Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:27:44 GMT

The seven astronauts from space shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission are back home in Houston. The STS-119 crew took off from NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in small commuter jets NASA uses at about 1:45 p.m. EDT on Sunday afternoon. The astronauts are scheduled to take part in the traditional Crew Return Ceremony at NASA Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field at about 5 p.m. EDT.

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:07:41 GMT

The seven astronauts from space shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission are back home in Houston. The STS-119 crew took off from NASA Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in small commuter jets NASA uses at about 1:45 p.m. EDT this afternoon. The astronauts are scheduled to take part in the traditional Crew Return Ceremony at NASA Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field at about 5 p.m. EDT.

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:15:19 GMT

Excitement and a sense of accomplishment was evident among the Discovery crew members as they spoke with the media after landing today.

Commander Lee Archambault introduced five of the seven members of the STS-119 mission crew. Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus remained at crew quarters accompanied by Richard Arnold.

Archambault described the demanding mission that included three spacewalks to install the S6 truss increasing the electrical capability of the station, and how well space shuttle Discovery handled throughout the mission.

"It was an exciting mission … and we're very happy to be back at the Kennedy Space Center," Archambault said.

Archambault also mentioned the call from President Barack Obama and how honored the crew at the station was to speak with him and answer his questions.

Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba said he was amazed at the views from the space station.

"It was kind of surreal to look out the window and see your two buddies out there that you've been training with for a long time and see them out there…it was a special moment," said Acaba.

As Pilot Tony Antonelli maneuvered Discovery away from the station other crew members snapped some amazing shots of the orbiting outpost that they said will stay with them for a long time.

"We worked a long time training for this mission and I was so proud to be a part of it," said Mission Specialist Steve Swanson.

The crew is expected fly back to Houston's Ellington Field Sunday. After arrival they'll be honored with a homecoming celebration for the successful STS-119 mission.

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:05:29 GMT

NASA officials congratulated the entire mission team for an extraordinary effort put forth for the successful launch of Discovery and achievements of the STS-119 mission.

NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier expressed his appreciation to the international teams working together to accomplish a very ambitious mission integrating hardware made in different countries that work together."It really took all the countries working together to pull this off," Gerstenmaier said. "I also can't say enough about the people that work on the shuttle," referring to the enormous effort to prepare the shuttle and resolve the issues that delayed the launch.

NASA Space Shuttle Program Deputy Manager LeRoy Cain remarked how extremely well the teams worked together on a very complex mission. "I think we left the station in a configuration we can all be very proud of. It's an amazing team that makes these missions happen," said Cain. "There isn't anything that this team can't accomplish."

NASA Launch Director Mike Leinbach congratulated the team for how well Discovery performed. "It's good to have Discovery home, it looks great," said Leinbach. "The crew was ecstatic about how it performed on orbit, and we're ready to get on with the next one."

Leinbach was referring to the next two space shuttles being prepared: Atlantis for the STS-125 Hubble Servicing mission and Endeavour's STS-127 mission to the International Space Station.

Discovery is home at Kennedy Space Center after traveling more than 5.3 million miles during its STS-119 mission. The orbiter spent eight days docked to the International Space Station, leaving behind Japan's first long-duration space flyer, astronaut Koichi Wakata, and adding more power capability to the station. Discovery returned to Earth with astronaut Sandra Magnus, who spent 134 days aboard the orbiting outpost. STS-119 was the 36th flight for Discovery and the 125th of the Space Shuttle Program. Today's landing is the 70th at Kennedy. - courtesy of NASA

Discovery's crew will go to sleep at 8:13 p.m. Following wake up on Saturday, they will begin deorbit preparations at 7:33 a.m. Discovery will fire its engines at 11:33 a.m. to begin the descent to Florida. A second opportunity is available if needed for Discovery to land at Kennedy on Saturday, beginning with a deorbit burn engine firing at 1:08 p.m. leading to a 2:14 p.m. touchdown. - NASA

