Friday, July 31, 2009

7- Endeavour Planned for a 10:48am EDT Friday Morning Landing

Note: This post moved on top from its original post date - Scroll below for latest updates on this post - Scroll below this post for latest news postings
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Endeavour 1st Landing Attempt planned for 10:48am EDT Friday morning
Thursday, July 30, 2009
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File photo by NASA TV

6:28pm EDT
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Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Friday with a touchdown at 10:48 a.m. EDT.
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The shuttle would begin its descent from orbit with a deorbit engine firing at 9:42 a.m. Weather conditions at Kennedy are forecast to be favorable for landing, although a slight chance of rain is possible.
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A second opportunity exists for a landing in Florida on Friday, beginning with a deorbit engine firing at 11:17 a.m., leading to a 12:22 p.m. touchdown.
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POST UPDATE:
Friday, July 31, 2009
6:57am EDT
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Endeavour Closes Payload Bay Doors
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Entry Flight Director Bryan Lunney gave a "go" for payload bay door closure. The weather at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility is currently observed and forecast “go” for the first landing opportunity at 10:48 a.m. EDT. The team will continue to monitor weather before making the decision at approximately 9:22 a.m. whether to press ahead with the deorbit burn. The burn would occur at 9:41 a.m. EDT for that first landing opportunity.
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Space Shuttle Endeavour Fires Engines for Return Home
9:42am EDT

They're Coming HOME!!!!
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Space Shuttle Endeavour fired its engines at 9:41 a.m. EDT removing it from orbit for a landing at Kennedy Space Center at 10:48 a.m.
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Again… Be sure to watch the Landing LIVE on NASA TV!
It’s on right now at LINK below
I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!!!!!!!
AJF

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10:50AM EDT
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Welcome Home to the Crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour

Image Credit: NASA
Congratulations on a VERY Successful Mission and a picture perfect landing.
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Space Shuttle Endeavour touched down at 10:48 a.m. EDT at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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Commander Mark Polansky is expected to make a brief statement on the runway after the post-landing walk-around of the shuttle. The post-landing news conference is set for approximately 1 p.m. and will air live on NASA Television. The crew’s news conference is set to begin at about 3:15 p.m. The astronauts return to Houston's Ellington Field is tentatively set for about 5 p.m. Saturday.
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STS-127 was the 127th space shuttle mission, the 23rd flight for Endeavour and the 29th shuttle visit to the station.
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Well… That’s it for me…
Keep up with the close of this mission and all the upcoming News Conferences at links below…

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* Read Latest News & Updates

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* Watch Landing & Mission LIVE
It’s On right NOW!
At NASA TV
Click
HERE to view

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> Image Galleries <
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View the* Space Shuttle Gallery *
NASA Public Affair image collection, Videos, Animations, Wakeup calls & Mission Communications
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AubreyJ.........
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All info in this post taken from the NASA.gov website unless otherwise stated

Photo for the Day - July 31, 2009

* Photo for the Day *Thanking the Troops
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates meets with troops and thanks them for their service during a recent trip to Combined Operating Base Adder, Iraq, July 28, 2009. Gates visited Iraq to receive operational updates and meeting with key Iraqi officials.
DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 565-09 July 30, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting
Operation Enduring Freedom.
Chief Warrant Officer Douglas M. Vose III, 38
, of Concrete, Wash., died July 29th in Kabul Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Stuttgart, Germany.
For more information contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 564-09 July 30, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting
Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pvt. Gerrick D. Smith, 19, of Sullivan, Ill., died July 29th in Herat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry, Illinois Army National Guard, Marion, Ill. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Illinois National Guard public affairs office at (217) 761-3569, or after hours, (217) 725-2265, or visit
http://www.il.ngb.army.mil

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Photo for the Day - July 29, 2009

* Photo for the Day *

Image above: In this image that was taken on Tuesday shortly after undocking, the shadow of Space Shuttle Endeavour can be seen on the International Space Station's solar arrays.
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Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled for landing this Friday
Photo credit: NASA TV

DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

No. 562-09 July 29, 2009
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Andrew Scott Charpentier, 21
, of Great Falls, Mont., died July 23rd at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla., from a non-combat related illness incurred while assigned to the Navy Expeditionary Guard Battalion, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
For further information related to this release, contact Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs at (757) 462-4316, ext. 252, or email
Susan.Henson@navy.mil

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Al-Qaeda says it’s responsible for rocket attacks on Israel from Lebanon earlier this year

