The space shuttle Discovery landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Space Shuttle Discovery landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a 15-day mission and 238 orbits of Earth. Discovery’s main gear touched down at 13:08:35 GMT, followed by the nose gear at 13:08:47 GMT and wheelstop at 13:09:33 GMT.
The space shuttle Discovery is seen as it lands at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Discovery and the STS-131 mission crew, Commander Alan G. Poindexter, Pilot James P. Dutton Jr. and Mission Specialists Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Clayton Anderson and Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki returned from their mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
STS-131 was the 131st space shuttle mission, the 38th for Discovery and the 33rd shuttle mission to the International Space Station. It was the second flight of 2010. It is Discovery’s penultimate mission; its last flight is STS-133, targeted for Sept. 16.
Homecoming The space shuttle Discovery is seen as it lands at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Discovery and the STS-131 mission crew--Commander Alan G. Poindexter, pilot James P. Dutton Jr. and mission specialists Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Clayton Anderson and Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki--returned from their mission to the International Space Station - Credit: Naoki KASHIWADANI
STS-128 launch ascent flight control team video replay:
STS-128 launch from T-9 minutes to the Main Engine Cut-off (MECO):
Detailed launch time line between T-31s and MECO is available in my launch post.
For Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-128 17A) launch photos visit my twitter feed gallery
Information about out about visible ISS and shuttle passes at your location is available from heavens-above.
The ground track of ISS with its current position - The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's shadow, and the full part is where it is sunlit - Source: Heavens-Above.com
The ground track of Space Shuttle Discovery with its current position - The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the orbiter is in the earth's shadow, and the full part is where it is sunlit - Source: Heavens-Above.com
Update 3 STS-128 launch ascent flight control team video replay:
Update 2
Viewed from the Banana River Viewing Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery arcs through a cloud-brushed sky, lighted by the trail of fire after launch on the STS-128 mission - Photo Credit: NASA/Ben Cooper
Update 1: NASA Kennedy YouTube channel now has the launch video in SD.
Discovery's External Tank with the Moon in the background - Image Source: NASA TV
03:59:06 UTC @ T-00:31 – Auto-sequence start. Discovery’s on-board computers have primary control of all vehicle’s critical functions.
03:59:22 UTC @ T-00:15 – The Sound Suppression Water System has been activated to protect Discovery and the launch pad from acoustical energy and rocket exhaust reflected from the flame trench and Mobile Launcher Platform during launch.
Sound Suppression Water System has been activated - Source: NASA TV
03:59:28 UTC @ T-00:09 – The hydrogen burn-off system begins to eliminate free hydrogen exhausted into the main engine nozzles during the start sequence to prevent small, but potentially dangerous, explosions when the main engines ignite.
The hydrogen burn-off system activated - Source: NASA TV
03:59:30 UTC @ T-00:06.6 (and 06.48, 06.36) – The three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) start.
Space Shuttle Main Engines start - Source: NASA TV
Solid Rocket Boosters ignition - Source: NASA TV
03:59:37 UTC @ T-00:00 – Lift-off. Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) ignition and lift-off of the Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-128 17A mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This is Discovery’s 37th flight overall and the 30th mission to the ISS. The seven crew members of STS-128, commanded by NASA veteran Frederick W. Sturckow (STS-88, STS-105, STS-117), will stay in space 12 days 18 hours and 9 minutes and are scheduled land at the Kennedy Space Center at 23:09 UTC on September 10. Mission Specialists John “Danny” Olivas, Christer Fuglesang and Nicole Stott will combined for total of 19.5 hours during 3 planned spacewalks (EVA) on flight days 5, 7 and 9.
Space Shuttle Discovery liftoff - Source: NASA TV
~04:00:22 UTC @ ~T+00:45 – The shuttle passed Mach 1 while the engines were throttling down before Max-Q (the point of the greatest dynamic pressure)
04:01:40 UTC @ T+02:03 – Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) separation. Discovery is at the altitude of 45 km, 40 km down range from the KSC, traveling at 5800 km/h (Mach 4).
04:02:07 UTC @ T+02:30 – 2 engine Moron. Discovery can now reach the Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) site in Moron in the case of a single engine failure.
04:03:30 UTC @ T+03:53 – Negative Return – Discovery has used too much fuel and is traveling too fast, too high and is too far to return to the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for a potential Return To Launch Site (RTLS) abort.
04:04:32 UTC @ T+04:55 – Press to ATO select Istres – Discovery could now reach a safe 195 by 157 km orbit with two Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) throttled at Typical Mission Power Level (104.5%) in case of a single SSME failure. Should one of the engines fail the crew could execute the Abort To Orbit (ATO) maneuver (in case of TAL abort, the landing facility in Istres, France would be used).
04:05:03 UTC @ T+05:26 – Single Engine OPS-3 – Discovery could now reach the designated TAL site with a single engine at Full Power Level (FPL), i.e 109% throttle, should two of the SSME’s fail.
