Discovery leaves space station for the last time

By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer – Mon Mar 7

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Discovery, the world's most traveled spaceship, left the International Space Station on Monday for the last time, getting a dramatic send-off by the dozen orbiting astronauts as well as "Star Trek's" original Capt. Kirk.

Station skipper Scott Kelly rang his ship's bell in true naval tradition, as the shuttle backed away on the final leg of its final journey.

"Discovery departing," he called out.

Discovery is due back on Earth on Wednesday. It's being retired after touchdown and sent to the Smithsonian Institution for display. NASA's two other shuttles will join Discovery in retirement, following their upcoming missions.

Discovery's astronauts got a special greeting in advance of their space station departure.

Actor William Shatner, who played Capt. James Kirk on the original "Star Trek" TV series, paid tribute to Discovery's voyages over the decades.

"Space, the final frontier," Shatner said in a prerecorded message. "These have been the voyages of the space shuttle Discovery. Her 30-year mission: to seek out new science, to build new outposts, to bring nations together on the final frontier, to boldly go and do what no spacecraft has done before."

Shatner's words were followed by Monday morning's wake-up music, "Theme from Star Trek." It was the runner-up in a pick-the-wake-up-music contest sponsored by NASA. The No. 1 vote-getter will be beamed up Tuesday.

Discovery will have racked up nearly 150 million miles by trip's end, accumulated over 39 missions and nearly 27 years, and spent 365 days total in space. It flew to the space station 13 times.

Immediately after undocking high above the Pacific, Discovery performed a victory lap around the orbiting outpost, where it spent the past nine days. The two crews beamed down pictures of each other's vessel, with the blue cloud-specked planet 220 miles below as the backdrop.

Close-up shots showed most, if not all, of the individual compartments of the bigger-than-ever station. Live NASA TV footage showed Discovery as it flew over the Atlantic and the Sahara, and in a matter of a few minutes, over the Mediterranean and northern Italy.

"It looks beautiful," Kelly said of Discovery. He wished the six shuttle passengers a safe ride home.

The two crews paid their own special tribute to Discovery, NASA's oldest surviving shuttle, during a joint farewell ceremony Sunday.

Discovery and its crew delivered a new storage compartment, as well as an equipment platform and the first humanoid robot in space. Both of the large items were successfully installed, and the shuttle astronauts even did some extra chores during their two extra days at the station. It ended up being a 13-day mission for Discovery.

R2 the robot, short for Robonaut 2, has yet to be unpacked. The space station residents hope to get to it in the next week or two.

The addition of the 21-foot-long, 15-foot wide storage compartment left the space station 97 percent complete. The complex now has a mass of nearly 1 million pounds.

On the next shuttle flight, by Endeavor next month, a huge science experiment will be installed on the outside of the space station, wrapping up the U.S. contributions. Atlantis will blast off with supplies on the final shuttle mission at the end of June.

NASA is under presidential direction to focus more on outer space, beginning with expeditions to asteroids and then Mars.

American astronauts will continue hitching rides to the space station on Russian Soyuz spacecraft, at great expense. The intent is for private U.S. companies to take over those ferry operations within a few years.

Mission Control, meanwhile, monitored a piece of space junk — an old rocket part — that possibly was going to stray too close to the space station on Wednesday. Experts wanted to wait until after the shuttle's undocking, before deciding whether the complex needed to move out of harm's way. But it was looking less likely that it would pose a concern, officials said Monday.

Discovery arrives at ISS

Sun Feb 27, 2011

The space shuttle Discovery, which is on its final voyage, has docked at the International Space Station (ISS) and will spend at least a week at the orbiting outpost.

Discovery is carrying a closet-style chamber full of supplies as well as the first humanoid robot to fly in space, reported USA Today.

The compartment will be attached permanently to the space station early next week.

Altogether, there are 12 people aboard the joined spacecraft, representing the United States, Russia and Italy.

In a historic first, four of the five major partners have vessels docked there right now, including cargo ships from Japan and Europe.

The entire conglomeration has a mass of 1.2 million pounds (540,000 kilograms), including the shuttle.

The station is so sprawling and packed with vehicles that it took longer than usual for Discovery to be tightly cinched down.

