Starburst Galaxy M82

This composite image of the nearby starburst galaxy M82 shows Chandra X-ray Observatory data in blue, optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope in green and orange, and infrared data from the Spitzer Space Telescope in red. The pullout is a Chandra image that shows the central region of the galaxy and contains two bright X-ray sources -- identified in a labeled version -- of special interest.

New studies with Chandra and ESA's XMM-Newton show that these two sources may be intermediate-mass black holes, with masses in between those of the stellar-mass and supermassive variety. These "survivor" black holes avoided falling into the center of the galaxy and could be examples of the seeds required for the growth of supermassive black holes in galaxies, including the one in the Milky Way.

This is the first case where good evidence for more than one mid-sized black hole exists in a single galaxy. The evidence comes from how their X-ray emission varies over time and analysis of their X-ray brightness and spectra, i.e., the distribution of X-rays with energy.

One of the black holes is located at a projected distance of 290 light years from the center of M82 (labeled with an "x") and its mass is estimated to be between 12,000 and 43,000 times the mass of the Sun. At this close distance, if the black hole was born at the same time as the galaxy and its mass was more than about 30,000 solar masses, it likely would have been pulled into the center of the galaxy. That is, it may have just escaped falling into the supermassive black hole that is presumably located in the center of M82. The second black hole is located 600 light years in projection away from the center of M82. The best model for this M82 black hole has a mass between 200 and 800 times that of the Sun, and tilted at an angle between 60 and 80 degrees, meaning that the disk is viewed almost side-on. However, because of relativistic effects for a rapidly spinning black hole with this mass, a disk viewed at a high inclination is almost as bright as one viewed at a low inclination (i.e., face-on).

These results are interesting because they may help address the mystery of how supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies form. M82 is located about 12 million light years from Earth and is the nearest place to us where the conditions are similar to those in the early Universe, with lots of stars forming.

Multiple observations of M82 have been made with Chandra beginning soon after launch. The Chandra data shown here were not used in the new research because the X-ray sources are so bright that some distortion is introduced into the X-ray spectra. To combat this, the pointing of Chandra is changed so that images of the sources are deliberately blurred, producing fewer counts in each pixel.

Credits: Inset: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Tsinghua Univ./H. Feng et al.; Full-field: X-ray: NASA/CXC/JHU/D.Strickland; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/AURA/The Hubble Heritage Team; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of AZ/C. Engelbracht

> Read more/access larger images

Janet Anderson, 256-544-0034

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala.

Janet.L.Anderson@nasa.gov

Megan Watzke 617-496-7998

Chandra X-ray Center, Cambridge, Mass.

m.watzke@cfa.harvard.edu

Next Space Shuttle Launch

NASA Schedules News Conference about Next Space Shuttle Launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --

NASA managers will hold a news conference on Wednesday, May 5, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to discuss the status of the next space shuttle launch. The briefing will begin after the Flight Readiness Review, a meeting to assess preparations for shuttle Atlantis' STS-132 mission to the International Space Station.

Live status updates, including the start time for the news conference, will be provided during the meeting via the NASA News Twitter feed. To access the feed, go to the nasa.gov homepage or visit:

http://www.twitter.com/nasa

The review is expected to include the selection of an official launch date. Atlantis and six NASA astronauts are targeted to lift off at 2:20 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 14.

The briefing participants are:

- Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations

- John Shannon, Space Shuttle Program manager

- Mike Leinbach, space shuttle launch director

NASA Television and the agency's website will broadcast the briefing live. Reporters may ask questions from participating NASA locations, and should contact their preferred NASA center to confirm participation. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For STS-132 crew and mission information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Building Planets

Building Planets

This artist's animation illustrates a massive asteroid belt in orbit around a star the same age and size as our Sun. Asteroids are chunks of rock from "failed" planets, which never managed to coalesce into full-sized planets. Asteroid belts can be thought of as construction sites that accompany the building of rocky planets.

 

Announced on April 28, 2010, scientists using NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility have detected water-ice and carbon-based organic compounds on the surface of an asteroid. The cold hard facts of the discovery of the frosty mixture on one of the asteroid belt's largest occupants, suggests that some asteroids, along with their celestial brethren, comets, were the water carriers for a primordial Earth.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Shuttle Managers Target May 14 for STS-132 Launch

Space Shuttle Program managers wrapped up their Flight Readiness Review on Wednesday afternoon at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Teams preparing space shuttle Atlantis for its STS-132 mission are not working any significant issues, and the May 14 target launch date will be recommended at next week's agency-level review.

Today at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, technicians are servicing Atlantis' prelaunch hypergolic propellant systems. In Houston, the astronauts will perform flight training in T-38 jets and take care of administrative duties.

STS-131: Fortifying the Space Station

STS-131: Fortifying the Space Station

04.27.10

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Bathed in a blaze of xenon lights, space shuttle Discovery waited in the early morning darkness on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ready to liftoff on the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station.

Discovery's crew, under the command of Alan Poindexter, strode out of the Operations and Checkout Building, greeted with cheers and whistles from bystanders wishing them well on their journey.

Waving back, the astronauts climbed aboard NASA's Astrovan for the short ride to the pad.

