS, P5 Trust Installed | url = http://www.playfuls.com/news_003336_NASA_Resumes_Construction_of_the_ISS_P5_Trust_Installed.html | work = Playfuls.com | date = | accessdate =}}</ref>

After the P5’s attachment, Curbeam and Fuglesang finalised the installation with power, data and heater cable connections. They also replaced a faulty video camera attached to the [[Integrated_Truss_Structure#P1.2C_S1_Trusses|S1 truss]]. Since they worked ahead of the time-line, the two astronauts were also able to complete some get-ahead tasks.

At the end of the spacewalk, Curbeam congratulated the [[Nobel Prize]] winners, including scientist Dr. [[John C. Mather]] at NASA’s [[Goddard Space Flight Center]] in Greenbelt, Maryland. <ref name="flightdayfour"/> Mather was honored for his work on the big-bang theory. Christer Fuglesang also held a small speech in Swedish, encouraging Swedes and others to aspire to become future astronauts. The EVA concluded at 03:07 UTC on the morning of December 13, and lasted for 6 hours and 36 minutes in total.<ref name="flightdayfour"/>

During the spacewalk, after taking a close look at imagery gathered on the first three days of the flight, mission managers determined that the shuttle’s heat shield can support a safe return to Earth. They also decided a more detailed inspection that had been scheduled for later in the mission will not be necessary.

Two more spacewalks are scheduled for the mission in order to reconfigure and redistribute power on the station, so that the solar arrays installed during [[STS-115]] can be used. The first step of reconfiguring the power will take place Wednesday when the port solar array on the P6 truss will be retracted, which will allow the activation and rotation of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint on the P4. The rotary joint will allow the solar arrays on the P4 to track the sun.

STS-116’s second spacewalk took place Thursday and the third is set to take place on Saturday. The astronauts were required to spend the night sleeping in protected areas in order to avoid radiation from a solar flare eruption. <ref>{{cite news  | title =  NASA smoothing out pesky panels | url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/13/space.shuttle.ap/index.html | work = CNN | date = | accessdate =}}</ref>

===December 13 (Flight day 5 - Solar Array Reorganization)===

[[Image:STS-116 solar panel jam.jpg|250px|right|thumb|This digital still image was taken by a crew member aboard the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' of a kink that occurred in the port-side P6 solar array during the first attempt to retract that array on [[December 13]]. The crew later extended the array and cleared this kink. The slow retraction of the array was then begun again with similar retraction and extension cycles repeated as the day progressed.]]
Flight day 5 began for the astronauts at 15:21 UTC.<ref name="fday5preview">{{cite news  | first = William | last = Harwood | title = Station solar wing to be folded up today | url = http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061213fd5pre/ | work = Spaceflight Now | date = 2006-12-13 | accessdate = 2006-12-13}}</ref>  The most high-profile activity was the attempted retraction of the [[Integrated_Truss_Structure#P6, S6 Trusses|P6]] port-side [[Integrated_Truss_Structure#Solar_arrays|solar array]]. The process began at 18:28 UTC, but problems with the array folding due to 'kinks' and 'billows' led the controllers to redeploy the array (from about 40% retracted). There then followed a series of more than 40 commands to furl and unfurl the arrays in an effort to get them properly aligned and folded.

At 00:50 UTC, the retraction efforts were abandoned for the day. The problems, which appear to have been caused by a loss of tension in the solar array guide wires,<ref>{{cite news | first = William | last = Harwood | title =  Crew struggles to get balky array retracted enough to permit other critical work | url = http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/061213wingretract/index3.html | work = Spaceflight Now| date = 2006-12-13 | accessdate = 2006-12-16}}</ref> had still not been solved, although 14 of the 31 bays on the array had been retracted (leaving 17 bays extended). This was enough to leave the port side arrays in a safe position to commence the activation of the [[Solar Alpha Rotary Joint]] (SARJ) at 01:00 UTC, allowing the solar arrays on the [[Integrated_Truss_Structure#P3/P4, S3/S4 Truss Assemblies|P3/P4]] truss to rotate to follow the sun. <ref>{{cite news | title =  Pesky panels foil NASA's finest | url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/13/space.shuttle.ap/index.html | work = CNN | date = 2006-12-13 | accessdate = 2006-12-14}}</ref>