Tuesday, July 28, 2009


. Menassat.com brings us the following troubling news… The militant Islamic group Al-Qaeda says it’s responsible for the rocket attacks on northern Israel from Southern Lebanon earlier this year, in a new video purportedly produced and posted on the Internet by the group…
Read the rest at link below
Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for rocket launches into Israel from Lebanon
. DailyStar.com reports it this way…
Al-Qaeda claims rocket attacks from Lebanon
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AubreyJ………

Photos courtesy of: Rewards for Justice & CENTCOM

7 N.C. Residents Arrested on Terrorism Charges - 8th Suspect Sought

Seven North Carolina Residents Accused of Supporting Terrorism & Conspiracy to Commit Murder Abroad - Eighth Suspect Sought
Tuesday, July 28, 2009

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About above image: The operation was dubbed "Triangle Terror Takedown" as a geographic reference to the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill areas of North Carolina
Image courtesy of the FBI
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TERRORISM TAKEDOWN

Seven Charged in North Carolina
Originally posted - Monday, July 27, 2009

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FBI agents this morning arrested a group of homegrown terrorists in North Carolina who were heavily armed, organized, and making plans to wage jihad overseas.
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The seven men arrested—including a father and his two sons—were charged with providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure people overseas.
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The father, Daniel Patrick Boyd, once fought in Afghanistan and trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan. All of the defendants are North Carolina residents, and all but one are U.S. citizens.
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The threat that terrorists and extremists pose to America and our allies has not dulled or gone away,” said Owen D. Harris, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Charlotte Division. “These arrests today show there are people living among us, in our communities in North Carolina and around the U.S., that are honing their skills to carry out acts of murder and mayhem.”
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The seven-count indictment details a conspiracy that began in earnest in 2006 and continued until shortly before today’s arrests. The defendants trained in the U.S. for battle and were willing to die as martyrs. They raised money to support their training and in some cases recruited and radicalized others to further their cause overseas. In one case, Daniel Patrick Boyd traveled in March 2006 with one of his sons to Gaza to introduce him to individuals who believed violent jihad was a religious obligation. A year later, Boyd and several of the defendants went to Israel to wage jihad but returned without success.
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The defendants, as well as some of the additional charges they face, are:
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> Daniel Patrick Boyd: The 39-year-old Boyd faces charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime, receiving a firearm through interstate commerce, and also selling a firearm to a felon.
> Dylan Boyd: One of Daniel Boyd’s sons, Dylan, 22, is also charged with selling a firearm—a 9mm Beretta handgun—to a felon.
> Zakariya Boyd: Also a son of Daniel Boyd, Zakariya, 20, is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime.
> Hysen Sherifi: The 24-year-old Kosovo native is a legal U.S. resident. As part of the conspiracy, the indictment alleges he traveled to Kosovo in July 2008 to engage in violent jihad, then returned in April to raise support for the mujahedeen. Sherifi allegedly supplied $500 to help fund Daniel Boyd’s overseas efforts.
> Anes Subasic: The 33-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen discussed preparations with Daniel Boyd to send two people overseas.
> Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan: A 22-year-old U.S. citizen.
> Ziyad Yaghi: The 21-year-old U.S. citizen traveled to Jordan in October 2006 to engage in violent jihad.
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The indictment details the arsenal the defendants built up over several years, including handguns, assault rifles, and a Bushmaster M4A3 that Daniel Boyd allegedly received illegally in 2006. Over the past two months, the defendants practiced with the weapons and developed their military tactics on private property in rural Caswell County.
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The Raleigh Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI Charlotte Division led the multi-year, multi-agency investigation, dubbed “Triangle Terror Takedown," along with the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
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“We will remain vigilant, so must the public,” Special Agent in Charge Harris said. “If you see or hear something, act. Call your local police department or the FBI.”

