March 16, 2009Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-119 Report #02
The astronauts on board space shuttle Discovery plan a day of orbiter inspection on their way to deliver a new set of solar arrays to the International Space Station. The crew was awakened at 9:13 a.m. CDT to the sounds of “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, played for Pilot Tony Antonelli. First up for Antonelli and Commander Lee Archambault is a planned firing of the shuttle’s orbital maneuvering system engines to refine its approach to the station for Tuesday’s planned docking at 4:13 p.m. Then, 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. Data gathered by the OBSS sensor packages is transmitted to Earth for review by specialists looking for evidence of damage caused by debris during the shuttle’s Sunday evening climb into orbit. Also on tap for Monday are checkouts of the spacesuits to be worn by Acaba and Mission Specialists Steve Swanson and Richard Arnold during the three spacewalks they’re to conduct from the International Space Station. The crew also will prepare the orbiter docking system and a suite of rendezvous tools they’ll use during Tuesday’s approach to the station. International Space Station Commander Mike Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandra Magnus are scheduled to spend today getting ready for the arrival of Discovery, which is delivering Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata to take over for Magnus; she’ll come home with the shuttle crew later this month after some four months in orbit. Along with the S6 Truss element and another set of U.S. solar array wings, Discovery’s crew is delivering a new distillation assembly to get the station’s water recycling system up to full operation for a doubling of the station’s crew size later this summer.
STS-119 Official Crew Portrait
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Showing posts with label STS-119 Discovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label STS-119 Discovery. Show all posts
Monday, 23 March 2009
Spaceboosters - STS 119 Mission Report #1
7 p.m. CDT Sunday, March 15, 2009Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
03.15.09
STS-119 Status Report #01
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. Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata began their journey at 6:43 p.m. CDT. Less than nine minutes later, Discovery and its seven crew members reached their preliminary orbit and began to stow gear and prepare for the opening of the shuttle’s cargo bay doors. At the time of Discovery’s launch, the International Space Station flew 220 miles above Tasmania just south of the Australian continent. The station crew, Commander Mike Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandra Magnus, watched the launch on a special television feed from Mission Control. Wakata will become a station crew member Tuesday evening to begin a three-month stay shortly after docking. He will replace Magnus, who will return to Earth aboard Discovery to end her four-month stay in space. Wakata is scheduled to spend a little more than three months on the orbital complex. Discovery took flight after engineers fixed a gaseous hydrogen leak in a vent line for the shuttle’s external tank that forced a postponement last Wednesday. Today, there were no issues as Discovery was fueled for the start of its 36th mission under cloudless skies. During the 13-day flight, Swanson, Arnold and Acaba will rotate assignments on three spacewalks. The first, by Swanson and Arnold Thursday has them assist with installation of the 16-ton S6 truss element and its solar arrays onto the end of the station’s starboard truss. Discovery’s crew will deliver a replacement distillation assembly for the station’s water recycling system, and help the Expedition 18 crew prepare for doubling of the station’s crew size later this summer. The crew will begin a sleep period just after 1 a.m. Monday and awaken at 9:13 a.m. The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wakeup, or earlier if events warrant.
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03.15.09
STS-119 Status Report #01
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. Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata began their journey at 6:43 p.m. CDT. Less than nine minutes later, Discovery and its seven crew members reached their preliminary orbit and began to stow gear and prepare for the opening of the shuttle’s cargo bay doors. At the time of Discovery’s launch, the International Space Station flew 220 miles above Tasmania just south of the Australian continent. The station crew, Commander Mike Fincke and flight engineers Yury Lonchakov and Sandra Magnus, watched the launch on a special television feed from Mission Control. Wakata will become a station crew member Tuesday evening to begin a three-month stay shortly after docking. He will replace Magnus, who will return to Earth aboard Discovery to end her four-month stay in space. Wakata is scheduled to spend a little more than three months on the orbital complex. Discovery took flight after engineers fixed a gaseous hydrogen leak in a vent line for the shuttle’s external tank that forced a postponement last Wednesday. Today, there were no issues as Discovery was fueled for the start of its 36th mission under cloudless skies. During the 13-day flight, Swanson, Arnold and Acaba will rotate assignments on three spacewalks. The first, by Swanson and Arnold Thursday has them assist with installation of the 16-ton S6 truss element and its solar arrays onto the end of the station’s starboard truss. Discovery’s crew will deliver a replacement distillation assembly for the station’s water recycling system, and help the Expedition 18 crew prepare for doubling of the station’s crew size later this summer. The crew will begin a sleep period just after 1 a.m. Monday and awaken at 9:13 a.m. The next shuttle status report will be issued after crew wakeup, or earlier if events warrant.