===December 14 (Flight day 6 - EVA #2)===
[[Image:STS-116 spacewalk 2.jpg|left|150 px|thumb|Christer Fuglesang participates in the mission's second session of extravehicular activity.]]
Flight day 6 began for the astronauts at 15:19 UTC. The day's primary activity, [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]] #2, began rewiring work to bring the station's permanent electrical power systems into use. To allow this changeover, station controllers had to power down about half the systems on the ISS. The EVA started at 19:41 UTC with Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang exiting the [[Joint Airlock|Quest airlock]], 30 minutes early. EVA #2 was planned to activate channels 2 and 3 of the four-channel electrical system, and the work progressed smoothly. About two hours into the spacewalk the first current was flowing through the reconfigured system, using the power from the P4 solar arrays for the first time. The EVA was completed in exactly 5 hours, finishing at 00:41 UTC.<ref name="FD6report">{{cite news  |  title = STS-116 MCC Status Report #11 | url = http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/STS-116-11.html| date = 2006-12-14 | accessdate = 2006-12-14}}</ref>

===December 15 (Flight day 7)===

Flight day 7 was a light work day for the crews of [[Space Shuttle Discovery|Discovery]] and the [[International Space Station|ISS]] after the previous days' activities.  Spacewalkers Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang enjoyed some [[List_of_U.S._Army_acronyms_and_expressions#Slang_acronyms|R&R]], while the rest of the crew performed cleanup and preparatory tasks for Flight day 8's planned [[Extra-vehicular activity|EVA]] #3.  The traditional joint photo session and joint news conference were held by the crews.<ref name="116flightplan">{{cite web | first = William | last = Harwood | title = STS-116 Master Flight Plan | url = http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/fdf/116flightplan.html | work = Spaceflight Now | date = 2006-12-11 | accessdate = 2006-12-15}}</ref> ([[:Commons:Image:STS-116 + Expedition14 CrewMembers (NASA S116-E-06472).jpg|picture]]) During this event Swedish first time astronaut Christer Fuglesang was interviewed by [[Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden|Crown Princess Victoria]] and also set a 20 second Frisbee world record in space, broadcasted live on Swedish [[TV4 (Sweden)|TV4]].<ref>http://www.tv4.se/nyheter/fuglesang/512491.html</ref> <ref>http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,955915,00.html</ref>

In an attempt to free a stuck solar panel, Thomas Reiter exercised vigorously on a machine which is known to cause oscillations in the solar arrays; it was not successful. Mission controllers continued to look at other solutions to the solar panel folding problem so as to enable complete retraction, including an extended or additional EVA.<ref>{{cite news  | title =  How to fold a solar panel -- NASA style | url = http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/15/space.shuttle.ap/index.html  | work = CNN | date = 2006-12-15 | accessdate = 2006-12-15}}</ref>

===December 16 (Flight day 8 - EVA #3)===

Flight day 8 began for the astronauts at 14:48 UTC. Astronauts Bob Curbeam and 'Suni' Williams completed the rewiring work on the [[International Space Station]].  The EVA began at 19:25 UTC and proceeded normally. As an "add-on task" to the EVA, astronauts Curbeam and Williams also continued work on the retraction of a sticking solar array, enabling the retraction of another six sections of the P6 array. At the end of the EVA there were another 11 "bays", or 35% left to retract. Upon completion of the EVA, the astronauts returned to the ISS via the Quest airlock.<ref name="STS116_mission_status">{{cite web  | last = SpaceflightNow | title = Mission Status Center | url = http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/status.html | work = Spaceflight Now | date = 2006-12-16 | accessdate = 2006-12-16}}</ref>
Another significant event during the EVA was the [[Space debris|loss of 'Suni' Williams' digital camera]]. At the post-EVA press conference it was suggested that a tether got snagged and caused the camera release button to break off allowing the camera to fall out its holder. Images were lost but it was determined there was no need to retake them. Curbeam later said to the MCC: "We've got the bracket and the tether. Looks like the screws [on the bracket] came loose, we have the screws and the bracket and the tether." <ref>Day eight, post mission management meeting press briefing</ref>

===December 17 (Flight day 9)===

Flight day 9 was mainly spent preparing for EVA #4. The space suits were prepared (adjusting sizes and replacing LiOH canisters) and the crew went through the new procedures which had been developed for attempting to enable the solar array retraction. Various tools were to be coated in kapton tape to protect the array from coming into direct contact with sharp metallic objects and to provide electrical insulation if they are used to manipulate the arrays during the EVA.<ref>Day eight, post mission management meeting press briefing</ref><ref>Pre-EVA4 press briefing</ref>