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About the Takedown
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The "Triangle Terror Takedown" was the result of more than two years of investigation and strategic planning. In addition to FBI SWAT and Hostage Rescue Teams from Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Norfolk, and Atlanta, the following law enforcement partners played key roles:
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* N.C. Bureau of Investigation
* Raleigh Police Department
* Durham Police Department
* N.C. Information Sharing and Analysis Center
* Department of Criminal Service
* N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement
* N.C. Highway Patrol
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"That everyone was taken into custody without incident is a testament to the training, hard work, and dedication of all the agents and task force officers involved," said Owen D. Harris, special agent in charge of the FBI Charlotte Division.
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Resources:
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Press release
- FBI Counterterrorism
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* CollegeNews.com reports it this way today and it starts off like this… Seven North Carolina residents have been accused of supporting terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder abroad, federal authorities said on Monday… According to the Associated Press, Daniel P. Boyd, 39, who lived in a rural area south of Raleigh and operated a drywall business, was the leader of the pack. Though a U.S. citizen, Boyd reportedly trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 1980s. He also spent time fighting in the Afghanistan region against the Soviet Union for three years before returning to the U.S… Two of the suspects are Boyd’s sons: Zakariya Boyd, 20 and Dylan Boyd, 22—also called Mohammed. The others are Anes Subasic, 33; Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, 22; and Ziyad Yaghi, 21. All defendants are U.S. citizens, except Hysen Sherifi, 24, a native of Kosovo who has permanent residency in the U.S…
Read the full report at link below…
7 N.C. men arrested with terrorism charges
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* CNN.com brings us the following report this Tuesday afternoon and it begins like this… Federal authorities are searching for an eighth alleged member of a North Carolina group that authorities say plotted "violent jihad" overseas, the prosecutor's office said Tuesday….
Read the rest at link below…
Eighth suspect sought in North Carolina terrorism case
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* The New York Times has the following report posted up on their website this afternoon…
7 Charged With Plotting ‘Violent Jihad’ Abroad
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AubreyJ………

Monday, July 27, 2009

6- Watch Spacewalks and Mission Live of Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-127

Note: This post moved on top from its original post date - Scroll below for latest updates on this post - Scroll below this post for latest news postings.
Watch All 5 Scheduled Spacewalks
& Overall Mission Live
On NASA TV
Original post date...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
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Fourth of Five Spacewalks to begin Friday at 09:58am EDT

About photo: Mission Specialist Chris Cassidy works outside of the International Space Station during the third spacewalk of STS-127
Photo credit: NASA TV
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* 9:30am EDT *
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Battery Work During Fourth Spacewalk
Friday, July 24, 2009
4:38am. CDT

The joint crew of Endeavour and the station was awakened at 5:03 a.m. EDT by Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” played for lead spacewalker Dave Wolf.
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Spacewalkers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will head outside at 9:58am EDT to swap out all four of the remaining P6 truss batteries, a task that is expected to take about seven and a half hours. Two of the six original P6 batteries were changed out during the mission’s third spacewalk on Wednesday, but work was stopped when carbon dioxide levels in Cassidy’s suit began to rise unexpectedly.

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Spacewalkers Install Second Battery
1:32pm EDT
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Three hours and 35 minutes into today's spacewalk, Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn installed their second of four new batteries on the space station's Port 6 truss. They also removed an old one and stowed it for return to Earth. Endeavour Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Julie Payette are using the space station robotic arm to move the spacewalkers around as they exchange old batteries with new ones.
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In total, four of the six Port 6 batteries earmarked for installation are in place. Two more will be swapped out before the end of this planned 7.5-hour spacewalk. Both spacesuits continue to perform normally.
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For the Record - Here’s a little more Info about Today’s Spacewalk
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Battery Replacements During Fourth Spacewalk

STS-127 Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will tackle a challenging 7 ½-hour spacewalk today to finish swapping out batteries for the International Space Station’s oldest set of solar arrays.
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Their outing will be devoted entirely to finishing the work started on the third spacewalk of the mission – removing old batteries from the Port 6 truss structure and transferring new batteries from the Integrated Cargo Carrier on the end of the station’s robotic arm to the empty sockets on the truss.
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Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Julie Payette will position Canadarm2 near the truss for the spacewalk and, once all of the batter
y swaps are complete, maneuver the carrier back into Endeavour’s cargo bay. That maneuver will require them to hand off the carrier to the shuttle’s arm for re-berthing by Hurley and Commander Mark Polansky.
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Astronauts Nearing End of Spacewalk
4:23pm EDT
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Spacewalkers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn finished installing the new Port 6 truss batteries and stowing the old batteries on the Integrated Cargo Carrier. Mission Control reports all the new batteries are working. Later today, space station robotic arm operators will move the cargo carrier into Endeavour’s payload bay for return to Earth.
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Six hours, 23 minutes into the spacewalk, Cassidy and Marshburn are performing a few clean up chores and are expected to end the excursion before the scheduled seven hour, 30 minute mark.
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5:10pm EDT
* Today’s spacewalk is now over *
It came to an official end at 5:06pm EDT

