NASA GIVES ‘GO’ FOR FEB. 7 AS FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE NIGHT LAUNCH

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour is set to begin a 13-day flight to the International Space Station with a Feb. 7 launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is planned for 4:39 a.m. EST, making this the final scheduled space shuttle night launch.

Endeavour’s launch date was announced Wednesday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle’s equipment, support systems and procedures are ready.

Endeavour’s flight will begin the final year of space shuttle operations. Five shuttle missions are planned in 2010, with the last flight currently targeted for launch in September.

Endeavour’s mission will include three spacewalks and the delivery of the Tranquility node, the final module of the U.S. portion of the space station. Tranquility will provide additional room for crew members and many of the space station’s life support and environmental control systems. Attached to the node is a cupola, which houses a robotic control station and has seven windows to provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. After the node and cupola are added, the orbiting laboratory will be about 90 percent complete.

Commander George Zamka and his crew of five astronauts are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy at approximately 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, for final launch preparations. Joining Zamka on STS-130 are Pilot Terry Virts and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken. Virts will be making his first trip to space.

STS-130 will be Endeavour’s 24th mission and the 33rd shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information about STS-130, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven
astronauts ended an 11-day journey of nearly 4.5 million miles with a
9:44 a.m. EST landing Friday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in
Florida.

The mission, designated STS-129, included three spacewalks and the
installation of two platforms to the International Space Station’s
truss, or backbone. The platforms hold large spare parts to sustain
station operations after the shuttles are retired. The shuttle crew
delivered about 30,000 pounds of replacement parts for systems that
provide power to the station, keep it from overheating, and maintain
a proper orientation in space.

STS-129 Commander Charlie Hobaugh was joined on Atlantis’ STS-129
mission by Pilot Barry Wilmore and Mission Specialists Leland Melvin,
Randy Bresnik, Mike Foreman and Bobby Satcher. Atlantis returned with
station resident Nicole Stott, who spent 91 days in space. This marks
the final time the shuttle is expected to rotate station crew
members.

A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Monday, Nov. 30, in
Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CST event at
Ellington Field’s NASA Hangar 990. Highlights from the ceremony will
be broadcast on NASA Television’s Video File. For NASA TV downlink
information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

With Atlantis and its crew safely home, the stage is set for launch of
shuttle Endeavour on its STS-130 mission, targeted to begin in
February. Endeavour will deliver a pressurized module, known as
Tranquility, which will provide room for many of the space station’s
life support systems. Attached to the node is a cupola, a robotic
control station with six windows around its sides and another in the
center that provides a 360-degree view around the station.

For more about the STS-129 mission and the upcoming STS-130 flight,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

STS-129 crew members Melvin, Satcher and Stott are providing mission
updates on Twitter. For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social
media Web sites, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/connect

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

With eight days of joint operations between the spacecraft complete, astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station and space shuttle Discovery have bid each other farewell and closed the hatches between them at 11:41 p.m. EDT on Monday and undocked on Tuesday afternoon at 3:26 p.m..

Prior to undocking, the crews completed the last major activity of the joint operation. They exited the Leonardo Multi-purpose Logistics Module, deactivated it and returned it to Discovery’s cargo bay using the station’s robotic arm. Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialist Jose Hernandez operated the arm.

Leonardo is carrying about 2,400 pounds of equipment back to Earth. Discovery’s middeck is transporting about 860 pounds of return items.

Also returning to Earth aboard Discovery, Mission Specialist Tim Kopra bid his Expedition 20 crew mates farewell. Flight Engineer Nicole Stott has taken his place as a long-duration crew member aboard the station.

On Wednesday, space shuttle Discovery’s crew will peform the Flight Control System checkout and the Reaction Control System hot-fire. Landing is scheduled for Thursday at 7:05 p.m. EDT at Kennedy Space Center.

The STS-128 crew completed all its major objectives including three spacewalks, transferring 17,000 pounds of cargo and delivery of three major research facilities.

HOUSTON – The 8 tons of supplies, equipment and science experiments that space shuttle Discovery carried into space are now at the International Space Station and ready to be unpacked.

Using the station’s 50-foot-long robotic arm Monday, STS-128 Pilot Kevin Ford and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Mike Barratt removed the Leonardo multi-purpose logistics module from the shuttle’s cargo bay and installed it onto the station’s Harmony module. Once attached, Mission Specialist Christer Fuglesang and Flight Engineer Frank DeWinne, both of the European Space Agency, became the first crewmembers to venture inside. They spent the rest of their day preparing the pressurized cargo module for the transfer work that will be performed over the next six days.