Discovery is the first in a fleet of three to be retired this year. Endeavor and then Atlantis will close out the 30-year shuttle program by midsummer.

Discovery is the oldest of the three and the most traveled, with 143 million miles (230 million kilometers) logged over 39 flights and 26 years.

The robot launched aboard Discovery - Robonaut 2 or R2 for short - will remain at the space station, all boxed up for at least another few months.

The robot is an experimental machine from the waist up that will be tested before attempting simple jobs inside the orbiting complex.

The idea is for R2 to eventually serve as an astronaut assistant.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167354.html.

Discovery embarks on final odyssey

Fri Feb 25, 2011

The US shuttle Discovery has made its final journey into space to deliver a logistic module to the International Space Station (ISS) before retirement.

NASA's most-journeyed shuttle lifted off at 21:53 GMT and made the ten-minute flight to the Earth's orbit later on Thursday.

Discovery is set to arrive at the ISS on Saturday when it will transport a spare closet module and the first humanoid robot during its 11-day mission which includes two spacewalks.

"It has been a pretty tremendous day in space flight for us," AFP quoted Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for space operations as saying.

However, the last few moments before launch were fraught with anxiety as NASA engineers raced to fix a glitch that temporarily paralyzed some ground computers. The problem was resolved and did not delay the mission further.

The launch was postponed in November after cracks emerged on Discovery's bright orange external fuel tank, causing engineers to puzzle for many weeks over the cause and how to fix it.

In January, they agreed that installing small metal strips, called radius blocks, on the 6.7-meter (22-foot) U-shaped aluminum brackets would reinforce their strength.

When Discovery wraps up this tour, the oldest surviving shuttle will have flown more missions than any other shuttle and taken 180 people into space, including the first female shuttle commander and the first African-American spacewalker. It will become the first of the three-member fleet to enter retirement.

The other two shuttles are scheduled for their final flights later this year, with Endeavor slated to blast into space on April 19 and Atlantis on June 28.

Since its first launch in 1984, Discovery has transported the groundbreaking Hubble Space telescope into space and delivered numerous spare parts to the ISS.

The shuttle was also the first to return to space after two major disasters: the Challenger explosion in 1986 and the Columbia disaster in 2003 when the shuttle broke up on its return to Earth.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166979.html.

Shuttle Discovery ready for launch

Sat, 19 Feb 2011

Washington - The space shuttle Discovery is due to make its final flight later this month after a nearly four month delay, the US space agency NASA said Friday.

NASA set lift-off for February 24 at 2150 GMT from Cape Canaveral for an 11-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The flight was to have taken place in October before being delayed several times after technicians discovered cracks in the shuttle's external fuel tank.

The mission will deliver the last major US contribution to the ISS - an extra room - along with supplies, including a human-like robot, known as Robonaut 2 (R2), the first-such robot ever sent to space.

The oldest vehicle in the operating space shuttle fleet, Discovery entered construction in 1979 and blasted off into space for the first time in 1984.

The shuttle fleet is due to be retired later this year, with one and possibly two flights after Discovery lands.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/368092,shuttle-discovery-ready-launch.html.

Next shuttle flight delayed until February - Summary

Fri, 03 Dec 2010

Washington - The repeatedly delayed final flight of space shuttle Discovery has been pushed back until at least February while NASA engineers conduct tests to discover the cause of cracks in the craft's fuel tank, the space agency said Friday.

NASA has encountered numerous delays over the last month in trying to get Discovery off the ground for its farewell voyage before the shuttle fleet is retired. The mission was scheduled for liftoff in late October before several cracks found on brackets on the external tank prompted multiple delays.

The fear is that the cracks could allow insulating foam to break off and damage the shuttle during liftoff. In 2003, broken foam damaged the exterior of the shuttle Columbia, causing it to disintegrate while re-entering the atmosphere. All seven astronauts aboard were killed.

Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator of space operations, said NASA had not yet been able to find the cause of the cracks and had reached a point where the space agency needed to conduct tests to pinpoint the problem.

NASA will conduct two tests: building a mockup of that part of the fuel tank to see if engineers can reproduce the cracks to determine a root cause and also filling the fuel tank while monitoring it carefully for stress and the development of further cracks.

