ib o ▁Labor atory ▁to ▁take ▁questions ▁from ▁news ▁media . ▁Re por ters ▁at ▁four ▁NASA ▁cent ers , ▁NASA ▁headquarters ▁and ▁in ▁Japan ▁participated . ▁ ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama , ▁at ▁about ▁ 1 6 : 3 0 ▁UTC ▁also ▁called ▁the ▁combined ▁Ex ped ition ▁ 2 8 ▁and ▁Atl ant is ▁cre ws . ▁He ▁thank ed ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁supported ▁the ▁sh utt le ▁program ▁and ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁proud ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁crew ▁members . ▁Sh utt le ▁Commander ▁Chris ▁Fer g us on ▁said ▁that ▁all ▁the ▁partners ▁on ▁the ▁station ▁were ▁hon ored ▁to ▁represent ▁their ▁home ▁countries ▁in ▁this ▁mult in ational ▁effort ▁and ▁station ▁Fl ight ▁Engine er ▁Serge i ▁Vol kov ▁described ▁the ▁station ▁and ▁sh utt le ▁cre ws , ▁from ▁three ▁nations , ▁as ▁" one ▁big ▁family ". ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Mission ▁Status ▁Br ief ing , ▁the ▁ST S - 1 3 5 ▁lead ▁flight ▁director , ▁K w at si ▁Ali bar u ho , ▁said ▁that ▁trans fers ▁were ▁right ▁on ▁tim eline ▁with ▁ 7 0 % ▁complete . ▁The ▁crew ▁was ▁ahead ▁of ▁tim eline ▁on ▁earlier ▁days ▁but ▁the ▁computer ▁problem ▁caused ▁them ▁to ▁slow ▁down . ▁He ▁further ▁mentioned ▁that ▁the ▁l atch ▁on ▁Atl ant iss ▁mid deck ▁lo cker ▁for ▁Li OH ▁can ister s ▁was ▁broken , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁entire ▁panel ▁had ▁been ▁fast ened ▁to ▁floor ▁with ▁fast en ers .