The shuttle and station crews already have gotten a start on transferring the cargo brought up inside the shuttle’s middeck. In particular, the mission’s spacewalkers – Mission Specialists Danny Olivas and Jose Hernandez, and Flight Engineer Nicole Stott – worked to move the tools to be used during the three STS-128 spacewalks into the station’s airlock and get them ready for use.

The first of those spacewalks is set to begin 4:49 p.m. Tuesday, as Olivas and Stott head outside the station to begin the task of replacing an empty ammonia tank assembly. They’ll also be retrieving two science experiments that have been attached to the station’s exterior and transferring them to the shuttle’s cargo bay for return to Earth.

Olivas and Stott will spend the night inside the Quest airlock at a lower air pressure to prepare their bodies for work in the vacuum of space. Part of what’s called the “pre-breathe protocol,” the reduced air pressure helps force nitrogen out of the spacewalkers’ blood stream, which protects them from getting decompression sickness, also known as the bends.

Discovery’s crew is scheduled to go to sleep just before 4 a.m. Tuesday and wake up at 11:59 a.m. The next shuttle status report will be issued after the crew wakes up call or earlier if events warrant.

By Marc S. Posner
SOAR Magazine

Space Shuttle Discovery lit up the night sky, blasting off on a 13-day mission from Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday night, just 30 seconds before midnight.

While in orbit, Discovery and the orbiter’s seven-member crew will replenish supplies and deliver science experiments to the International Space Station.

Inside the shuttle’s payload bay, Discovery is carrying the Leonardo supply module, which is filled with science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill, named after TV show host Stephen Colbert.

Discovery will celebrate it’s 25th birthday on Sunday when it docks with the International Space Station.

“Liftoff of Discovery celebrating its 25th birthday by bringing up science and supplies to the International Space Station,” said KSC Launch Commentator Mike Curie.

Unlike two previous attempts this week, Friday night’s countdown was smooth and uneventful. The 8.5-minute ride to orbit followed in suit.

Commanded by veteran astronaut Rick “C.J.” Sturckow, the crew also includes Nicole Stott — who is replacing Tim Kopra aboard the the International Space Station. Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, Jose Hernandez, John “Danny” Olivas and Sweden’s Christer Fuglesang round out the crew.

Nine minutes before liftoff, Launch Director Pete Nickolenko wished Sturckow well: “This time the weather is cooperating. We wish you good luck and God speed.”

“Let’s go step up the science on the International Space Station,” said Sturckow in response. He then in thanked those who had prepared the crew and orbiter for flight.

The 13-day mission will include three spacewalks to replace experiments outside the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory, and install a new ammonia storage tank and return the used one. Ammonia is used to move excess heat from inside the station to the radiators located outside. Discovery also will deliver a new crew member and bring back another after almost two months aboard the space station.

STS-128 is the 128th space shuttle flight, the 30th to the station, the 37th for Discovery and the fourth in
2009.

Following this mission only six flights remain on the schedule before the shuttle fleet is scheduled to be retired next year. All six are slated to head to the International Space Station.

By Marc S. Posner
SOAR Magazine

NASA has scrubbed the launch of space shuttle Discovery because of multiple weather violations at the Kennedy Space Center launch site.

The space agency will try again tomorrow to get the orbiter off on STS-128 — a mission that will deliver supplies and a famous treadmill to the International Space Station. The piece of exercise equipment was named after comedian Stephen Colbert.

The name Colbert received the most entries in NASA’s online poll to name the station’s Node 3 module, so NASA named its new space station treadmill the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or COLBERT. NASA named the module Tranquility.

Colbert, the host of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” took an interest in the poll and urged his viewers to suggest his name, which received the most entries.

NASA will attempt to launch Discovery and its seven-member crew at 1:10 a.m. EDT
Wednesday, Aug. 26, on a 13-day mission.

Commanded by veteran astronaut Rick “C.J.” Sturckow, the crew also includes Nicole Stott — who is replacing Tim Kopra aboard the the International Space Station. Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, Jose Hernandez, John “Danny” Olivas and Sweden’s Christer Fuglesang round out the crew.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has completed a two-day review of space shuttle Discovery’s readiness for flight and selected Aug. 25 as the official launch date for the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:36 a.m. EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Discovery’s launch date was announced after a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle’s equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for launch pending the resolution of one remaining issue. An orbiter power controller that failed to operate properly was replaced, and an analysis was completed. The issue is expected to be closed when final data from the analysis is presented at the mission management team meeting on Aug. 23.

The readiness review included a thorough discussion about foam insulation that covers the shuttle’s external fuel tank. The foam helps prevent ice from developing when super-cold propellants are loaded prior to launch. During shuttle Endeavour’s liftoff on July 15, foam separated from the intertank area and the liquid oxygen tank’s ice frost ramps. The foam loss led to a detailed examination that determined Discovery is acceptable to fly.