The aging space shuttle fleet is set to be retired after nearly three decades in service. Some of the shuttle's tasks are to be shifted to commercial space flight providers, while NASA is to develop a spacecraft that can travel to more distant destinations.

Though the shuttle spacecraft themselves are reused after each flight, the external liquid fuel tank is new for each flight, meaning the age of the fleet is unrelated to the current problem.

"We have hit a point where there is no obvious answer to what occurred," shuttle program manager John Shannon said.

After Discovery's last trip, just one more shuttle flight is scheduled, and shuttle managers hope to add an additional flight.

The launch window for Discovery will begin February 3, likely pushing back the last scheduled flight of Endeavor to April and an as yet unscheduled additional flight to the summer if NASA is able to secure money for another launch.

Discovery is to deliver the last major US piece of the ISS along with a host of supplies, including a human-like robot, known as Robonaut 2 (R2), the first-such robot ever sent to space.

The International Space Station will continue to operate with no problems despite the delay, as Discovery was not set to carry aloft many daily food supplies and other consumables, ISS manager Mike Suffredini said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/356481,delayed-february-summary.html.

NASA delays shuttle launch to at least mid-December - Summary

Wed, 24 Nov 2010

Washington - The planned launch next week of the space shuttle Discovery has been delayed to mid-December to give more time for engineers to evaluate repairs made to the orbiter's external fuel tank, NASA said Wednesday.

NASA has encountered numerous delays over the last month in trying to get Discovery off the ground for its final voyage before the shuttle fleet is retired.

The main culprit has been several cracks found on brackets on the external tank. The fear is the cracks could cause insulation foam to break off and damage the shuttle during liftoff.

Broken foam damaged the shuttle Columbia in 2003, causing it to disintegrate while re-entering the atmosphere and killed all seven astronauts aboard.

"Managers decided the analysis and tests required to launch Discovery safely are not complete. The work will continue through next week," NASA said in a statement.

In scrapping the December 3-6 launch window, NASA set a new one that begins December 17.

The cracks were found on aluminum ribs that support an empty space inside the external fuel tank that separates the liquid oxygen tank at the top and the liquid hydrogen tank at the bottom.

The Discovery mission is to deliver the last major US contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) - an extra room - along with supplies, including a human-like robot known as Robonaut 2, the first-such robot ever sent to space.

Discovery is the oldest active shuttle in the fleet. After the shuttles are retired, astronauts will travel to and from the ISS on Russian spacecraft.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355099,least-mid-december-summary.html.

NASA tackling leak, crack repairs on Discovery

Fri, 12 Nov 2010

Washington - NASA was planning to tackle at least one of two repairs on the space shuttle Discovery later Friday, with no new launch date in sight, a spokesman for the US space agency said.

Discovery, the fleet's oldest spacecraft set for its final voyage, was grounded last week during the launch countdown after a fuel line leak was discovered.

In the meantime, NASA engineers have also found two 23-cm long cracks in the external fuel tank that is jettisoned into the ocean right after lift-off.

Spokesman Allard Beutel said the repairs in the leaking fuel line were planned to begin later Friday, after engineers met to make sure the repair plan covered all contingencies.

But the cracks inside the external fuel tank were another matter. They were discovered as engineers peeled back a crack in the foam insulation on the outside of the tank to reveal the root cause of the foam break.

NASA has dealt with such cracks in its history. "But we have done repairs before at the manufacturing plant, never at the launch pad," he said.

A special enclosure would have to be built over the crack, and a new layer of foam would have to be applied afterward, Beutel said.

"They are really taking their time to set this up. The manufacturing plant people have to come to Kennedy," Beutel said, referring to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The two cracks were found on one of 108 aluminum ribs that support an empty space inside the external fuel tank that separates the liquid oxygen tank at the top and the liquid hydrogen tank at the bottom.

The crack occurred during the November 5 fueling, due to the super cold temperatures of the fuel, Beutel said.

"It's just a matter of how long it will take. That's why we don't have a new target launch date," Beutel said.

The next launch window spans November 30 to December 6.

Discovery's problems in its 26th year of flying are the latest for the shuttle fleet as NASA winds down the legendary space shuttle program. NASA officials have not ruled out a delay of the launch until next year.

