Article Posted on : - Nov 27, 2008

The station's robotic arm, Canadarm2, carries the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module before placing it in the shuttle's payload bay. Credit NASA TV

WASHINGTON (BNS): Before the return of STS-126 crew to Earth, Station Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus continued work on the International Space Station’s (ISS) new regenerative life support system.

She drained a condensate collection tank to create the optimum ratio of condensate and distillate from the Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) and gathered additional water samples for testing.

The UPA ran on Wednesday, completing three cycles after troubleshooting steps restored its operation. There are no plans to run it again during the joint mission as all the samples needed have been taken, US space agency NASA said.

Meanwhile, the space station’s moving van Leonardo is back in Shuttle Endeavour's payload bay, ready to return materials to Earth.

Nearly 16,390 pounds of equipment was delivered to the station between Leonardo and the shuttle's middeck, which would help in future expansion of the station's crew. NASA said that till now, the crew members had packed away 3,642 pounds of materials to be returned to the Earth.

According to the space agency, mission specialists Don Pettit and Shane Kimbrough used the station's Canadarm2 to move the pressurised cargo module. It was removed from the Harmony module and was placed in the shuttle's cargo bay at 4:52 pm on Wednesday.

Lead spacewalker Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper packed up equipment and supplies used for the four spacewalks and moved them to Endeavour for return, NASA said.

On the occasion of Thanksgiving Day, all ten crew members will have a joint meal together.
NASA said the shuttle and station crews will part ways and close hatches in the afternoon for undocking on Friday.