At 6:21 a.m. Eastern on April 5, 2010, Discovery roared off the launch pad.

Mike Curie/STS-131 Launch Commentator: And liftoff of Discovery, blazing a trail to scientific discoveries aboard space station.

Within minutes, the twin solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank fell away as the shuttle attained orbit.

Once there, the Ku-band antenna system, which sends high-rate data communications down to Earth, failed to work, requiring the astronauts and ground crews to do a little problem-solving by eventually using the space station's Ku system.

After a two-day chase and the space station in sight, Discovery went through its backflip maneuver, enabling the station crew to photograph the heat shield on the shuttle's underside.

Once Poindexter and Pilot Jim Dutton docked the shuttle to the station, the hatches between the two spacecraft were opened.

The arrival brought together a combined crew of 13 and a first for any mission as four women astronauts flew together in space. They were Mission Specialists Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Expedition 23 Flight Engineer Tracy Caldwell Dyson.

Discovery's primary payload was a multi-purpose logistics module called Leonardo, filled with 17,000 pounds of scientific equipment and supplies.

Using the space station's robotic arm, operated by Wilson and Yamazaki, Leonardo was lifted out of the shuttle's cargo bay and connected to the Harmony node.

After staying in the Quest Airlock overnight, Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio and Clay Anderson moved a new 1,700-pound ammonia tank from Discovery's cargo bay to a temporary parking place on the station as part of their first spacewalking tasks.

A few technical issues, such as uncooperative bolts and a malfunctioning nitrogen tank assembly, kept the spacewalkers busy.

Meanwhile, inside the station, Yamazaki and Expedition 23 Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi began transferring cargo from Leonardo to their respective stowage areas, with slow and intricately choreographed movements.

Mastracchio and Anderson completed the third and last of the complex spacewalking assignments, in addition to some get-ahead tasks for space shuttle Atlantis' upcoming STS-132 mission.

Because of the Ku-band antenna issue, an extra day was added to the mission to allow crew members to perform a final check of Discovery's heat shield before they undocked from the station.

Morning fog and showers near Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility tacked on one more day to the mission.

Then on April 20, 2010, the weather cooperated and Discovery made a picture-perfect touchdown at 9:08 a.m. Eastern on Runway 33 after completing a 15-day, 6.2-million-mile mission.

Brandy Dean/STS-131 Landing Commentator: Nose gear touchdown. That brings an end to the STS-131 mission, the 131st space shuttle flight and the 33rd to the International Space Station.

Alan Poindexter/STS-131 Commander: It's great to be back at the Kennedy Space Center with Discovery. It was a beautiful entry this morning.

Clay Anderson/STS-131 Mission Specialist: We had a lot of adversity, but we overcame it all with some great teamwork.

With a successful mission behind them, the Discovery crew returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston where they were honored at a homecoming ceremony at nearby Ellington Field.

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STS-132 Astronauts Practice Launch Countdown

STS-132 Astronauts Practice Launch Countdown

04.27.10

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In preparation for liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-132 mission, the six-member crew arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The astronauts flew to Kennedy to conduct the prelaunch training and countdown dress rehearsal, officially known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test.

The training began with the standard instruction on driving the M-113 armored personnel carriers as part of their emergency escape training.

They rehearsed evacuation procedures at Launch Pad 39A, where Atlantis is undergoing launch preparations.

Crew members had an opportunity for a final fit check of their familiar orange launch-and-entry suits, and a chance to answer questions from media representatives who gathered for a news conference at the launch pad.

Ken Ham/STS-132 Commander: There’s an incredible amount of activity going on right now in the space world and we should all be enjoying it. I can tell you for sure the six of us are.

The centerpiece of the crew's most recent training was a launch dress rehearsal and practice countdown with the look and feel of a real launch day.

This sets the stage for Atlantis and crew to fly a 12-day mission to the International Space Station.

With the exercises behind them, the astronauts will continue training at their home base, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, before returning to Florida for their targeted May launch.

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Update From Ken Willoughby Regarding the Astronaut Ed Mitchell - Apollo 14 Event

Ken Willoughby has just sent through the updated event poster.

Atlantis Preparations Continue; Astronauts Train for Spacewalk

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:28:12 -0500

Workers at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A continue preparing space shuttle Atlantis for its upcoming STS-132 mission. During the 12-day mission, Atlantis and crew will deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station. The payload is safely installed in the shuttle's cargo bay, and today technicians will close out the solid rocket boosters' aft skirts.

Atlantis' six astronauts, led by Commander Ken Ham, are at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston after participating in last week's Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test at Kennedy. Today, the crew members are preparing for the mission's third spacewalk by practicing their procedures in Johnson's Neutral Buoyancy Lab.

Liftoff is targeted for liftoff May 14 at 2:19 p.m. EDT.

Oil Slick Spreads off Gulf Coast

Oil Slick Spreads off Gulf Coast

NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of the Gulf of Mexico on April 25, 2010 using its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. With the Mississippi Delta on the left, the silvery swirling oil slick from the April 20 explosion and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform is highly visible. The rig was located roughly 50 miles southeast of the coast of Louisiana.