Such a delay would force postponement of the Endeavor shuttle launch, which had been scheduled for late February.

The Discovery mission is to deliver the last major US contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) - an extra room - along with supplies, including a human-like robot known as Robonaut 2, the first-such robot ever sent to space.

After the shuttle fleet is retired, astronauts will travel to and from the ISS on Russian spacecraft.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/353315,leak-crack-repairs-discovery.html.

NASA scraps Discovery launch until end of month - Summary

Fri, 05 Nov 2010

Washington - Technical problems have forced NASA to delay the launch of the space shuttle Discovery until at least the end of this month, officials said Friday.

Discovery's launch had been delayed several times, initially due to technical problems but later because of poor weather. Then additional technical problems resurfaced ahead of a scheduled take- off on Friday afternoon.

The next launch window is November 30 to December 6.

The latest problems were caused by a vent-line hydrogen leak severe enough to force NASA to scrap a back-up plan to get the shuttle up on Monday, and a 17-centimeter crack in foam lining the external fuel tank.

"We are going to fly when we are ready and clearly were not ready to fly," said Mike Leinbach, the space shuttle launch director.

He added that engineers and officials will thoroughly evaluate the problem and that it was critical to "take this slowly."

NASA was still trying to determine the severity of the problem.

"We just won't know til we get inside the thing," Leinbach said.

NASA officials have not ruled out the possibility that the launch could be delayed until next year and in turn force a postponement of Endeavor's launch, which is scheduled for the end of February.

Discovery's problems are the latest for the shuttle fleet as NASA winds down the legendary space shuttle program. Endeavor's flight was the only remaining scheduled launch, although NASA had not ruled out one more.

The oldest vehicle in the space shuttle fleet still operating, Discovery entered construction in 1979 and blasted off into space for the first time in 1984.

This mission is to deliver the last major US contribution to the International Space Station - an extra room - along with supplies, including a human-like robot known as Robonaut 2, the first-such robot ever sent to space.

After the shuttle fleet is retired, astronauts will travel to and from the ISS on Russian spacecraft.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/352171,discovery-launch-summary.html.

Weather delays Discovery space shuttle launch: NASA

by Staff Writers
Cape Canaveral, Florida (AFP) Nov 4, 2010

NASA postponed until Friday the launch of shuttle Discovery due to bad weather, the latest in a series of delays for orbiter's final scheduled flight to the International Space Station.

Heavy rain early Thursday buffeted Florida's Kennedy Space Center where Discovery had already been rolled out to the launchpad after early glitches that postponed the launch three times earlier in the week were resolved.

"There is a no go for 24 hours because of the weather," a spokesman at Kennedy Space Center said.

Launch is now set for 3:03 pm (1903 GMT) Friday, with weather forecasts showing a 60-percent chance of favorable conditions, the US space agency said.

Mission experts had agreed on Thursday's launch attempt after a close study of the latest electrical glitch found that a circuit-breaker was the origin of a cockpit problem, not the main engine controller which would have been more serious.

After three postponements to Discovery's final flight before it is retired, NASA experts were eager to see it fly Thursday.

"From a vehicle prospective we are ready to go," said mission management team leader Mike Moses, although with just a 20 percent chance of favorable conditions he acknowledged the mission might be grounded by Mother Nature.

A green light from mission managers would begin shuttle fueling operations, which normally take three hours.

The launch window closes Sunday. The next window for the mission would come on December 1 and last only a few days.

Discovery's 11-day mission, originally scheduled for November 1, was delayed twice for an engine pressurization problem and again on Tuesday for an electrical malfunction of a circuit-breaker in the shuttle's cockpit which failed to turn on as expected.

While the latest glitch with the back-up controller for shuttle engine three was not considered a major problem -- the breaker worked after several tries -- NASA engineers wanted to understand its causes should it malfunction again during takeoff, Moses said.

NASA concluded the problem was residue buildup on the breaker switch.

Discovery's all-American six-member crew, including female mission specialist Nicole Stott, will deliver a pressurized logistics module called Leonardo, which will be permanently attached to the space station to provide more storage space.

The shuttle will also bring Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space and a permanent addition to the orbiting space station, as well as spare parts.

Two space walks, for maintenance work and component installation, are scheduled.