04:05:48 UTC @ T+06:11 – Press to MECO (Main Engine Cut-off) and Single Engine Istres 104 – Discovery can now reach planned orbit in case of a single SSME failure and the Istres TAL site on a single engine at 104.5% throttle.
~04:06:34 UTC @ T+06:57 – Nominal shut down plan. Go for the plus X, no go for the pitch – The shuttle has reach the planned elliptical orbit (before circularization) and no correction by the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) is necessary (OMS-1 not required). After the External Tank (ET) separation (SEP) the orbiter’s Reaction Control System (RCS) will execute a negative Z (in the direction up through the roof) translation maneuver to move the orbiter away from the ET. The “no go for the pitch” refers to the ET Photo maneuver, which is a pitch around of the orbiter that allows the crew to take pictures of the tank out of the overhead windows. Because of the time of the launch, at ET SEP the orbiter will be in the darkness of the Earth’s shadow so ET photography would not yield useful data.
04:06:46 UTC @ T+07:09 – Single engine press 104 – Discovery can now reach planned orbit on a single engine at 104.5% throttle in case of two main engine failure.
04:08:01 UTC @ T+08:24 - The Main Engine Cut-off (MECO), zero thrust (at T+08:35). Discovery has reach the planned orbit and is schedule to dock with the International Space Station on Flight Day 4.
04:08:01 UTC @ T+08:35 – External Tank (ET) separation.
External Tank separation - Source: NASA TV
~04:09:22 UTC @ T+09:45 – Nominal MECO, OMS-1 not required.
Seated are NASA astronauts Rick Sturckow (right), commander; and Kevin Ford, pilot. From the left (standing) are astronauts Jose Hernandez, John “Danny” Olivas, Nicole Stott, European Space Agency’s Christer Fuglesang and Patrick Forrester - Photo Source: NASA
STS-128 is the first spaceflight for the shuttle pilot Kevin Ford, the flight engineer for launch and landing Jose Hernandez and the flight engineer for Expedition 20 and 21 Nicole Stott who will take the place of Astronaut Time Kopra aboard the station until her return home in November aboard STS-129.
The STS-128 mission will deliver to the station the Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier and the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (Leonardo), whose main purpose is to assist with establishing a six-man crew capacity by providing extra supplies and equipment to the station, and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC) with Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA).
The Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, so named for comedian Stephen Colbert, will be transferred to the station on flight day 5 and set up after Discovery undocks from the station. Stephen Colbert himself, recorded a message for NASA (watch the video below)…
Every mission carries out Detailed Test Objectives (DTO’s). STS-128 has 5 planned DTO’s. One of them, the Boundary Transition Layer, will be the second phase of an experiment commenced on STS-119 in March this year.
Boundary Layer Transition is a process occurring during the shuttle re-entry as the smooth air flow along the shuttle’s heat shield becomes turbulent. The experiment will measure the heat difference between the air flow using sensors (thermometers) installed in particular tiles on the shield. A protuberance tile with a quarter inch (0.9cm) “speed bump” has been installed on Discovery’s heat shield. The tile will intentionally disrupt the smooth air flow and allow data gathering at Mach 18 during the re-entry.
Space Shuttle During Re-Entry - Source: NASA
24/7 coverage of the STS-128 mission will be available on NASA TV. You can also follow the Space Shuttle Discovery and the ISS in real time through NASA’s real time tracking. Information about out about visible ISS passes at your location is available from heavens-above.
The ground track of ISS with its current position - The dashed part of the orbit path shows where the satellite is in the earth's shadow, and the full part is where it is sunlit - Source: Heavens-Above.com
The next mission to the ISS will be STS-129 planned to launch on November 12 at 21:11 UTC. The Space Shuttle Atlantis will deliver two large External Logistics Carriers holding various instruments for the station.
Discovery next flight is scheduled for March 18, 2010. The STS-131 mission (assembly flight 19A) will deliver the the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. The mission will also attach a spare ammonia tank assembly outside the station and return a European experiment that has been outside the Columbus module.
Space shuttle Discovery is poised for liftoff on the STS-128 mission. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder
At 22:52 UTC another launch attempt of the Space Shuttle Discovery has been scrubbed after the fill-and-drain valve inside space shuttle Discovery’s aft compartment developed a problem during the External Tank (ET) tanking. STS-128 Flight Director Pete Nikolenko gave the order to stop the taking of ET with liquid hydrogen after the fill-and-drain value failed to close when instructed. The valve is actually two valves in series, one outboard and one inboard. Both need to be closed for the flight, but if they malfunction in the closed state, NASA would not be able to drain the tank (after a scrub or a delay).
Although the next launch windows open on Thursday at 04:42:49 UTC (with preferred launch time at 04:47:49) and on Friday at 04:17:07 UTC (launch targeted for 04:22:07), the date and time of the next launch attempt are currently unknown. NASA engineers need to first gather data and to determine whether there was an actual problem with the valve itself or a faulty indicator was the culprit tonight.