 

The oil slick may be particularly obvious because it is occurring in the sunglint area, where the mirror-like reflection of the Sun off the water gives the Gulf of Mexico a washed-out look. Oil slicks are notoriously difficult to spot in natural-color (photo-like) satellite imagery because a thin sheen of oil only slightly darkens the already dark blue background of the ocean. Under unique viewing conditions, oil slicks can become visible in photo-like images, but usually, radar imagery is needed to clearly see a spill from space.

Image Credit: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team

Astronaut Ed Mitchell Visit to the U.K Rescheduled

Tentative dates for the rescheduled visit of Apollo 14 Astronaut Ed Mitchell are July 1st for the evening dining event and July 2nd for the public event and presentation. Will keep you posted; contact Ken Willoughby direct for further advice and ticket information. 11 Hardistry Drive, Pontefract, West Yorkshire. WF8 4BU. Telephone: 01977 795535/e-mail ken.willoughby@btinternet.com

Last Two Shuttle Missions Planned Changes, Payload Installed In Atlantis

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:17:18 -0500

NASA is planning to make some changes to the target launch dates for the last two scheduled space shuttle flights. Scientists with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, or AMS, program recently decided to change out the current magnet in the particle physics experiment module that will be attached to the International Space Station to a longer lasting one. This will take advantage of NASA’s plan to extend station operations until at least 2020. Because of the magnet change, space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-134 mission, which will carry the AMS experiment to the station and was targeted to launch July 29, now is expected to launch no earlier than mid-November 2010. An exact target launch date still is TBD.

 

AMS is designed to help study the formation of the universe and search for evidence of dark matter and antimatter by measuring cosmic rays. Space shuttle Discovery’s STS-133 mission currently remains targeted for its Sept. 16 launch date, but managers will continue to assess its readiness for flight and make changes as appropriate.

 

The next shuttle flight, Atlantis’ STS-132 mission targeted for launch on May 14, remains on track with no changes. At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where Atlantis is being readied for liftoff at Launch Pad 39A, the payload for the flight, an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module, was installed in the shuttle's cargo bay Sunday. Today, technicians hooked up the quick disconnects for Atlantis's two solid rocket boosters. And Atlantis’ six astronauts crew took care of administrative tasks at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA TV Celebrates 20 Years Of Hubble Space Telescope Operations

NASA TV Celebrates 20 Years Of Hubble Space Telescope Operations

WASHINGTON --

NASA Television marks the 20th anniversary of on-orbit operations of the Hubble Space Telescope with a documentary that premieres Monday, April 26 at 2 p.m. EDT. It will re-air at 4 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.


"Hubble: 20 Years of Discovery" celebrates the achievements of one of the most popular and important scientific instruments in the history of exploration. Narrated by actor and writer Brent Spiner, this special video presentation takes viewers on a journey back in time and into the farthest reaches of the cosmos.

Hubble's discoveries have revolutionized nearly all areas of current astronomical research, from planetary science to cosmology, and its images are unmistakably out of this world.

Spiner is best known for his portrayal of Lt. Commander Data, the sentient android in the iconic "Star Trek: The Next Generation" television series and films.

"Hubble: 20 Years of Discovery" also will be featured on NASA's Internet homepage http://www.nasa.gov and the agency's popular You Tube channel.

For more information about NASA TV, a broadcast schedule for the Hubble documentary and other programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

To see videos posted on the NASA TV You Tube channel, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/nasatelevision

To learn more about the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA, visit:

http://www.nasa,.gov/hubble

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/Hubble20

Countdown Rehearsal Complete; Payload Installed in Atlantis

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:19:41 -0500

It was a busy weekend at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where space shuttle Atlantis is being readied for liftoff at Launch Pad 39A. Saturday morning, the six STS-132 astronauts completed a countdown dress rehearsal, concluding the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. They departed Kennedy afterward, taking off in T-38 jets and flying home to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The STS-132 mission payload -- an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module -- was installed in the shuttle's cargo bay Sunday.

Today, technicians will hook up the quick disconnects for Atlantis's two solid rocket boosters. The flight crew will take care of administrative tasks and media interviews in Houston.

Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test Complete

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:46:15 -0500

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis' six STS-132 astronauts completed their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, Saturday morning.

 

The astronauts headed back home in their T-38 jets to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston around 2 p.m. EDT Saturday.

STS-132 mission is targeted for launch at 2:19 p.m. on May 14 to deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built Mini Research Module to the International Space Station.

STS-132 full-dress launch rehearsal

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 07:20:08 -0500

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the STS-132 astronauts’ full-dress launch rehearsal is underway at Launch Pad 39A.

They will go through a complete launch countdown simulation right up to the point of liftoff.

The astronauts will complete their prelaunch training today and are scheduled to fly back to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston late this afternoon.

STS-132 is targeted for launch at 2:19 p.m. EDT on May 14 to the International Space Station.

NASA's New Eye on the Sun Delivers Stunning First Images

NASA's recently launched Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is returning early images that confirm an unprecedented new capability for scientists to better understand our sun's dynamic processes. These solar activities affect everything on Earth.