While their crewmates begin stowing items in the crew cabin this morning, Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Flight Engineer Steve Swanson will check out Discovery's flight control surfaces, which guide the orbiter's unpowered flight through the atmosphere, and test fire the reaction control system thrusters, which control the shuttle's orientation as it begins its re-entry through the atmosphere. - NASA

Discovery's crew is on its way home after today's final inspection of the thermal protection system, which began around 9:28 a.m. CDT. Pilot Tony Antonelli used the shuttle's robotic arm to grapple the Orbiter Boom Sensor System enabling the cameras and laser sensors to scan Discovery for signs of damage from orbital debris. The five-hour inspection included the nose cap and wing leading edges. - NASA

A last inspection of the thermal protection system is the order of the day for the crew members on board space shuttle Discovery as they make their way home to Earth. - NASA

Tomorrow, the crew will wake at 5:13 a.m. CDT and perform a late inspection of Discovery's thermal protection system using the shuttle robotic arm and the Orbital Boom Sensor System around 9:28 a.m. This procedure will last for approximately five hours before the OBSS and arm are then berthed in Discovery's payload bay around 2:43 p.m. - NASA

The shuttle and station crew members will take care of the final transfers of equipment and supplies this morning, including leaving a 12th container of water on the station, moving two spacesuits back to Discovery and transferring two double cold bags containing temperature-sensitive experiment samples to the shuttle for return to Earth. - NASA

The stage is set for Discovery to undock from the station at 2:53 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, after the crew bids farewell to its temporary home and the Expedition 18 crew, leaving behind Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and bringing home Sandy Magnus after four months aboard the station. - NASA

The shuttle and station crew members will spend the first half of their day on supplies and equipment transfers between the two vehicles ahead of hatch closing and the scheduled undocking of Discovery at 2:53 p.m. CDT (19:53 UT) tomorrow. - NASA

The International Space Station is ready for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission in a few months now that spacewalking astronauts have completed all of the mandatory tasks in preparation for its crew size growth to six and the addition of the Japanese exposed facility. - NASA

Readying the International Space Station for a larger crew by moving an equipment cart and completing the deployment of a cargo carrier will be the hub of today's activities outside the station for the third and final spacewalk by Discovery's astronauts. - NASA

Mission Specialists Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold prepared tools and equipment for their spacewalk tomorrow - the third and final planned during Discovery's visit to the station. They also began an overnight 'campout' in the Quest airlock, to condition their bodies ahead of the spacewalk set to begin at 10:43 CDT on Monday. - NASA

In the latter portion of the day, the crews will turn attention to preparations for the third spacewalk of the mission, on Monday. Difficulties installing a cargo carrier attachment system to the P3 truss segment during Saturday's spacewalk kept Swanson and Acaba from completing all the tasks on that timeline. The plan for Monday's spacewalk is under review to ensure that the highest priority tasks for spacewalks on this flight will be completed before Discovery undocks on Wednesday. - NASA

The STS-119 mission of space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station approached the halfway point, with focus today on the second spacewalk to prepare the complex for future assembly flights, and arrival in the fall of a new cargo-carrying spacecraft - Japan's H-II Transfer Vehicle. - NASA

The second spacewalk of the first space shuttle mission of the year begins today on board a space station with two new solar array wings ready to start supplying electricity. - NASA

This evening, Mission Specialists Steve Swanson and Joseph Acaba will prepare the Quest airlock for their spacewalk set to begin just before noon Saturday. The spacewalk will focus on preparing worksites for future missions including Endeavour's STS-127 mission and the arrival of the newest cargo vehicle - the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). - NASA

The International Space Station's new solar array wings will spread today, doubling the electric power available to conduct world-class science research in the laboratory modules supplied by countries from around the world. - NASA

The International Space Station's 335-foot-long truss, or backbone, is complete after astronauts aboard space shuttle Discovery and the station teamed with Mission Control to install the final 45-foot-long segment to the farthest starboard point of the station. Next up is Friday's deployment of the two solar array wings - each stretching 115 feet. - NASA