===December 18 (Flight day 10 - EVA #4)===
[[Image:STS-116 Solar Panel Spacewalk.jpg|right|200 px|thumb|Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam Jr., STS-116 mission specialist, works with the port overhead solar array wing on the International Space Station's P6 truss during the mission's fourth session of extravehicular activity.]]
Flight day 10 began for the astronauts at 14:17 UTC.<ref name="STS116_mission_status">{{cite web  | last = SpaceflightNow | title = Mission Status Center | url = http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/status.html | work = Spaceflight Now | date = 2006-12-18 | accessdate = 2006-12-18}}</ref> Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang embarked on an added [[Extravehicular activity|EVA]] at 17:12 UTC to try to fully close the last eleven bays of the balky P6-port Solar Array Wing.<ref>{{cite news  | first = Mark | last = Carreau | title = Discovery crew gets extra day, 4th spacewalk | url = http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4407682.html | publisher = Houston Chronicle | date = 2006-12-16 | accessdate = 2006-12-17}}
</ref> The rapidly planned EVA was successfully completed after a 6-hour 38-minute spacewalk. <ref name="NASA FD10 status">{{cite web  | title = Space Shuttle Status #19| url = http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/news/STS-116-19.html | work = NASA | date = 2006-12-18 | accessdate = 2006-12-18}}</ref> Curbeam is now fifth in total EVA time for U.S. Astronauts and 14th overall.<ref name="EVA_List">{{cite web | last = Anikeev | first = Alexander | title = Number of EVAs of astronauts | url = http://space.kursknet.ru/cosmos/english/other/eva_cnt.sht | date = 2006-12-19 | accessdate = 2006-12-19}}</ref>

===December 19 (Flight day 11 - Undocking)===

Flight day 11 began for the astronauts at approximately 14:47 UTC.  The Expedition 14 and STS-116 crews posed for photos and then closed the hatches between the ISS and Discovery. Undocking was complete at 22:10 UTC. Due to the extended mission for EVA #4, Discovery did not make a full circle to film and photograph ISS, but only flew slightly more than one-quarter of the way around (through ISS zenith) before its departure burn.  Weather at Discovery's potential landing sites is under discussion.

===December 20 (Flight day 12)===

Flight day 12 began for the astronauts at 12:48 UTC. They will spend the day verifying the integrity of the Discovery's heat shield and preparing for deorbit and landing on December 22nd, 2006. Because of the extended spaceflight, the shuttle will be required to make a landing attempt on Flight day 13 unless all three landing sites are "no-go." <ref name="STS116_mission_status">{{cite web  | last = SpaceflightNow | title = Mission Status Center | url = http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/status.html | work = Spaceflight Now | date = 2006-12-20 | accessdate = 2006-12-20}}</ref>

==Contingency planning==
{{main|STS-3xx}}
===STS-301===
[[STS-3xx|STS-301]] was the designation given to the [[STS-3xx|Contingency Shuttle Crew Support]] mission which would have been launched in the event [[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'']] had become disabled during [[STS-115]]. It was a modified version of the STS-116 mission, which would have involved the launch date being brought forward.  If needed, it would have launched no earlier than [[November 11]], [[2006]].  The crew for this mission was a four-person subset of the full STS-116 crew:

* [[Mark L. Polansky|Mark Polansky]] - Commander and prime [[Remote Manipulator System]] (RMS) operator
* [[William Oefelein]] - Pilot and backup RMS operator
* [[Robert Curbeam]] - Mission specialist 1, Extravehicular 1
* [[Nicholas Patrick]] - Mission specialist 2, Extravehicular 2

===STS-317===
In the event that [[Space Shuttle Discovery|''Discovery'']] suffered irreparable damage while in orbit during STS-116, the crew would have taken refuge at the [[International Space Station|ISS]] and waited for a [[STS-3xx|Contingency Shuttle Crew Support]] mission to launch. The mission would have been named [[STS-3xx|STS-317]] and would have been flown by the [[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'']] no earlier than [[February 21]], [[2007]]. The crew for this rescue mission would have been a subset of the full [[STS-117]] crew. Having departed the International Space Station, however, ''Discovery'' is now committed to attempt to land.