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STS-127 Crew Completes Fourth Spacewalk
5:11pm EDT
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Spacewalkers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn completed a seven hour, 12 minute spacewalk at 5:06 p.m. EDT, installing all four of the new batteries on the Port 6 truss.
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The six new installed batteries function as expected and the old batteries are stored on a cargo carrier that will be placed in Endeavour’s payload bay later today.
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This was the fourth of five STS-127 spacewalks, the 129th in support of International Space Station assembly and maintenance, totaling 805 hours, 42 minutes. It was the 101st spacewalk out of space station airlocks and the 217th American spacewalk in history. It was the second for both Cassidy and Marshburn.
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NASA Television airs a Mission Status briefing at 7 p.m. with STS-127 Lead Flight Director Holly Ridings and STS-127 Lead Spacewalk Officer Keith Johnson.
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NOTE: FIFTH Spacewalk is scheduled for Monday but I haven’t a clue as to when it is to start. I will post Monday’s Spacewalk start time when NASA gets that up-to-date info up on their website. At worse… Check back Monday morning after 8:00am.
For now… Keep up with the latest on this mission at link below.
Check out NASA TV too… They broadcast live on mission 24-7.
AJF

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Post Update:
Monday, July 27, 2009
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9:00am EDT.
About above image: Spacewalkers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn exit the Quest airlock to begin the fifth and final spacewalk of the STS-127 mission.
Image credit: NASA TV

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Looks like today’s Spacewalk got started early this morning
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Final Spacewalk Begins at 7:33am EDT
Below originally posted at 7:38am EDT

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STS-127’s fifth and final planned spacewalk began almost an hour early when Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy switched their spacesuits to battery power at 7:33 a.m. EDT. The spacewalk is expected to last 6.5 hours.
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While Marshburn secures multi-layer insulation around the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator known as DEXTRE, Cassidy will split out power channels for two of the four space station Control Moment Gyroscopes. Next, Marshburn and Cassidy will install video cameras on the front and back of the new Japanese Exposed Facility. And their final task will be to deploy a Payload Attach System on the Starboard 3 truss that will provide storage capability for spare space station hardware.
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Below originally posted at 8:36am EDT
Both Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy completed their first tasks ahead of schedule and are moving to the Japanese Exposed Facility to install two video cameras. The cameras, one in the front and one in the rear, will provide views to help with rendezvous and berthing of Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), an unmanned cargo craft scheduled to make its first deliveries to the space station in September.

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- Here’s a little info about today’s mission -
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Spacewalkers Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn spent the night camped out in the Quest airlock. The primary objective of the spacewalk is to install two cameras on Japan’s Kibo laboratory that will provide views to help with rendezvous and berthing of the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). The HTV is scheduled to make its first deliveries to the station in September.
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The six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk also includes an electrical cable swap and adjustment of insulation blankets on the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator. If time permits, the pair also will deploy a Payload Attachment System on the Starboard 3 truss structure that will allow an external spare parts stowage platform to be installed on a future shuttle mission.
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Inside the complex, Commander Mark Polansky and Mission Specialist Dave Wolf will support the spacewalkers, and Pilot Doug Hurley will continue cargo transfers, which are more than 80 percent complete.

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Get Ahead Tasks for Spacewalkers
9:21am EDT
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Two hours, 45 minutes into the spacewalk, Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy completed installing two video cameras on the Japanese Exposed Facility that will provide views to help with rendezvous and berthing of Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) later this year. Based on the amount of time needed to clean up after the spacewalk, Mission Control decided to defer the deployment of a Payload Attachment System on the Starboard 3 truss. Instead, the spacewalkers will undertake a few “get ahead tasks.”
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* Fifth & Final Spacewalk now in the History Books *
12:32am EDT
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STS-127 Crew Completes Fifth and Final Spacewalk