Mission Specialists Steve Swanson and Richard Arnold spent the night in the station's Quest airlock at reduced atmospheric pressure to accelerate their preparations for today's 6.5-hour spacewalk. Later this morning after a hygiene break, station Commander Mike Fincke and shuttle Pilot Tony Antonelli will help them get into their spacesuits. - NASA

As the crew prepared for the first spacewalk to assist with the truss installation, Mission Control radioed that no further inspection of Discovery's heat shield is necessary clearing the way for an earlier deployment of the solar wings Friday. Late today, imagery analysts along with the Damage Assessment Team in Mission Control determined Discovery's heat shield is healthy for reentry next week. A final routine inspection of the shuttle's wing leading edge panels will be conducted after Discovery leaves the station to ensure their health. - NASA

At 10:18 a.m. CDT, Mission Specialists John Phillips and Sandra Magnus start the procedure to command the station's Canadarm2 to grapple S6 and lift it out of the shuttle's payload bay, where Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialist Joseph Acaba are waiting for a handoff to the shuttle's robot arm. - NASA

The Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station at 4:20 p.m. CDT, delivering the final truss segment and pair of U.S. solar arrays and a new crew member to take up residence aboard the growing orbital scientific complex.e shuttle on course to close the last eight miles to the station over the subsequent orbit. - NASA

By 10:38 a.m. CDT, shuttle Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialist John Phillips will step into the rendezvous timeline for a series of engine firings to refine the orbiter's pursuit of the station. The terminal initiation burn of Discovery's engines is scheduled for 1:35 p.m., setting the shuttle on course to close the last eight miles to the station over the subsequent orbit. - NASA

Space Shuttle Discovery's first full day in space focused on an up close inspection of its wing leading edge panels using the robotic arm and Orbiter Boom Sensor System extension. Combined with video documentation on launch day and photographs taken by the International Space Station crew when Discovery approaches on Tuesday afternoon, imagery experts will analyze the photographs and video to assess the health of the shuttle's Thermal Protection System for reentry. - NASA

Antonelli joins Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba and John Phillips to begin inspection of critical elements of Discovery's heat shield. The astronauts use the shuttle robot arm to lift the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) from the starboard sill of the payload bay and move it into position to examine the reinforced carbon-carbon panels that line the leading edges of both wings and the orbiter's nose cap. - NASA

Space shuttle Discovery blasted off Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center on the first shuttle flight of the year, lighting up the skies along the Eastern seaboard on a mission to deliver a fourth and final set of U.S. solar arrays that will put the International Space Station into full-power status. - NASA

Live coverage of the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-119 to the International Space Station.

Launch controllers found no signs of a leak when they opened the valve that releases evaporating hydrogen from Discovery's external fuel tank into a system that carries it safely away from the shuttle. With the fueling of the tank going well, the countdown is proceeding toward an on-time liftoff of Discovery on STS-119 this evening at 7:43 p.m.

15:07 EDT/ 19:07 UT: Discovery, Weather Looking Good For Launch NASA managers said on Saturday that space shuttle Discovery is ready for Sunday's launch opportunity as repairs on a leaking gaseous hydrogen vent line are moving along smoothly.

10:52 EDT/14:52 UT: Repairs Work Proceeds - Weather Forecast is Good Repairs are under way on the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) interface, where gaseous hydrogen leaked during Wednesday's launch attempt. The interface then will be retested and leak checked before Sunday's 7:43 p.m. launch attempt. The Mission Management Team will meet on Saturday at 1 [...]

Technicians had their first up-close look this afternoon at the gaseous hydrogen vent line that began leaking during the countdown to Wednesday night's launch attempt. The leak prompted a postponement of the STS-119 launch of space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Today's inspection has set a course for repair options that would allow another [...]

Space shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station now is targeted for no earlier than March 15. NASA managers postponed Wednesday's planned liftoff due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. - NASA

Commander Lee Archambault and Pilot Tony Antonelli took turns landing the Shuttle training aircraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to practice landing Space Shuttle Discovery in a couple weeks. - NASA

At the STS-119 mission management's morning news conference, the team reported the weather for launch is looking very good, and there are no technical issues unresolved. The next milestone in Discovery's preparation is fuel cell loading this afternoon at 3 p.m. EDT. - NASA

The crew members for the STS-119 mission pose for a photo after arriving at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for launch. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett Commander Lee Archambault will lead Discovery's crew of seven, along with Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard [...]