The flight to the ISS is the fourth and final shuttle flight of the year, and the last scheduled for Discovery, the oldest in the three-shuttle fleet that is being retired in 2011.

"Discovery is not going out easy, she is giving us a little bit of trouble but that is fine, she will fly perfectly when she does," said launch director Mike Leinbach.

The three US shuttles -- the other two are Atlantis and Endeavor -- are due to be sent off to become museum pieces after a final shuttle mission to the space station in late February.

That means Russian Soyuz spacecraft, a modernized version of which recently dropped off three fresh crew members to the ISS, doubling the crew to six, will for several years be the only vehicle for transporting humans into space.

However, NASA's recently approved 2011 budget has left the door open to an additional shuttle flight in June.

Source: Space Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Weather_delays_Discovery_space_shuttle_launch_NASA_999.html.

NASA greenlights Thursday launch of shuttle Discovery

by Staff Writers
Cape Canaveral, Florida (AFP) Nov 3, 2010

NASA gave the go-ahead for Thursday's launch of the Discovery space shuttle mission to the International Space Station, but warned of another delay if weather does not improve.

Mission experts agreed on the launch attempt after a close study of the latest electrical glitch found that a circuit-breaker was the origin of a cockpit problem, not the main engine controller which would have been more serious.

But after three postponements so far to the Discovery's final flight before it is retired, NASA experts said gloomy weather could push back efforts again, and conditions would be reviewed Thursday morning ahead of the 1929 GMT launch.

"From a vehicle prospective we are ready to go," said mission management team leader Mike Moses.

"The weather still looks pretty bad for tomorrow," he added. "There's a chance we'll decide not to spend one of our (launch) opportunities.

The weather forecast at present calls for only 20 percent favorable conditions for launch. A green light from the mission managers would begin shuttle fueling operations, which normally take three hours and are scheduled to start at 1005 GMT.

The launch window closes Sunday. The next launch window for the mission would come on December 1 and last only a few days.

The Discovery's 11-day mission, originally scheduled for November 1, was delayed twice for an engine pressurization problem with and again on Tuesday for an electrical malfunction of a circuit-breaker in the shuttle's cockpit -- it failed to turn on as expected.

While the latest glitch with the back-up controller for shuttle engine three was not considered a major problem -- the breaker worked after several tries, NASA engineers wanted to understand its causes should it malfunction again during takeoff, Moses said.

Discovery's all-American six-member crew on this voyage, including female mission specialist Nicole Stott, will deliver a pressurized logistics module called Leonardo, which will be permanently attached to the space station to give it more storage space.

The shuttle will also bring Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space, and a permanent addition to the orbiting space station, as well as spare parts.

Two space walks, for maintenance work and component installation, are scheduled.

The flight to the orbiting ISS is the fourth and final shuttle flight of the year, and the last scheduled for Discovery, the oldest in the three-shuttle fleet that is being retired in 2011.

"Discovery is not going out easy, she is giving us a little bit of trouble but that is fine, she will fly perfectly when she does," said launch director Mike Leinbach.

The three US shuttles -- the other two are Atlantis and Endeavor -- are due to be sent off to become museum pieces after a final shuttle mission to the space station in late February.

That means Russian Soyuz spacecraft, a modernized version of which recently dropped off three fresh crew members to the ISS, doubling the crew to six, will for several years be the only vehicle for transporting humans into space.

However, NASA's recently approved 2011 budget has left the door open to an additional shuttle flight in June.

NASA Shuttle Status Report
MMT Gives "Go" For Thursday Launch Try, Eyes Weather

KSC FL (NASA) Nov 4 - After looking deeply into an issue with a main engine controller on space shuttle Discovery, the Prelaunch Mission Management Team is confident the issue has been resolved, said Mike Moses, chair of the MMT.

The team therefore gave a unanimous "go" for Discovery's launch Thursday at 3:29 p.m. EDT. That means the countdown will proceed through the night, including the retraction of the Rotating Service Structure from around the shuttle.

"From the vehicle perspective, we're ready to go," Moses said.

However, the weather forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of acceptable conditions, with the concerns being low clouds and rain within 20 miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility at launch time.

The MMT will meet at 5:30 a.m. Thursday to consider the forecast and will decide then whether to fill the shuttle's huge external fuel tank for the launch.

