- text as of last publication -
After that a first launch was delayed due to weather, on Dec. 7, 2006, the Space Shuttle STS-116 mission eventually launched on Dec. 9, 2006 at 8:47 p.m. EST, as it reached the International Space Station on Dec. 11 at 5:12 p.m. Activities began as soon as the next day, with two astronauts performing a spacewalk to intall the P5 truss, the new element of the ISS. Both following planned spacewalks, two and four days later, respectively, led to that the outpost was definitively rewired to its new power sources. An additional spacewalk however was needed as the port P6 solar arrays had some troubles to get folded. The Space Shuttle eventually undocked for the orbital outpost on Tuesday, Dec. 19th at 5:10 p.m. EST, leading to the usual preparations in orbit before the mission successfulley re-entered the atmosphere and landed at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Friday, Dec. 22nd, 2006 at 5.:32 p.m. EST. Weather however hampered the return from orbit to the point that, at a moment, all the three NASA landing sites were unavailable. This did not lead to more than a 2-hour delay for Shuttle Discovery. By the end of the mission, the ISS is left with a new setup of its solar arrays, as further missions will continue the job
| Picture | Comments |
|---|---|
 | Space Shuttle's middeck will be provided with the new SPACEHAB module which more than doubles the storage capacity. As this 1,100-cubic-foot module is pressurized, powered and climate-controlled, it's a convenient 'shirtsleeve' environment for the astronauts too. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis |
 | The Space Shuttle headed to launch. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | The Space Shuttle mission STS-116 launching on Dec. 9 at 8:47 p.m. EST. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | Shuttle Discovery payload bay as seen on Flight Day 2. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | Astronauts performing the first spacewalk at the ISS, installing the P5 truss. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | Some kink occurred in the P6 solar array during those works leading to a new arrangement of the way the ISS is powered. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | ESA, Swede astronaut, Christer Fuglesang was part of the second spacewalk. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | A view of the third spacewalk by the STS-116 mission on Flight Day 8. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | An astronaut coping with folding the P6 solar arrays during the STS-116 mission extra spacewalk. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | A view of the new setup of the ISS, as Shuttle Discovery has undocked from the outpost on Flight Day 11. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
 | Shuttle Discovery touching down at the Shuttle Landing Facility in KSC, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2006. click to a larger picture. picture courtesy NASA |