“There was an excellent discussion on foam loss that included input from multiple teams including our NASA safety and engineering communities,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, who chaired the day and a half meeting. “After examining the foam releases on recent flights and completing a lot of testing and analysis to improve our understanding of the relative risks, we concluded that we’re ready to go fly. The teams are continuing to learn about foam and have planned additional tests and analysis to continue to improve our understanding of foam loss mechanisms and risks.”

The 13-day flight will deliver science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment, an air purification system and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert. The name Colbert received the most entries in NASA’s online poll to name the station’s Node 3. NASA named the node Tranquility.

Astronaut Rick Sturckow will command Discovery. He will be joined by Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester, Jose Hernandez, Danny Olivas and European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang. NASA astronaut Nicole Stott will fly to the complex aboard Discovery to begin a three-month mission as a station resident. She replaces NASA’s Tim Kopra, who will return home on Discovery.

STS-128 will be Discovery’s 37th mission and the 30th shuttle flight dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information about STS-128, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

For more information on the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station.

HOUSTON — NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Col. Tim Kopra has become the first International Space Station crew member to use the social media tool Twitter to discuss living and working in orbit.

Kopra (@Astro_Tim) recently joined the Expedition 20 crew after arriving at the orbiting laboratory July 17 aboard space shuttle Endeavour. He is set to return to Earth on the STS-128 mission, which is targeted to launch Aug. 25. To follow Kopra on Twitter, visit: www.twitter.com/Astro_Tim.

Kopra will provide followers with a unique perspective as an Expedition 20 flight engineer and member of the Army. He is an Army aviator and West Point graduate. He periodically will answer questions submitted on the Army’s Web site. To submit questions and view Kopra’s answers, visit: www.goarmy.com/space.

This is Kopra’s first spaceflight. He completed his first spacewalk July 18 during the STS-127 mission. Kopra is in orbit with station Commander Gennady Padalka and Roman Romanenko — both Russian cosmonauts — and NASA astronaut Mike Barratt, European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Bob Thirsk.

For a detailed biography of Kopra, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kopra-tl.html.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of seven astronauts ended a 16-day journey of more than 6.5 million miles with a 10:48 a.m. EDT landing Friday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the flight, Endeavour delivered the final piece of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory and a new crew member to the International Space Station.

Endeavour’s mission included five spacewalks and installation of two platforms outside the Japanese module. One platform remained on the station and serves as a type of porch for experiments that require direct exposure to space. The other was an experiment storage pallet that returned aboard the shuttle. During the mission, Kibo’s robotic arm transferred three experiments from the palette to the platform. The station now is 83 percent complete and has a mass of more than 685,000 pounds.

“It’s a great day to be here at (Kennedy),” Commander Mark Polansky said as the crew members prepared to depart the runway. “What a fantastic mission.”

Polansky was joined by Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette and Tim Kopra. Kopra remained aboard the station, replacing Flight Engineer and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who returned to Earth on Endeavour after more than four months on the station.

When Endeavour’s seven astronauts joined the six resident Expedition 20 crew members aboard the space station, a record number of 13 people were aboard the orbiting laboratory. All five partner agencies were represented.

A welcome ceremony for the crew’s return to Houston will be held at Ellington Field’s NASA Hangar 990 at 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 1. The public is invited to attend. The crew’s return will be broadcast on NASA Television’s video file Monday.

STS-127 was the 127th space shuttle mission, the 23rd flight for Endeavour and the 29th shuttle visit to the station.

With Endeavor and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of STS-128, which is targeted for Aug. 25. Discovery’s 13-day flight will deliver a new crew member and 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station. The equipment includes science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill.

The record-size space crew of thirteen split up as Endeavour and the International Space Station undocked from each other at 12:26 p.m.

Commander Mark Polansky and the shuttle crew, Pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Chris Cassidy, Julie Payette, Tom Marshburn, Dave Wolf and Koichi Wakata boarded Endeavour to begin their trip home. Wakata spent 133 days onboard the space station.

After undocking, Hurley flew Endeavour around the station at a distance of 400 feet and completed a separation maneuver from the orbiting outpost at 2:09 p.m.

The shuttle crew will complete an inspection of Endeavour’s heat shield and test out its entry systems over the next two days, aiming for landing Friday morning at Kennedy Space Center.

The six-person Expedition 20 crew, including new member Tim Kopra, will turn its attention to another visiting spacecraft. The ISS Progress 34 supply vehicle is due to dock at the station Wednesday at 6:16 a.m. The crew also will continue on with research in the orbiting laboratory.