Some of the images from the spacecraft show never-before-seen detail of material streaming outward and away from sunspots. Others show extreme close-ups of activity on the sun's surface. The spacecraft also has made the first high-resolution measurements of solar flares in a broad range of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths.

"These initial images show a dynamic sun that I had never seen in more than 40 years of solar research," said Richard Fisher, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "SDO will change our understanding of the sun and its processes, which affect our lives and society. This mission will have a huge impact on science, similar to the impact of the Hubble Space Telescope on modern astrophysics."

Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, SDO is the most advanced spacecraft ever designed to study the sun. During its five-year mission, it will examine the sun's magnetic field and also provide a better understanding of the role the sun plays in Earth's atmospheric chemistry and climate. Since launch, engineers have been conducting testing and verification of the spacecraft's components. Now fully operational, SDO will provide images with clarity 10 times better than high-definition television and will return more comprehensive science data faster than any other solar observing spacecraft.

SDO will determine how the sun's magnetic field is generated, structured and converted into violent solar events such as turbulent solar wind, solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These immense clouds of material, when directed toward Earth, can cause large magnetic storms in our planet's magnetosphere and upper atmosphere.

SDO will provide critical data that will improve the ability to predict these space weather events. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., built, operates and manages the SDO spacecraft for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

"I'm so proud of our brilliant work force at Goddard, which is rewriting science textbooks once again." said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. "This time Goddard is shedding new light on our closest star, the sun, discovering new information about powerful solar flares that affect us here on Earth by damaging communication satellites and temporarily knocking out power grids. Better data means more accurate solar storm warnings."

Space weather has been recognized as a cause of technological problems since the invention of the telegraph in the 19th century. These events produce disturbances in electromagnetic fields on Earth that can induce extreme currents in wires, disrupting power lines and causing widespread blackouts. These solar storms can interfere with communications between ground controllers, satellites and airplane pilots flying near Earth's poles. Radio noise from the storm also can disrupt cell phone service.

SDO will send 1.5 terabytes of data back to Earth each day, which is equivalent to a daily download of half a million songs onto an MP3 player. The observatory carries three state-of the-art instruments for conducting solar research.

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager maps solar magnetic fields and looks beneath the sun's opaque surface. The experiment will decipher the physics of the sun's activity, taking pictures in several very narrow bands of visible light. Scientists will be able to make ultrasound images of the sun and study active regions in a way similar to watching sand shift in a desert dune. The instrument's principal investigator is Phil Scherrer of Stanford University. HMI was built by a collaboration of Stanford University and the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in Palo Alto, Calif.

The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly is a group of four telescopes designed to photograph the sun's surface and atmosphere. The instrument covers 10 different wavelength bands, or colors, selected to reveal key aspects of solar activity. These types of images will show details never seen before by scientists. The principal investigator is Alan Title of the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, which built the instrument.

The Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment measures fluctuations in the sun's radiant emissions. These emissions have a direct and powerful effect on Earth's upper atmosphere -- heating it, puffing it up, and breaking apart atoms and molecules. Researchers don't know how fast the sun can vary at many of these wavelengths, so they expect to make discoveries about flare events. The principal investigator is Tom Woods of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. LASP built the instrument.

"These amazing images, which show our dynamic sun in a new level of detail, are only the beginning of SDO's contribution to our understanding of the sun," said SDO Project Scientist Dean Pesnell of Goddard.

SDO is the first mission of NASA's Living with a Star Program, or LWS, and the crown jewel in a fleet of NASA missions that study our sun and space environment. The goal of LWS is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to address those aspects of the connected sun-Earth system that directly affect our lives and society.

To view the images and learn more about the SDO mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/sdo

Atlantis, Crew Ready for Launch Practice

Space shuttle Atlantis was moved to the launch pad Thursday morning in preparation for the STS-132 mission, targeted for launch May 14 at 2:19 p.m. The astronauts that will fly the ship into space are also at the pad and in a rare bit of timing fortune, got to see the spacecraft makes its slow crawl to the launch pad.

Atlantis is on Launch Pad 39A

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:30:58 -0500

Space shuttle Atlantis is on NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A. The mobile launcher platform holding Atlantis was secured down on the seaside pad along Florida's central east coast at 6:03 a.m. EDT, completing the 3.4 mile “rollout” from the Vehicle Assembly Building in about 6-and-a-half hours.

The pad’s rotating service structure, which provides weather protection and access to the shuttle, will be closed around Atlantis starting at about 9:15 a.m. That’s also the scheduled start of a media Q&A session at the pad with Atlantis’ six astronauts for the STS-132 mission. NASA Television will provide live coverage of the media event. NASA TV can be seen online at: www.nasa.gov/ntv

ISS/STS-131 Separation Photo

Separation

As the shuttle and the space station began their post-undocking relative separation, Expedition 23 flight engineer Soichi Noguchi photographed the underside of the shuttle over the south end of Isla de Providencia, about 150 miles off the coast of Nicaragua. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred on April 17, 2010, ending the shuttle's 10-day stay. The visit included three spacewalks and delivery of more than seven tons of equipment and supplies to the station.

