Discovery's Back on Earth

[JonathanBelles]

March 31, 2008

John Yembrick
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0602
john.yembrick-1@nasa.gov

Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kyle.j.herring@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-069

NASA UPDATES TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR NEXT SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT

WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting May 31 as the launch date for shuttle
Discovery's STS-124 mission to deliver the large Japanese Kibo
Pressurized Module to the International Space Station. The liftoff
time is approximately 5:01 p.m. EDT.

NASA decided to reschedule Discovery's target launch date from May 25
to May 31 after shipment of the mission's external fuel tank from its
assembly plant at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to
Florida was delayed by weather. The tank arrived at NASA's Kennedy
Space Center in Florida on March 26.

Additionally, NASA elected to move the liftoff date in order to avoid
having the launch team work through the Memorial Day weekend.

The official launch date for Discovery will be determined during the
standard Flight Readiness Review held approximately two weeks before
launch.

Discovery's mission is the second of three flights that will launch
components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo
laboratory. The Japanese Pressurized Module will be the station's
largest science laboratory, measuring 37 feet long and 14 feet in
diameter, about the size of a large tour bus. The shuttle also will
deliver the lab's robotic arm system that support operations outside
of Kibo. The lab's logistics module, which was installed in a
temporary location during STS-123 in March, will be attached to the
new lab.

Mark Kelly will command the seven-member crew, which includes Pilot
Ken Ham, Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Jr., Mike
Fossum, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide
and Greg Chamitoff. Chamitoff will replace Expedition 16/17 Flight
Engineer Garrett Reisman and remain aboard the station as a member of
the Expedition 17 crew. Reisman will return to Earth with the STS-124
crew.

For more information on the station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more information on the station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station


-end-

[Category 5]

Already hits a snag? They ALWAYS have some sort of snag. No surprises.

[coriolis]

I think that they take the right approach: It's ready when it's ready. I wish they would take that approach at my job: It's ready when management wants it ready.

[JonathanBelles]

May 5
Space shuttle Discovery made the long, slow trek out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Saturday. Carried by the slow-moving crawler-transporter, the shuttle assembly atop the mobile launcher platform began rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at 11:47 p.m. EDT Friday night and was secured at the pad at 6:06 a.m. The 3.4-mile journey is one of the last major milestones leading up to the launch of Discovery on the STS-124 mission, targeted for May 31.

The canister carrying the STS-124 payloads arrived at the launch pad April 29. Primary payloads are the tour-bus-sized Japanese Experiment Module-Pressurized Module and the lab's robotic arm system. With Discovery in place at the launch pad, the payload components are being installed in the orbiter's payload bay.

The STS-124 crew members, commanded by astronaut Mark Kelly, are set to arrive at Kennedy on May 6 for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. The three-day event concludes May 9 with a full dress rehearsal of the launch countdown.

[HURAKAN]

I moved this thread to the Astronomy and Geology subforum and for the forseable future, all missions will be posted in this subforum.

[JonathanBelles]

May 19
Space shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission is officially scheduled for launch May 31. The announcement was made in an afternoon news conference held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida following today's executive-level Flight Readiness Review.

"Preparations are going really well," Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach said, pointing out that Discovery's remarkably smooth processing flow will allow shuttle work crews to take off the Memorial Day holiday. "Right now we're in great shape, and we really expect to have a good three or four days off this weekend and come back and launch."

There are two Flight Readiness Reviews before each shuttle launch: a program-level review and an executive-level review. During these routine meetings, top NASA and contractor officials evaluate prelaunch preparations and determine whether the vehicle is ready for flight.

Discovery's 14-day flight will carry the largest payload so far to the station and includes three spacewalks. It is the second of three missions that will launch components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and Kibo’s robotic arm system. Discovery also will deliver new station crew member Greg Chamitoff and bring back Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who will end a three-month stay aboard the outpost.

___________________________________________________________________________
I wish they would hold off to either the 2nd or 3rd. The second is when my grandfather comes in, and the 3rd is my graduation, and that would just top off my day.

[JonathanBelles]

Discovery is still set for launch. The countdown clock starts tomorrow.

[JonathanBelles]

uhoh....

Space station's sole toilet out of order

* Story Highlights
* Liquid waste gathering system works sporadically; solid waste system is fine
* Crew was using Soyuz capsule's toilet but now has jury-rigged system
* Discovery is set to dock with space station next week

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The international space station's lone toilet is broken, leaving the crew with almost nowhere to go. So NASA may order an in-orbit plumbing service call when space shuttle Discovery visits next week.