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Monday, 23 February 2009
STS-119 Discovery Mission News
Astronauts' Diverse Backgrounds Reflected in Orbital Souvenirs
From a NASCAR driver’s flag to a purple stuffed duck, the collection of orbital mementoes chosen by the astronauts of space shuttle Discovery’s STS-119 mission highlight a diverse set of influences and interests.The stuffed duck, one of several toy animals making the trip, represents the Japanese city of Saitama, which is the hometown of Koichi Wakata. He will fly to the International Space Station and stay as a new member of its three-person crew. The duck will return to Earth with Discovery. STS-119 spacewalkers Richard Arnold and Joseph Acaba, both former teachers, will fly mementos, such as small flags, from some of the schools where they taught. Among the assortment of flags being flown is a National Guard design from Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s racing team. Earnhardt races in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in the No. 88 car sponsored in part by the National Guard.Pilot and first-time flier Tony Antonelli arranged for Discovery to carry a green flag for Andretti Green Racing, the team of IndyCar racer Danica Patrick. Antonelli is expected to serve as official starter for an IndyCar race after Discovery’s flight.
The astronauts of STS-119 will take objects into orbit that mean a lot to themselves, but also many that are symbolic of larger causes, goals and expectations. Most of the items will remain tucked in lockers inside Discovery while the crew goes about its tasks, including installing a new set of solar arrays on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.
The shuttle also will carry an extra spacesuit of sorts, although it would be too small for any of the crew members. The astronauts are taking the child-size garment into orbit for the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore. The suit is orange and resembles the pressure suits crew members wear during the climb toward space and the return to Earth.All the items are expected to be displayed prominently after they are returned to their owners following the flight. They serve as inspirational objects for people who have never been into space or children who may set out on a scientific career in hopes of one day reaching orbit themselves.There are at least eight items that are not expected to survive long enough to make the flight home, however. They are eight chocolate bars made by a company in India that gives part of its profits to conservation groups protecting endangered species throughout the world. Steve Swanson, a mission specialist who will make several spacewalks during STS-119, asked for the dark chocolate bars to be packed aboard and eaten as dessert during one of the meals with the shuttle and space station crews. Scores of objects are on display all over the world from previous space missions, and space shuttles typically carry a number of tokens that are handed out in recognition of employees and others.
Courtesy: Steven Siceloff: NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center
From a NASCAR driver’s flag to a purple stuffed duck, the collection of orbital mementoes chosen by the astronauts of space shuttle Discovery’s STS-119 mission highlight a diverse set of influences and interests.The stuffed duck, one of several toy animals making the trip, represents the Japanese city of Saitama, which is the hometown of Koichi Wakata. He will fly to the International Space Station and stay as a new member of its three-person crew. The duck will return to Earth with Discovery. STS-119 spacewalkers Richard Arnold and Joseph Acaba, both former teachers, will fly mementos, such as small flags, from some of the schools where they taught. Among the assortment of flags being flown is a National Guard design from Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s racing team. Earnhardt races in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in the No. 88 car sponsored in part by the National Guard.Pilot and first-time flier Tony Antonelli arranged for Discovery to carry a green flag for Andretti Green Racing, the team of IndyCar racer Danica Patrick. Antonelli is expected to serve as official starter for an IndyCar race after Discovery’s flight.
The astronauts of STS-119 will take objects into orbit that mean a lot to themselves, but also many that are symbolic of larger causes, goals and expectations. Most of the items will remain tucked in lockers inside Discovery while the crew goes about its tasks, including installing a new set of solar arrays on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.
The shuttle also will carry an extra spacesuit of sorts, although it would be too small for any of the crew members. The astronauts are taking the child-size garment into orbit for the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore. The suit is orange and resembles the pressure suits crew members wear during the climb toward space and the return to Earth.All the items are expected to be displayed prominently after they are returned to their owners following the flight. They serve as inspirational objects for people who have never been into space or children who may set out on a scientific career in hopes of one day reaching orbit themselves.There are at least eight items that are not expected to survive long enough to make the flight home, however. They are eight chocolate bars made by a company in India that gives part of its profits to conservation groups protecting endangered species throughout the world. Steve Swanson, a mission specialist who will make several spacewalks during STS-119, asked for the dark chocolate bars to be packed aboard and eaten as dessert during one of the meals with the shuttle and space station crews. Scores of objects are on display all over the world from previous space missions, and space shuttles typically carry a number of tokens that are handed out in recognition of employees and others.
Courtesy: Steven Siceloff: NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center
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