"The weather still looks pretty bad for tomorrow," Moses said. "There's a chance we'll decide not to spend one of our (launch) opportunities."

Source: Space Travel.
Link: http://www.space-travel.com/reports/NASA_greenlights_Thursday_launch_of_shuttle_Discovery_999.html.

Shuttle Discovery's final launch delayed again - Summary

Tue, 02 Nov 2010

Washington - The final launch of the space shuttle Discovery was delayed Tuesday after a problem with an electrical system was discovered during pre-launch engine tests.

The launch is now aimed for Thursday if NASA engineers can fix the problem.

Having lasted three times as long as most vehicles used by Earth- bound individuals, Discovery will launch as the US space agency NASA retires the aging shuttles and begins to transition routine flights to commercial providers.

The launch was already delayed for two days because of repairs of helium and nitrogen leaks in one of the shuttle's engine pods and subsequent inspections.

The mission will deliver the last major US contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) - an extra room - along with supplies, including a human-like robot, known as Robonaut 2 (R2), the first-such robot ever sent to space.

The oldest vehicle in the operating space shuttle fleet, Discovery entered construction in 1979 and blasted off into space for the first time in 1984.

After Discovery's planned 11-day mission, the workhorse of the fleet will have spent nearly a year in orbit, made more flights than any other shuttle and carried more crew members.

In February, the shuttle Endeavor is slated to make the absolutely last shuttle program flight to the ISS, although NASA is pushing for funding for another flight for Atlantis in summer 2011.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351582,delayed-again-summary.html.

PREVIEW: Shuttle Discovery to take final bow

Sun, 31 Oct 2010

Washington - After a lifetime of firsts, it's time for a last for the space shuttle Discovery: The storied craft is set to start its final flight on Wednesday.

The oldest vehicle in the operating space shuttle fleet, construction began in 1979 on Discovery, which blasted off into space for the first time in 1984. Its last flight comes as US space agency NASA retires the aging shuttles and begins to transition routine flights to commercial providers.

The scheduled Monday launch was postponed until Wednesday for repairs of helium and nitrogen leaks in one of the shuttle's engine pods, and subsequent inspections.

After Discovery's planned 11-day mission, the workhorse of the fleet will have spent nearly a year in orbit, made more flights than any other shuttle and carried more crew members.

Discovery has already made history many times.

It was the first shuttle to return to flight after both the shuttle Challenger and Columbia accidents; launched the trailblazing Hubble Space Telescope; made the first US rendezvous with the Russian Mir space station; and made the first and last shuttle trips to rotate the crew of the International Space Station (ISS).

It will now be the first shuttle to officially be retired. A previous flight by Atlantis may have been its final flight, but it remains on standby in case a rescue mission is needed, and could be used if, as NASA hopes, an additional flight is added to the shuttle schedule.

Discovery is to deliver the last major piece of the US part of the ISS along with a host of supplies, including a human-like robot, known as Robonaut 2 (R2), the first-such robot ever sent to space.

Unlike the Star Wars droid character of the same nickname, R2 has arms and a head but no legs and will be used to learn how robots perform in zero gravity with the goal of eventually using them alongside or in place of humans in complicated activities.

The new room to be installed on the US part of the ISS was built by the Italian Space Agency and has been in space before in a different capacity, as the Leonardo cargo module. NASA, which owns the module, has converted it to become a lasting part of the station, known as the Permanent Multipurpose Logistics Module. It will be delivered full of cargo, and astronauts will eventually use it as an extra room for storage or to conduct experiments.

Discovery is bringing aloft an Express Logistics Carrier, which will be attached to the outside of the station and be used to hold spare parts.

"It's pretty exciting that the Discovery is going to take up the last major US module to the station," shuttle program manager John Shannon told reporters. "We are making good on our promise that we would get the space station in the absolute best configuration before we retired the shuttle."

Two spacewalks are planned for the mission. During the first, astronauts Tim Kopra and Alvin Drew will move a failed ammonia cooling pump removed on an earlier mission and install a power extension cable and camera equipment.

On the second spacewalk, they will remove covers from the spare- parts carrier and do other repair work.