Until then, the three-man crew will have to make do with a jury-rigged system when they need to urinate.

While one of the crew was using the Russian-made toilet last week, the toilet motor fan stopped working, according to NASA. Since then, the liquid waste gathering part of the toilet has been working on-and-off.

Fortunately, the solid waste collecting part is functioning normally.

Russian officials don't know the cause of the problem, and the crew has been unable to fix it.

The crew has used the toilet on the Soyuz return capsule, but it has a limited capacity. They now are using a backup bag-like collection system that can be connected to the broken toilet, according to NASA public affairs officials.

"Like any home anywhere, the importance of having a working bathroom is obvious," NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said.

The 7-year-old toilet has broken once before but not for as long a time, said Johnson Space Center spokeswoman Nicole Cloutier in Houston.

Discovery is already set for launch Saturday, with a planned docking with the space station Monday.

Cloutier said NASA officials are considering having some parts flown to Cape Canaveral, Florida, and placed in the shuttle during its countdown, an unusual and delicate situation. Because the shuttle's payload weight is limited and balance carefully calculated, it will be tricky to try to figure out where the parts can go, said Kennedy Space Center spokesman Bill Johnson

Discovery's main payload, a 32,000-pound Japanese laboratory addition, is so big that the shuttle's boom sensor system had to be removed to make room for the lab

[JonathanBelles]

May 29
Countdown clocks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida began counting down from the T-43 hour mark at 3 p.m. EDT yesterday, following the seven-member STS-124 crew's midday arrival at Kennedy. The launch team is tracking no issues as technicians continue preparing space shuttle Discovery for liftoff on May 31 at 5:02 p.m. EDT.

There is a possibility for isolated coastal showers on the morning of launch, but the weather forecast is good overall, with an 80% chance of favorable weather at liftoff time.

Discovery's 14-day flight will carry the largest payload so far to the station and includes three spacewalks. It is the second of three missions that will launch components to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. The crew will install Kibo's large Japanese Pressurized Module and Kibo's robotic arm system. Discovery also will deliver new station crew member Greg Chamitoff and bring back Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who will end a three-month stay aboard the outpost.

[brunota2003]

Discovery is fueled up for this evening's launch.

[JonathanBelles]

The crew is climbing in and the offical clock says T-1:52

[JonathanBelles]

The crew is all seated, the hatch is closed, and air leak checks have begun.

[JonathanBelles]

30 mins till launch. Weather has been given the green. 99% chance of launch now.

[JonathanBelles]

Successful Launch of Discovery!!!

[brunota2003]

I missed it because we were out -sigh-

[JonathanBelles]

Discovery undocked from the International Space Station Wednesday at 7:42 a.m. EDT, ending its almost nine-day stay at the orbital outpost.

After performing a flyaround of the station, the shuttle crew members began their journey back to Earth.

The STS-124 crew arrived at the station June 2, delivering the Japanese Pressurized Module, the second pressurized component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory, to the station. The crew also delivered Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff, who replaced Garrett Reisman, now a mission specialist returning to Earth aboard Discovery.

In addition, the crew performed three spacewalks while at the station.

Discovery is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Saturday.

[brunota2003]

I will miss the Shuttle landing because of Graduation...Go figure!

[Skyhawk]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/scien ... ref=slogin

Concerns as Object Floats Past Shuttle

By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: June 14, 2008

On Friday, a day before the space shuttle Discovery is supposed to return from orbit to its landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center, members of the crew noticed an object floating away from the shuttle into space.

Such objects can be worrisome, since they could indicate a broken part of the shuttle. But in the past, they have simply turned out to be bits of ice or errant plastic bags floating out of the payload bay.

In this case, Commander Mark E. Kelly of the Navy, the shuttle commander, radioed to the ground on Friday morning that an object had been spotted floating behind the aft starboard wing. Commander Kelly also pointed out what he called “a bump” seen sticking out from the trailing edge of the port side of the shuttle’s rudder, which sits on the craft’s vertical tail fin. The crew transmitted video and still images of the object to the ground, where they are being analyzed.

Commander Kelly also offered to take a break from preparations for landing to “take the arm out,” meaning the shuttle’s robotic arm, which is equipped with a camera, to “get a closer look” at the area in question.

[HURAKAN]

It's always very worrysome when something floats away or crashes into the Space Shuttle. I hope it's not something major.

[JonathanBelles]

Welcome Home Discovery