Image Credit: NASA

Rollout of space shuttle Atlantis to Launch Pad 39A

Wed, 21 Apr 2010

Rollout of space shuttle Atlantis to Launch Pad 39A is set to begin at 12:01 a.m. EDT Thursday. Several earlier rollout attempts were cancelled due to weather. The 3.4-mile trip normally takes about six hours, and tonight's forecast is favorable. The STS-132 launch in May will begin the last planned mission for Atlantis.

The STS-132 astronauts, led by Commander Ken Ham, flew to Kennedy in T-38 jets Tuesday evening and will spend the next several days conducting the standard prelaunch training and countdown dress rehearsal known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT.

Next mission to the International Space Station in full swing. STS-132

Just one day after space shuttle Discovery and its crew successfully completed the STS-131 mission by landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations for the next mission to the International Space Station are in full swing.

The STS-132 astronauts, led by Commander Ken Ham, flew to Kennedy in T-38 jets Tuesday evening and will spend the rest of the week conducting the standard prelaunch training and countdown dress rehearsal known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT.

Rollout of space shuttle Atlantis to Launch Pad 39A was again delayed by weather today, with the move now set to begin at 12:01 a.m. EDT Thursday. The 3.4-mile trip normally takes about six hours, and tonight's weather forecast is favorable. STS-132 is the last planned mission for Atlantis.

Following their successful 15-day mission, the STS-131 astronauts will return to their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston later this afternoon.

Wrapping up 131 here from Discovery -- a really great mission

Mission mangers held a post-landing news conference at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, and described the mission as very successful.

"Wrapping up 131 here from Discovery -- a really great mission. A lot of good science and a lot of good stuff delivered up to the station. Couldn't be more proud of the teams," said Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses, who described post-flight shuttle Discovery as "a very clean vehicle."

Earlier, after physicals aboard the crew transport vehicle, space shuttle Discovery's seven astronauts took a walk around the spacecraft that carried them more than six million miles. They paused to each express their thoughts about the mission and their gratitude to those on the ground who helped make the mission safe and successful.

"We had a lot of adversity but we overcame it all with some great team work," said Mission Specialist Clayton Anderson, who participated in the mission's three spacewalks and previously spent five months at the space station. "I've had two homecomings this flight. I got to go home to the International Space Station and now I get to come home to KSC. To all of you who helped get us up and bring us back, thank you so very much. God bless America."

The astronauts returned to crew quarters aboard the silver Astrovan, the same vehicle that carried them to the launch pad for their liftoff. They are expected to return to their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston tomorrow.

Discovery's touchdown at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida came at 9:08 a.m. EDT on April 20, after a one-day delay due to weather.

Space shuttle Atlantis is poised to roll to Launch Pad 39A at 6 p.m. EDT today, weather permitting. The STS-132 crew will arrive tonight in preparation for their countdown dress rehearsal later in the week.

Space Shuttle Discovery Crew Returns to Earth

Space Shuttle Discovery Crew Returns to Earth after Fortifying International Space Station Science

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --

Space shuttle Discovery and seven astronauts ended a 15-day journey of more than 6.2 million miles with a 9:08 a.m. EDT landing Tuesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The STS-131 mission to the International Space Station delivered science racks, new crew sleeping quarters, equipment and supplies. During three spacewalks, the crew installed a new ammonia storage tank for the station's cooling system, replaced a gyroscope for the station's navigation system and retrieved a Japanese experiment from outside the Kibo laboratory for examination on Earth.

Alan Poindexter commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Jim Dutton and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Clay Anderson, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. Lindenburger is the last of three teachers selected as mission specialists in the 2004 Educator-Astronaut class to fly on the shuttle.

A welcome ceremony for the astronauts will be held Wednesday, April 21, in Houston. The public is invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT 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 Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set for launch of shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission, targeted to lift off May 14. Atlantis' 12-day flight will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module to the station along with six new batteries to store power gathered by the Port 6 solar arrays. Shuttle mission STS-132 is the final scheduled flight of Atlantis. Following STS-132, two more shuttle flights are scheduled before the fleet is retired.

For more information about the STS-131 mission and the upcoming STS-132 flight, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Two STS-131 crew members, Clay Anderson and Naoko Yamazaki, used the social medium Twitter to discuss the mission. For their Twitter feeds and other NASA social media websites, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/connect

Educational activities on the STS-131 mission focused on robotics and promoting careers in science, technology, engineering and math. For NASA's teacher and student resources and activities related to robotics, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education/robotics

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Discovery STS-31 Touches Down

STS-131: Discovery Touches Down

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Brandi Dean/Landing Commentator: One minute now until touchdown. Discovery's landing gear will be locked down and into place at 300 feet in altitude.

It's currently 3,500 feet and traveling at a rate of 370 mph. Thirty seconds until touchdown.

Main gear, landing gear now down and locked. Main gear touchdown.

Pilot Jim Dutton now deploying the drag chute. Nose gear touchdown.

That brings an end to the STS-131 mission, the 131st space shuttle flight, and the 33rd to the International Space Station.

Discovery left Florida on April 5 with 7.6 tons of new science equipment and spare parts, including equipment that should improve the station's capability for Earth-observation work, equipment that could help astronauts avoid muscle atrophy and scientists better understand muscle atrophy, and equipment that will help keep the station's systems cooling properly.