Space Shuttle Discovery on the Launch Pad 39-A as the liquid oxygen starts to flow into the External Tank - Image Source: NASA TV
Update: Despite several launch windows with favorable ISS orbit alignment in the following days, Discovery’s last day to attempt the launch before mid-October is August 31 (at 03:11:21 UTC). Once the August 31 window closes (at 03:16:21 UTC) Discovery wouldn’t be able to undock before the Japanese and Russion missions arrive at the ISS.
At 05:25 UTC NASA’s launch director Pete Nickolenko coordinating with the Mission Management Team (MMT) called off today’s launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor on the STS-128 mission due inclement weather at the Kennedy Space Center. The teams will execute a 24 hour scrub turnaround procedure and attempt another launch tomorrow. The launch window tomorrow will open at 05:05:21 UTC and close at 05:15:21 UTC; the target time launch time is at 05:10:21 UTC . The most recent weather forecast predicts 70% chance of acceptable weather conditions.
Tough luck COLBRET, you’ll need to wait (at least) one more day.
Space shuttle Discovery is ready for liftoff on the STS-128 mission - Photo Source: NASA TV
UPDATE 2: Atlantis landing HD photos now available on NASA website.
Atlantis and the crew of the STS-125 mission landed safely in California at Edwards Air Force Base after completing the Hubble Servicing Mission - Source: NASA/Carla Thomas
Today at 15:39:05 UTC, the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed on Runway 22 at the Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California, ending a 13-day mission – the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). During the five spacewalks (EVA’s) the crew installed new instruments and thermal blankets, repaired two existing instruments, refurbished subsystems and replaced gyroscopes, batteries and a unit that stores and transmits science data to Earth, extending HST’s operational lifespan through at least 2014.
In the following days that space shuttle will be ferried back to Florida aboard a shuttle carrier aircraft, which is a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis is scheduled to go the ISS two more times before the shuttle program ends in 2010. The STS-129 will deliver the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 1 and 2 to the station in November 2009 and the STS-132 will bring the Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) and the Mini Research Module (MRM1) in May 2010.
About 2 hours before the 2nd and 3rd landing opportunities (one in California and one in Florida during the orbit #197) NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson took off in the Shuttle Training Aircraft from Edwards in California to evaluate weather conditions for a possible landing at the Edwards Air Force Base. The plane is equipped with the same instruments as the space shuttle and the computers on board can adjust the plane’s maneuverability to mimic that of the space shuttle during landing.
Astronaut Chris Ferguson flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft to assess conditions for landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California - Source: NASA TV
Entry Team led by Norman Knight discussing landing opportunities during orbit #197 - Source: NASA TV
At 14:03 UTC the Mission Control waved off the opportunity for landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Cape Canaveral in Florida due to poor weather. The entry team worked extremely hard to bring Atlantis to KSC, but the weather was too dynamic in Florida to make a call an hour and half before landing. At 14:09 UTC Atlantis got a “go” for the de-orbit burn to land at the Edwards AFB in California. Astronaut Chris Ferguson flying the Shuttle Training Aircraft reported pristine weather conditions throughout the area, i.e. “a beautiful day in the desert”.
STS-125 ground track for landing at Edwards AFB in California - Source: NASA TV
The crew executed the de-orbit burn at 15:24:41 UTC lasting 2 minutes and 36 seconds slowing the orbiter down by about 0.14 km/sand changing its orbit from 566km by 302km to 566km by 48km. The “no action” glitch on the auxiliary power unit (APU) #2 caused by elevated pressure in the drain line but was of no concern for the landing. In the next few minutes the shuttle was rotated nose forward for the entry sequence.
At the entry phase of flight which begins approximately five minutes before entry interface (EI), the orbiter was at an altitude of about 170km traveling at 7.7km/s. The EI started at an altitude of 121.6 km when Atlantis was in the range of 7,869 km the landing site.
Veteran astronaut Scott Altman flew the orbiter on manual control for the past 10 minutes. He executed a wide and sweeping 200-degree left-overhead over the Mojave Desert to position the shuttle on the north-east to south-west approach to land Runway 22.
Atlantis from the long range camera at Edwards - Source: NASA TV
Atlantis in a wide 200-degrees left U-turn - Source: NASA TV
Atlantis 1000m above the ground - Source: NASA TV
Atlantis landing gear's out - Source: NASA TV
Atlantis rear gear touchdown - Source: NASA TV
Atlantis nose gear touchdown - Source: NASA TV
The next space shuttle mission STS-127 is the 32nd construction flight of the International Space Station (ISS) and the final of a series of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japanese Kibo laboratory complex. The facility will provide a type of “front porch” for experiments in the exposed environment, and a robotic arm that will be attached to the Kibo Pressurized Module and used to position experiments outside the station. The 29th shuttle mission to the ISS will last about 16 days and includes five spacewalks (EVAs). The space shuttle Endeavour is targeted to launch at 11:17 UTC on June 13, 2009 from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on its 23rd mission to the station.
Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, these seven astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-127 crew portrait - Source: NASA
STS-127 is a bit special for me as a Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette, to whom I had the privilege to talk as she visited my high school, United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy, will be aboard Endeavour as a mission specialist for her second visit to the ISS.