Once Discovery and its six-member crew return to Earth, NASA won't be quite done with the spacecraft. First they want to take it apart and look inside - there are pieces that haven't been examined since they were installed more than 30 years ago.

Shannon says he hopes the autopsy will provide guidance as NASA moves to create its next generation of long-distance spacecraft.

"Even after Discovery lands, we will not be done learning about the space environment," he said.

NASA has long planned to retire the aging shuttle fleet, and the last flight is currently set for February.

President Barack Obama, however, prompted criticism earlier this year when he scuttled long-term plans to return to the moon and, instead, ordered a change in focus to commercial space flight and sending NASA astronauts to an asteroid and later Mars.

His vision was approved by Congress last month but must now be backed up with money, which remains uncertain in times of tight government budgets.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351180,discovery-take-final-bow.html.

US shuttle Discovery launch rescheduled for Wednesday

Sun, 31 Oct 2010

Washington - The planned final flight next week of the US space shuttle Discovery has been postponed until Wednesday to allow engineers ample time to test repairs made after a leak was detected in the craft, space agency NASA said late Saturday.

Discovery was first slated to launch on Monday afternoon for its last flight. The takeoff was first rescheduled for Tuesday but is now planned for 3:52 pm (1952 GMT) Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral, Florida.

NASA technicians had discovered helium and nitrogen leaks in one of the shuttle's engine pods.

Discovery is the oldest spacecraft in the US shuttle fleet and will be the first to be officially retired after this final mission, an 11-day trip to the orbiting International Space Station with six astronauts aboard.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351179,discovery-launch-rescheduled-wednesday.html.

US shuttle Discovery launch postponed due to leak

Fri, 29 Oct 2010

Washington - The final flight next week of the US space shuttle Discovery has been postponed at least one day after engineers discovered a leak in the craft, space agency NASA said in a statement Friday.

The Discovery shuttle had been slated to launch on Monday afternoon for its last flight. The take-off has been tentatively rescheduled for 4:17 pm (2017 GMT) Tuesday.

NASA said its managers were meeting Friday to consider ways of repairing helium and nitrogen leaks in one of the shuttle's engine pods.

Discovery is the oldest craft in the US space shuttle fleet and will be the first to be officially retired after this final mission, an 11-day trip to the International Space Station.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351039,us-shuttle-discovery-launch-postponed-due-to-leak.html.

NASA green lights Discovery launch

Mon, 25 Oct 2010

Washington - NASA has given the green light to the launch of Discovery on November 1 after resolving a problem associated with a small fuel leak.

Discovery, which will be making its last voyage to space as NASA winds down the space shuttle program, was cleared for blastoff at 2040 GMT after completing a flight readiness review, the space agency said Monday.

NASA engineers drained a fuel line and replaced two seals to ensure a leak would not persist.

NASA is planning at least one more launch of a space shuttle after Discovery some time next year and has not ruled out a second flight.

Discovery will be carrying the last US module to the International Space Station, designed provide additional storage and laboratory space. Discovery will bring additional spare cargo and a new, different kind of resident - the first human-like robot in space, called Robonaut 2 (R2).

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/350339,green-lights-discovery-launch.html.

Discovery due for landing after ISS mission - Update

Washington - The space shuttle Discovery is slated to land Monday at Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral, Florida, completing a mission that saw three spacewalks at the International Space Station (ISS).

The US space agency NASA expects the orbiter to land at 10:27 am (1427 GMT), after bad weather pushed back the originally scheduled 8:48 am landing time.

Discovery undocked Saturday from the ISS after installing a new ammonia tank and delivering experiments and other gear.

Last week, NASA extended Discovery's mission by one day to allow the crew to inspect the shuttle's heat shield while still docked at the ISS. The inspection raised no concerns for safety on reentry.

The US space agency is scheduled to retire the aging space shuttle fleet later this year after three remaining missions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319453,discovery-due-for-landing-after-iss-mission--update.html.

Discovery undocks from ISS, heads for home

Washington - The space shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station on Saturday and headed home after a mission to install a new ammonia tank and deliver experiments and other gear.

The Discovery astronauts completed three spacewalks to install the ammonia tank to the station's cooling system. But a problem with a stuck valve needed to get the tank operating caused problems and NASA briefly considered adding a fourth spacewalk to fix it.