Discovery brings home with it the last large return load from the station, 2 tons of used equipment.

Rick Sturckow/Capcom: Roger, wheelstop, Discovery. Welcome home. Dex, congratulations to you and the crew on an outstanding mission.

There are no immediate post-landing deltas. We'll meet you on Page 5-3 of the Entry Checklist.

Alan Poindexter/STS-131 Commander: Houston, Discovery. Thanks for those... It was a great mission. We enjoyed it. We enjoyed working with you and all the teams in mission control. And we're glad that the International Space Station is stocked up again. Thanks a lot.

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Space shuttle Discovery’s crew is prepared to return home Tuesday

Monday, April 19, 2010

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

Space shuttle Discovery’s crew is prepared to return home Tuesday, as mission managers closely monitor weather that could affect their entry and landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The crew spent another day in orbit after two landing opportunities at KSC were foiled by clouds and rain in the area. Forecasts call for Florida conditions to improve Tuesday and the weather in California looks good.

At 10:21 p.m., mission control played “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson as the wakeup call for 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.

Discovery’s crew will have two more opportunities to land at Kennedy on Tuesday, as well as three at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

The first Kennedy opportunity Tuesday would see a deorbit burn at 5:28 a.m. with a landing at 6:34 a.m. For the second opportunity the deorbit burn at 7:02 a.m. would lead to a landing 8:08 a.m.

For Edwards, the first opportunity deorbit burn would be at 6:56 a.m. with landing at 8:01 a.m. The next would have a deorbit burn at 8:30 a.m. and a landing at 9:35 a.m. while the third would begin with a deorbit burn at 10:05 a.m. leading to a landing at 11:11 a.m.

Discovery has enough consumables to remain in orbit until Wednesday. There are a total of six landing opportunities at the three U.S. landing sites that day.

Space shuttle Discovery will spend another day in orbit

Monday, April 19, 2010

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – Space shuttle Discovery will spend another day in orbit after two landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida were foiled by clouds and rain in the area. Forecasts call for Florida conditions to improve Tuesday and for generally good weather in California.

“We appreciate everything you [at Mission Control] have done,” Commander Alan G. Poindexter told Capcom Rick Sturckow. “We’ll be hopeful for better weather tomorrow.”

Poindexter, Pilot James P. Dutton Jr. and Mission Specialists Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Clayton Anderson and Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki will have two more opportunities to land at Kennedy on Tuesday, as well as three at Edwards Air Force base in California.

The first Kennedy opportunity Tuesday would see a deorbit burn at 5:28 a.m. CDT with a landing at 6:34 a.m. For the second opportunity the deorbit burn at 7:02 a.m. would lead to a landing 8:08 a.m.

For Edwards, the first opportunity deorbit burn would be at 6:56 a.m. with landing at 8:01 a.m. The next would have a deorbit burn at 8:30 a.m. and a landing at 9:35 a.m. while the third would begin with a deorbit burn at 10:05 a.m. leading to a landing at 11:11 a.m.

Discovery has enough consumables to remain in orbit until Wednesday. There are a total of six landing opportunities at the three U.S. landing sites that day.

Meanwhile, on the International Space Station, the Expedition 23 crew continues to situate equipment and supplies delivered on Discovery, and to conduct experiments into how the human body responds to long-duration spaceflight, and to characterize fire and combustion in zero gravity.

The astronauts onboard space shuttle Discovery conclude their successful mission

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

HOUSTON – The astronauts onboard space shuttle Discovery are getting ready to conclude their successful mission to the International Space Station, weather permitting, with a planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Monday at 7:48 a.m. CDT.

The crew’s wakeup call at 11:21 p.m. was “The Star Spangled Banner,” played for Commander Alan G. Poindexter, who is wrapping up his second spaceflight. A U.S. Navy captain, Poindexter served as a pilot on STS-122 in February 2008.

When Discovery re-enters the Earth's atmosphere Monday morning, it will be flying over the northern Pacific Ocean on a course that will take it over much of North America before landing at KSC.

The first Kennedy landing opportunity on the mission’s 222nd orbit would see a deorbit burn at 6:43 a.m. CDT for the 7:48 a.m. landing. For the second opportunity on orbit 223 the deorbit burn would be at 8:17 a.m. for a landing at 9:23 a.m.

Forecasts for Kennedy are not promising, calling for high overcast and two layers of scattered clouds, as well as a chance of showers in the area. If needed, there are landing opportunities at Kennedy and the backup runway at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Tuesday.

Discovery's First Landing Opportunity Waved Off

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:05:10 -0500

Mission Control Entry Flight Director Bryan Lunney has decided to wave off the first landing opportunity for space shuttle Discovery because of precipitation and cloud coverage at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility.

The shuttle’s next landing opportunity is at 10:23 a.m. EDT, which would call for a 9:17 a.m. deorbit burn.