==Wake-up calls==
In what has become a tradition for NASA spaceflights since the days of [[Project Gemini|Gemini]], the crew of STS-116 is played a special musical track at the start of each day in space. Each track is specially chosen and often has a particular meaning to an individual member of the crew, or it is somehow applicable to their situation. <ref>{{cite web| url = http://history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdf| title = Chronology of Wakeup calls| accessdate = 2006-12-16| last = Fries| first = Colin| date = 2006-07-18| publisher = NASA| pages = 62}}</ref>
<!-- List, with music, available here: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/html/ndxpage1.html -->
* Day 2: ''[[Here Comes The Sun]]'' by [[The Beatles]]; played for Commander Mark Polansky. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd02.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd02.wav WAV]
* Day 3: ''Beep Beep'' by [[Louis Prima]]; played for Sunita Williams. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd03.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd03.wav WAV]
* Day 4: ''[[Waterloo (song)|Waterloo]]'' by [[ABBA]]; played for Christer Fuglesang. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd04.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd04.wav WAV]
* Day 5: ''Suavemente'' by [[Elvis Crespo]]; played for Joan Higginbotham. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd05.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd05.wav WAV]
* Day 6:  ''[[Under Pressure]]'' by [[Queen (band)|Queen]] & [[David Bowie]]; played for Robert Curbeam. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd06.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd06.wav WAV]
* Day 7:  ''[[Low Rider (song)|Low Rider]]'' by [[War (band)|War]]; played for William Oefelein. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd07.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd07.wav WAV]
* Day 8:  ''[[Fanfare for the Common Man]]'' by [[Aaron Copland]] performed by the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra|London Philharmonic]]; played for Nicholas Patrick. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd08.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd08.wav WAV]
* Day 9:  ''[[Blue Danube Waltz]]'' by [[Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss]] performed by the [[Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra|Vienna Philharmonic]]; played for Christer Fuglesang. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd09.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd09.wav WAV]
* Day 10: ''[[Good Vibrations]]''; by [[The Beach Boys]] played for the entire Discovery crew. Chosen as part of the upcoming EVA will involve shaking the solar array. The track was used as a wake up call on [[STS-85]] when a Microgravity Vibration Isolation Mount was being tested. Curbeam was a mission specialist on that flight. It was his first trip into space. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd10.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd10.wav WAV]
* Day 11:  ''[[Zamboni (song)|Zamboni]]'' by [[Gear Daddies]]; played for Pilot William Oefelein. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd11.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd11.wav WAV]
* Day 12:  ''Say You'll Be Mine'' by [[Christopher Cross]]; played for returning Expedition 14 crewmember Thomas Reiter. [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/mp3/fd12.mp3 MP3] [http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/audio/shuttle/sts-116/wave/fd12.wav WAV]

==Mission parameters==

* [[Mass]]: 1,647,000 lbs (750 metric tons) at launch, 242,000 lbs (110 metric tons) at landing {{fact}}
* [[Perigee]]: TBD
* [[Apogee]]: TBD
* [[Inclination]]: 51.6° <ref name="sfn-facts">{{cite web
  | last = Harwood
  | first = William
  | date = [[2006-12-08]]
  | url = http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/fdf/116quicklook1.html
  | title = "Quick-Look Mission Facts and Figures"
  | work = Spaceflight Now
  | accessdate = 2006-12-09
}}</ref>
* [[Orbital period|Period]]: 91.6 minutes <ref name="sfn-facts"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
{{wikinews|Discovery launches on STS-116}}
*[[Space science]]
*[[Space Shuttle]]
*[[List of space shuttle missions]]
*[[List of human spaceflights chronologically]]
*[[2006 in spaceflight]]

==External links==
{{commons}}
* [http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts116/status.html Mission Status Center] - ''SpaceFlightNow'': Up to the minute blog on the mission
*[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-116/index.html STS-116 mission overview] - [[NASA]]'s website
*[http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/162182main_STS-116_Press_Kit.pdf STS-116 Press Kit] {{PDF}}
*[http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html Space Shuttle main page] at NASA
*[http://www.spaceflightweb.com/blog STS-116 Blog] - A regularly updated blog reporting on the missions events as well as video clips of mission events
*[http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-121106a.html#ofk STS-116 Official Flight Kit] - the list of mementos carried aboard Discovery for presentation by NASA and the crew

===Videos===
*[http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=30732 STS-116 Launch Video]: NASA VIDEO KSC-06-S-00251, captioned in English
*[http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/video/shuttle/sts-116/html/fd1.html NASA Videos for STS-116]
<!--
Before adding another YOUTUBE link, please check if NASA has the video already available online here. Please do not add redundant links. Thank you.
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*[http://www.stormvideographer.com/blog/2006/12/10/awesome-launch-of-space-shuttle-discovery/ STS-116 Launch Video View From Cape Canaveral South Bridge] -Weathervine Video


{{Manned ISS flight}}
{{Space Shuttle Discovery}}

[[Category:Space Shuttle missions]]
[[Category:2006 in space exploration]]

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