With Discovery set for liftoff on March 11 at 9:20 p.m. EDT, the countdown clock will begin at the T-43 hour mark at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Earlier the same day, Discovery's astronauts are scheduled fly from their home base in Houston, arriving mid-afternoon in Florida. Discovery's launch date was announced following Friday's Flight Readiness Review. - NASA

NASA managers completed a review on Friday of Space Shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight, and selected the official launch date for the STS-119 mission. Commander Lee Archambault and his six crewmates are now scheduled to lift off to the International Space Station at 9:20 p.m. EDT on March 11. - NASA

NASA will hold a news conference on Friday, March 6, following a review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and an assessment of shuttle flow control valve testing and inspection. The news conference will begin no earlier than 2:30 p.m. EST at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight readiness review meeting is expected to set an official launch date for the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. For planning purposes, liftoff now is tentatively targeted for March 11 at 9:20 p.m. EDT. - NASA

NASA will hold a news conference on Friday, March 6, following a review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and an assessment of shuttle flow control valve testing and inspection. The news conference will begin no earlier than 2:30 p.m. EST at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight readiness review meeting is expected to set an official launch date for the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. For planning purposes, liftoff now is tentatively targeted for March 11 at 9:20 p.m. EDT. - NASA

Space enthusiasts from across the United States and around the world are invited to submit questions about Space Shuttle Discovery's upcoming launch, its STS-119 mission to the International Space Station, and NASA space exploration. Questions may be answered on NASA Television during the countdown to launch. Questions can be submitted online...

NASA's Space Shuttle Program has established a plan that could support shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station, tentatively targeted for March 12. An exact target launch date will be determined as work progresses with the shuttle's three gaseous hydrogen flow control valves.[...]

NASA managers have asked technicians at Kennedy Space Center to remove the three gaseous hydrogen flow control valves from space shuttle Discovery.Work continues in evaluation of test data in an effort to gather enough information to finalize a plan setting a new target launch date for the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station.[...]

In a unique event, NASA and Channel One News will offer students the opportunity to ask questions of the next space shuttle crew. The crew includes two former science teachers, Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold, who are now fully-trained NASA astronauts. They will make their first journey into orbit on shuttle Discovery's upcoming mission to the International Space Station, currently targeted to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than Feb. 27. - NASA

During a thorough review of space shuttle Discovery’s readiness for flight, NASA managers decided Friday that more data and possible testing are required before launching the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station.  Engineering teams have been working to identify what caused damage to a flow control valve on shuttle Endeavour during its November 2008 [...]

NASA will hold a news conference on Friday, February 20, following a review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and an assessment of shuttle flow control valve testing. An official launch date for the STS-119 mission has not been set, but for planning purposes, liftoff now is targeted for no earlier than February 27.
 
The new planning date is not expected to affect the launch dates for missions that will follow Discovery's flight, STS-125 to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and STS-127 to the International Space Station.

After reaching its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery now awaits its next major milestone for the upcoming STS-119 mission. A launch dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, is scheduled to take place at Kennedy from Jan. 19 to 21. Discovery arrived at Launch Pad 39A at [...]

Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, January 14, as preparations for the STS-119 mission move forward. Discovery is targeted to lift off on February 12 to the International Space Station.  The first motion of the shuttle out of Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building [...]

Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, these seven astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-119 crew portrait. From the right (front row) are NASA astronauts Lee Archambault, commander, and Tony Antonelli, pilot. From the left (back row) are NASA astronauts Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, [...]

NASA has assigned the space shuttle crew for Discovery's STS-119 mission, targeted for launch in the fall of 2008. The flight will deliver the final pair of power- generating solar array wings and truss element to the International Space Station. - NASA