The space agency eventually decided the tank could operate as it is temporarily and that the problem can be solved later without another spacewalk on this mission.

Last week NASA extended Discovery's mission by one day to allow the crew to inspect the shuttle's heat shield while still docked at the ISS. The inspection found no problems with the shuttle.

Discovery is now slated to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday at 8:54 am (1254 GMT).

The US space agency is scheduled to retire the aging space shuttle fleet later this year after three remaining missions.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/319217,discovery-undocks-from-iss-heads-for-home.html.

Discovery mission extended

Washington - The US space agency NASA on Saturday extended by one day space shuttle Discovery's mission at the International Space Station.

The move was made to allow an inspection of Discovery's heat shield while the craft is still docked at the International Space Station.

Discovery is now slated to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 19 at 8:54 am (1254 GMT).

The inspection has been standard procedure since the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on reentry into the Earth's atmosphere in 2003 after its heat shield was damaged.

The inspection is usually done after the shuttle undocks from the ISS, but problems with the Discovery's system that transmits videos from the shuttle back to Earth prompted NASA to do the check before leaving the ISS.

NASA is scheduled to retire its fleet of aging space shuttles later this year, with just three more flights after Discovery aimed at transporting big ticket items to the space station. But the agency has indicated that flights could extend into early 2011 if delays are necessary.

Discovery has brought a new ammonia tank for the station's cooling system that astronauts are installing in a series of three spacewalks and an Italian-made equipment carrier. The next spacewalk is to begin early Sunday.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318040,discovery-mission-extended.html.

Discovery shuttle docks with ISS space station - Summary

Washington- The US space shuttle Discovery completed docking operations with the International Space Station Wednesday morning, starting nine days where the two will be conjoined in orbit.

The docking occurred at 0744 GMT, completed successfully despite the Discovery's loss of an antenna normally used in docking procedures. However, the vessel carries redundant systems, which prevented any major problems.

The Discovery took off Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with seven astronauts on board for a planned 13-day flight, which is to be followed by only three more shuttle missions before the aging fleet of spacecraft is retired.

The US space agency NASA's goal is to retire the shuttles by September, but routine delays caused by weather and technical problems could put the final flight into early 2011.

Discovery is carrying more than 12 tons of equipment. Much of the load is destined for research, and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has nicknamed the mission "Experiment Express."

Discovery is carrying the Italian-built Leonardo container, which has been loaded with a small fitness studio for the space station crew, an observation module with cameras and sensors, and numerous scientific instruments for experiments.

On arrival at the space station, Leonardo is to be removed from the shuttle and parked outside for unloading during the nine days before Discovery is to decouple from the space station for its return flight.

Three spacewalks are planned, each for more than six hours. Tasks include detaching a Japanese experimental apparatus now mounted on the outside frame of the station and bringing it inside.

Discovery is scheduled to return to Earth on April 18.

After the shuttle program ends, the only transport for astronauts to the space station will be Russia's Soyuz capsules. Russia operates unmanned cargo spacecraft separately from human transports, but those vessels can carry only a fraction of the shuttle's payload.

On Friday, a Soyuz launched from the Russian Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with one US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts on board. The crew of three docked Sunday with the space station to begin six months there.

The final shuttle missions are carrying as many heavy replacement parts and instruments as possible to the space station.

Chronic problems with fuel tanks and sensors have often delayed takeoff of the three remaining craft - Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavor. Two shuttles, Colombia and Challenger, exploded during re- entry and takeoff, respectively, killing all astronauts on board.

The shuttles have been flying for three decades.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317451,discovery-shuttle-docks-with-iss-space-station--summary.html.

Shuttle Discovery launches in journey to ISS

The US space shuttle Discovery has blasted off to join the International Space Station in the Earth's orbit to haul equipments and resources.

The lift-off occurred as scheduled on Monday before sunrise at the Kennedy space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 6:21 am (1021 GMT).

The shuttle Discovery, on its final mission before retirement at the end of 2010, set a record for carrying the most women in space as it took three women to join the ISS crew.

Another woman is already at the space station.

The astronauts are expected to conduct three spacewalks, to make repairs on the station and retrieve an experiment.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=122529§ionid=3510208.