Weather for Landing STS-131 Not Promising

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:46:36 -0500

The crew’s wakeup call at 12:21 a.m. EDT was “The Star Spangled Banner,” played for Commander Alan G. Poindexter, who is wrapping up his second spaceflight. A U.S. Navy captain, Poindexter served as a pilot on STS-122 in February 2008. Forecasts for a landing at Kennedy Space Center are not promising, calling for high overcast and two layers of scattered clouds, as well as a chance of showers in the area. If needed, on Tuesday there are landing opportunities at Kennedy and the backup runway at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Weather permitting, the first landing opportunity in Florida is scheduled for today at 8:48 a.m.

Crew members spend much of their day getting ready to come home STS-131

STS-131 Status Report #28

Space shuttle Discovery crew members spent much of their day getting ready to come home after their successful mission to the International Space Station.

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 are scheduled to land their spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center Monday, if weather cooperates.

Forecasts for Kennedy were not promising, calling for high overcast and two layers of scattered clouds, as well as a chance of showers in the area. If needed, there are landing opportunities at Kennedy and the backup runway at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Tuesday.

This morning, Poindexter, Dutton and Metcalf-Lindenburger powered up Discovery’s flight control system and tested the flaps and rudder that will control the shuttle’s flight once it enters the Earth’s atmosphere. Next they test-fired the reaction control system jets that will control the shuttle’s orientation before it reaches the atmosphere. All seven crew members stowed items in Discovery’s cabin in preparation for re-entry and landing.

The first Kennedy landing opportunity on the mission’s 222nd orbit would see a deorbit burn at 6:43 a.m. CDT for the 7:48 a.m. landing. For the second opportunity on orbit 223 the deorbit burn would be at 8:17 a.m. for a landing at 9:23 a.m.

At about 6:35 a.m. the crew took time out from landing preparations to talk with reporters Mary Blake of WBZ-AM in Boston, Marcia Dunn of the Associated Press and Brandi Smith of KEZI-TV in Portland, Ore.

Preparations for landing take center stage Sunday

STS-131 MCC Status Report #27

HOUSTON – Preparations for landing take center stage Sunday as the seven astronauts on space shuttle Discovery wrap up a 10-day stay at the International Space Station that included three spacewalks and delivery of more than seven tons of equipment and supplies.

The crew was awakened at 11:21 p.m. CDT by Louis Armstrong singing “What a Wonderful World,” played for Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, who concluded her third trip to the station on Discovery today. Wilson flew on Discovery for STS-121 in July 2006 and STS-120 in October 2007.

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 are scheduled to land their spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center at 7:51 a.m. Monday.

On Sunday, Poindexter, Dutton and Metcalf-Lindenburger will checkout Discovery’s flight control systems and steering jets for the ride home to Earth.

At 6:36 a.m., the crew will have audio interviews with Mary Blake of WBZ-AM in Boston, Marcia Dunn of the Associated Press, and Brandi Smith of KEZI-TV in Portland, Ore. Wilson is from Pittsfield, Mass., and Dutton is from Eugene, Ore.

On board the International Space Station the crew’s work day is being shifted to its normal cycle. The next wakeup call for Expedition 23 Commander Oleg Kotov, and Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Mikhail Kornienko, Soichi Noguchi and T.J. Creamer is 1:00 a.m. Sunday.

Iceland’s volcano Eyjafjallajokull causes cancellation Of Astronaut Ed Mitchells Visit to the U.K.

Iceland’s volcano Eyjafjallajokull causes cancellation Of Astronaut Ed Mitchells Visit to the U.K.

During the chaos of Thursday and the closure of British Airspace for the first time ever Astronaut Ed Mitchells flight to the U.K got cancelled mid Atlantic. The flight was forced to return to the U.S.. His visit which included a dinner event and schools/public presentations at Featherstone, England will now be rescheduled for later in 2010. 

Photo Credit: NASA

No one could possibly have forseen this occurence please support Ken Willoughby in all of his future Space Ventures.

Ed Mitchell Website

Ken Willoughby

NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Moves to Launch Pad, Liftoff Practice Set

NASA's Shuttle Atlantis Moves to Launch Pad, Liftoff Practice Set

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Journalists are invited to cover the STS-132 space shuttle crew's Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, a practice countdown and related training, April 20-23 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Reporters also may cover space shuttle Atlantis' move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A on Monday, April 19.

Atop a giant crawler-transporter, Atlantis' first motion on its rollout to the pad is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. EDT. The 3.4-mile journey is expected to take approximately six hours. Reporters with permanent Kennedy credentials, STS-131 mission credentials and those credentialed specifically for Atlantis’ rollout and TCDT for the STS-132 mission to the International Space Station are invited to cover the move. An interview opportunity will be held at 8:30 p.m. with Atlantis Flow Director Angie Brewer.

Media accreditation for these events now is closed.

Badges for the events may be picked up on April 19 before 4 p.m., at the Kennedy Space Center Badging Office on State Road 405. On April 19, international reporters must arrive at the Kennedy Pass and ID Building on State Road 3 before 7 p.m. for transportation to the press site for Atlantis' rollout.

Beginning April 20, Atlantis’ astronauts and ground crews will participate in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test related training. TCDT provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training.

For information about events, including proper attire and meeting locations, credentialed media should visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/news/media.html

Updates for events are available at 321-867-2525.