Spacewalkers Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy completed a four hour, 54 minute spacewalk today at 12:27pm EDT.
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Marshburn and Cassidy secured multi-layer insulation around the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator known as Dextre, split out power channels for two space station Control Moment Gyroscopes, installed video cameras on the front and back of the new Japanese Exposed Facility and performed a number of “get ahead” tasks, including tying down some cables and installing handrails and a portable foot restraint to aid future spacewalkers. The deployment of the Payload Attach System on the Starboard 3 truss was deferred to another spacewalk sometime in the future.
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This was the fifth and last planned STS-127 spacewalk, the 130th in support of International Space Station assembly and maintenance, totaling 810 hours, 36 minutes. It was the 102nd spacewalk out of Space Station airlocks and the 218th American spacewalk in history. It was the third for both Marshburn and Cassidy, Marshburn totaling 18 hours, 59 minutes and Cassidy 18 hours, five minutes.
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This was the second Space Station assembly mission to conduct five spacewalks. STS-123 also performed five spacewalks in March 2008. The five STS-127 spacewalks totaled 30 hours, 30 minutes. The five STS-123 spacewalks totaled 33 hours, 29 minutes.
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At 6 p.m., NASA Television will air a Mission Status briefing with STS-127 Lead Flight Director Holly Ridings and STS-127 Lead Spacewalk Officer Kieth Johnson.

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Well that’s it for me until we get near the time to land STS-127, hopefully at the Florida’s landing strip. I’ll update the latest landing date and time of… in the next few days.
But until then -- Keep up with the latest on this mission at link below.
Check out NASA TV too… They broadcast mission live 24-7.
AJF

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* Read Latest News & Updates
at NASA.gov

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*Watch Mission LIVE
At
NASA TV

Click HERE to view
ENJOY!!!

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STS-127: Interactive Mission Timeline Click HERE or on above image to view
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> Image Galleries <
* Image of the Day Gallery
* STS-127 Image Gallery
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View the
* Space Shuttle Gallery *
HERE
Past Images/Videos/Audios
(NASA Public Affair image collection, Videos, Animations, Wakeup calls & Mission Communications)
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GOD SPEED to the Crew of STS-127 Endeavour on finishing up on a successful mission along with having an event free, Safe Landing...

AubreyJ.........

All info in this post taken from the NASA.gov website unless otherwise stated

DoD Identifies Marine, Army Casualties

No. 552-09 July 27, 2009
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Donald W. Vincent, 26, of Gainesville, Fla., died July 25th of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.


No. 553-09 July 27, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Justin D. Coleman, 21, of Spring Hill, Fla., died July 24th in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
For more information media may contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-7267.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Photos for the Day - Today’s an AubreyJ Special - July 26, 2009

* Photos for the Day *
- Today’s an AubreyJ Special -
Sunday, July 26, 2007
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Hello everyone…
Back in 2005 I made a slide/video titled… “If The World Only Knew”.
In it I tried to bring out the TRUE HEARTS of our fighting men and women in uniform in Iraq and around the world.
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Try to go back in time and remember how the World… the Left and the MSM were reporting and portraying our Men and Women in uniform. Remember!!!?
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What I do not understand is HOW just over HALF of America could then turn around and VOTE these SAME people into Power.
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I’m a betting man that over 30% of them have now awakened to their mistake and will change their vote back to the right side in the upcoming elections over the next few years. For our country’s sake… I do pray it to-be so…
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With that said -- Here’s my video from 2005
“If The World Only Knew”

Video posted on YouTube byAubreyJ818
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Now here are some photos and info on some of our Troops now-a-day…
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* Photos for the Day *

Photo 1: Spc. Mitchell Johnson, from Wilmington, N.C., wraps an Iraqi boy's burns in the rural village of Jalabi, in the Radwaniyah District, just south of Baghdad, July 24th. The boy came to Johnson, a medic with Company D, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and pointed at his wounds while Johnson was on a mission with fellow Soldiers in the area. Johnson treated the boy's neck, chest and shoulders with cream, and the boy's father helped wrap the wounds with gauze.

Photo 2: Staff Sgt. David Roberson, a tanker with Company D, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, chats with Iraqi children, who had been unloading supplies to stock a small shop in the rural village of Jalabi, just outside Baghdad, July 24. Roberson, from Kinston, N.C., and his fellow Soldiers were in the village to speak to local leaders about the possibility of helping with improvements in the area.
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Photo 3: Sanford, N.C. native, Sgt. 1st Class Henry Rhodes, a platoon sergeant, shares candy with Iraqi children during a mission with fellow Company D, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team Soldiers in the rural village of Jalabi, in the Radwaniyah District just south of Baghdad, July 25. Soldiers were in the area to speak to local leaders about the possibility of helping with improvements in the area.
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Photo 4: Spc. Mitchell Johnson, a medic with Company D, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, treats an Iraqi boy's burns in the rural village of Jalabi, in the Radwaniyah District just outside Baghdad, July 24. Johnson, from Wilmington, N.C., cleaned the wounds and applied a cream to help them heal, and gave the boy a tube of the cream for future treatments. The family said he was burned when his mother accidentally spilled hot cooking oil on him. Soldiers were in the area to speak to local leaders about the possibility of helping with improvements in the area.