The six astronauts for Atlantis’ STS-132 mission will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module, also known as Rassvet module, (dawn in Russian), to the International Space Station. The flight also will deliver critical spare parts and cargo. Three spacewalks are planned during the 12-day mission, the final scheduled flight of space shuttle Atlantis. Launch is targeted for May 14 at 2:19 p.m. Following STS-132, two more shuttle flights remain scheduled.

Video highlights of the move will air on the NASA TV Video File. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about the STS-132 mission and crew, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts132

Discovery Undocks from International Space Station

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 07:59:35 -0500

Space shuttle Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 8:52 a.m. EDT. Shuttle Pilot James P. Dutton, Jr. will grab the stick and perform a fly around of the station, enabling his crewmates to conduct a photo survey of the complex.

Weather permitting, the deorbit burn is planned for 7:43 a.m. Monday, leading to a landing at 8:51 a.m. at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility.

NASA Television will air a Mission Status Briefing at 11:30 a.m. to discuss the progress of the STS-131 mission.

STS-131 Status Report #24

STS-131 Status Report #24

HOUSTON –

Space shuttle Discovery astronauts secured the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo in the cargo bay this morning, wrapping up its delayed move from the International Space Station.

Leonardo had spent the crew’s night at the end of the station’s Canadarm2 just above Discovery’s payload bay after balky bolts delayed its departure from the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module. Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki used the arm to cover the final feet of the first stage of Leonardo’s trip home.

Mission Specialist Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger activated latches to secure Leonardo in the cargo bay at 2:15 a.m. CDT.

Next Wilson, Metcalf-Lindenburger and Discovery Pilot James P. Dutton Jr. teamed up to begin the late inspection of the shuttle’s thermal protection system. Working in shifts with some help from Commander Alan G. Poindexter and Yamazaki, they used Discovery’s robotic arm and the orbiter boom sensor system to look at reinforced carbon-carbon of the wing leading edges and the nose cone, as well as the heat-resistant tiles.

The inspection, scheduled for about seven hours, was finished almost three hours ahead of schedule. It was done while the shuttle was still docked so the images could be sent down by the station’s high-data-rate system. Discovery’s high-data-rate Ku band antenna is not working.

Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station a little before 8 a.m. on Saturday. The first landing opportunity at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is at 7:48 a.m. on Monday.

One last inspection of Discovery’s heat shield

STS-131 Status Report #23

HOUSTON

Space shuttle Discovery’s crew will begin the day by packing the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module securely into the shuttle’s payload bay before conducting one last inspection of Discovery’s heat shield.

Yesterday’s delay in removing Leonardo from its berthing on the International Space Station’s Harmony module resulted in a later-than-planned bedtime and a delayed wake-up for the combined shuttle and station crews.

The crew was awakened at 12:21 a.m. with the “Theme from Stargate” played for Mission Specialist Rick Mastracchio who is wrapping up his third spaceflight.

After a seven-hour delay caused by a balky set of bolt controllers, the crew maneuvered Leonardo into a “low hover” position above Discovery’s payload bay for the night Thursday. Using the station’s robotic arm, Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki will lower Leonardo into the payload bay at 2:26 a.m. CDT. That task is expected to take about an hour.

Pilot James P. Dutton Jr. and Mission Specialists Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Wilson will then use the shuttle’s robotic arm and orbiter boom sensor system to begin inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield.

Discovery is scheduled to undock from the station on Saturday at 7:52 a.m.

The crew closed Leonardo’s hatch at 2:38 a.m. CDT

STS-131 Status Report #22

HOUSTON – After dealing with a balky set of bolt controllers, the combined crew of space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station removed the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from its station port today.

 

The crew closed Leonardo’s hatch at 2:38 a.m. CDT, but put the removal on hold when Mission Control saw unusual readings on the Control Panel Assemblies that operate the 16 remote-control bolts used to secure the pressurized cargo carrier to the Harmony module port.

The crew disconnected and reconnected all 36 of the connectors that provide power and data to the controllers, and in the process found a small pin that had been broken. They secured the pin, which was not part of the electrical connections, with Kapton tape to ensure it did not interfere with the bolts’ operation. Mission Control conducted additional troubleshooting, and the bolts were released at 3:19 p.m.

Leonardo, making is final round-trip to the station before becoming a Permanent Multi-Purpose Module for the station later this year, was unberthed at 3:24 p.m., about seven hours later than planned. The crew then used the station’s robotic arm to maneuver the module into position above Discovery’s payload bay. Leonardo will remain in this “low hover” position overnight, and the crew will spend about an hour and a half finishing the job of using Canadarm2 to latch it in the shuttle’s cargo bay on Friday.

 

Space station and space shuttle mission managers reaffirmed plans made overnight to forego a fourth spacewalk to replace the nitrogen tank assembly that has a jammed valve. Engineers have decided the station can operate for an extended period in the current configuration. The team continues to troubleshoot the jammed valve and to consider options for future replacement of the nitrogen tank assembly. The tank assembly is used to pressurize and adjust for the expansion and contraction of the ammonia that circulates through radiators to shed excess heat generated by the station’s electronic systems.

 

The delay in removing Leonardo resulted in a later-than-planned bedtime for the crew, which will be allowed to sleep in for about an hour later until 12:21 a.m. Friday.