Photo 5: Iraqi children in the rural village of Jalabi, in the Radwaniyah District, just south of Baghdad, follow and ask questions of Sgt. 1st Class Henry Rhodes, of Sanford, N.C., as he walks during a mission in the area, July 24. Rhodes, a platoon sergeant with Company D, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, was with fellow Soldiers who were in the area to speak to local leaders and discuss improvements in the area.
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Photo 6: Sgt. 1st Class Henry Rhodes, of Sanford, N.C., gives snack crackers to Iraqi children during a mission with fellow Company D, 252nd Combined Arms Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team Soldiers, in the rural Jalabi village, in the Radwaniyah District, just south of Baghdad, July 24. Rhodes, a platoon sergeant, quickly became popular with the children and they followed him around the rest of the time the Soldiers were in the area. Rhodes said it was the first time any coalition forces had stopped at the village in more than a year, which was one reason for the excitement from the children. Soldiers were in the area to speak to local leaders about the possibility of helping with improvements in the area. .
30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team – Photos/info by Pfc. Kelly Lecompte - All info/photos courtesy of
DVIDS

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From time to time… please stop to remember those that protect us, each and every day… here at home and overseas.

God bless each and every one of them.
AubreyJ………

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 550-09 July 26, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Herberth A. Berrios-Campos, 21
, of Bealeton, Va., died July 24th in Salman Pak, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Photo for the Day - July 25, 2009

* Photo for the Day * About image above: Taken July 25th- (From back left to bottom right) STS-127 astronauts Chris Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Doug Hurley, Dave Wolf, Mark Polansky and Julie Payette answer questions during an interview with members of the media.
Photo credit: NASA TV
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- Crews Enjoy Day Off -
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The crews of Space Shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station had a day off to rest in preparation of robotics operations to berth the Japanese experiment carrier in the shuttle’s payload bay Sunday and the fifth and final planned spacewalk of the mission on Monday.
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Endeavour Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Chris Cassidy, Julie Payette, Tom Marshburn and Dave Wolf took some time out of their time off, however, to answer reporters’ questions from WISH-TV in Indianapolis, CBS News and WREG-TV in Memphis, Tenn.
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Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Mike Barratt, Tim Kopra, Roman Romanenko, Bob Thirsk and Frank De Winne have a standard weekend schedule that includes exercise, routine station housekeeping and time off.
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The 13-member combined crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station will downlink a “crew choice” presentation at 5:03 p.m. EDT titled “The Partnership of the International Space Station.” NASA Television will air it live.
Info from NASA.gov website

Friday, July 24, 2009

President Obama says he used Poor Choice of Words in Scholar’s Arrest

Friday, July 24, 2009
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MSNBC.com has the following repot with video posted up on their website this afternoon and it starts off like this… Trying to tamp down a national uproar over race, President Barack Obama acknowledged Friday he had used unfortunate words in declaring that Cambridge, Mass., police "acted stupidly" in arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. "I could've calibrated those words differently," he said… He stopped short of a public apology. But the president telephoned both Gates and the white officer who had arrested him…
Read the rest at link below…
Obama: Poor choice of words in scholar’s arrest
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Obama: 'I could have calibrated those words differently'
Watch the video below…
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About this Video: President Obama reflects on his initial choice of words while reacting to the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates in Cambridge, Mass.
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President Obama said today… "The fact that this has garnered so much attention, I think, is testimony to the fact that these are issues that are still very sensitive here in America,"… NO, Mr. President! The fact that this has garnered so much attention is because you weighed in Clueless to the facts!!!

The major problem with race today is HONESTY...
And that Mr. President you seem to be lacking of.
AubreyJ………

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 548-09 July 24, 2009
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting
Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Ryan H. Lane, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died July 23rd of wounds suffered while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Osama bin Laden’s son, Saad bin Laden Apparently Killed in U.S. Missile Strike

Osama bin Laden’s son, Saad bin Laden Apparently Killed in U.S. Missile Strike
Osama bin Laden’s son, Saad bin Laden, who’s also an al-Qaeda member, was apparently Killed in past missile strike by an unmanned CIA Predator
Thursday, July 23, 2009
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* The Washington Post brings us the following report this Thursday afternoon and it starts off like this… The second-oldest son of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was apparently killed in a U.S. missile strike inside Pakistan this year, U.S. counterterrorism officials said Thursday… Saad bin Laden, 27, an al-Qaeda member who has been linked to terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia, is believed to have been among the victims of a series of strikes by unmanned CIA Predator aircraft in the past few months, the officials said. If confirmed, he would be the closest relative to bin Laden killed by U.S. forces since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington…
Read this report in full at link below…
Officials: Son of Osama bin Laden Believed Killed in U.S. Missile Strike
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* BBC News reports it this way…
One of Osama Bin Laden's sons is believed to have been killed by a US missile strike in Pakistan earlier this year, a US intelligence official says…
Read the rest of this short report at link below…

Bin Laden son 'believed killed'
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Son of Osama Bin Laden Killed in Pakistan by Hellfire Missiles

This Fox News Video posted on YouTube by LamePseudonym1
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Can we PLEASE get the OLD MAN too!!!
AubreyJ………

Taking a Moment to Honor our Fallen Heroes

Since that tragic day on 9-11-2001… many of our bravest have given their all while fighting for this great country of ours. Please take a moment to thank them, in your own way, for all they have done and were willing to do for you -- me and this great country of ours. May God bless each and every one of these fallen Heroes, all of those who have been wounded, all of their families, friends, loved ones and their comrades in arms who were at their side.
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Never forget those that protect us -- Each and every day...
AubreyJ.........

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 544-09 July 23, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties


The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died July 22 in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.

Killed were:
Sgt. Joshua J. Rimer, 24
, of Rochester, Pa
Spc. Randy L.J. Neff, Jr., 22, of Blackfoot, Idaho

For more information on these soldiers, media may contact the Fort Carson Public Affairs Office at (719) 526-4143; after hours (719) 526-5500.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 539-09 July 22, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties


The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died July 20th in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle followed by an attack from enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery (STRIKE), 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Killed were:
Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr., 24, of Garland, Texas
Spc. Anthony M. Lightfoot, 20, of Riverdale, Ga
Spc. Andrew J. Roughton, 21, of Houston, Texas
Pfc. Dennis J. Pratt, 34, of Duncan, Okla

For more information media may contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-7267.


No. 540-09 July 22, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Raymundo P. Morales, 34, of Dalton, Ga., died July 21st in Methar Lam, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 148th Brigade Support Battalion, Cedartown, Ga. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Georgia National Guard public affairs office at (678) 569-6065.


U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

On Ground Updates: Afghanistan/Pakistan - July 22, 2009

On Ground Updates:
Afghanistan/Pakistan
Pakistani Forces near end of military offensive against militants that began late April in the troubled Swat valley. Over 1,700 Taliban killed.
Troops Thwart Suicide Attack
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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* VOANews.com brings us the following report and it starts off like this… Security forces in Pakistan are said to have killed more than 56 Taliban militants in clashes this week in one of the several northwestern districts where a major anti-insurgency operation is underway… Local military commanders say that the militants were killed during, what they describe as, a major search and cordon operation in several villages of the Lower Dir district. They say the clashes also left three soldiers dead… The northwestern region borders the Swat valley and several other districts where Pakistani troops are said to be wrapping up an anti-Taliban offensive they launched more than two months ago…
Read the full repot at link below…
Pakistan Military: 56 Militants Killed in Northwest
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* adnkronos.com reports it this way…

Pakistan: Militants killed in two day offensive
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Coalition, Afghan Troops Thwart Suicide Attack
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KABUL, Afghanistan: Original post date July 21, 2009 - Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) and International Security Assistance Force service members stopped an attack at a Forward Operating Base near Jalalabad Tuesday morning.
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One of the militants, wearing a suicide vest, was killed before he could detonate his explosives and do any damage to the base or any nearby personnel. A second insurgent was captured.
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"These militants repeatedly try to test both ANSF and ISAF Soldiers and continue to fail time after time," said Lt. Col. Clarence Counts, a spokesman for RC-East. "The results of today are just another example of the confidence and dedication the ANSF has in defeating the enemies of Afghanistan."
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No ANSF or ISAF forces were killed or injured in the attack. No damage was done to structures in the area.

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Taken from a CENTCOM/ISAF Public Information Office News Release
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AubreyJ………