STS-128 Launch tuesday, august 25 2009

[Henk Voortwijs]

L-2 Update
Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:49:11 -0500

NASA's mission management team has given the "go" to continue the launch countdown. They determined there are no issues that would prevent an on-time launch of space shuttle Discovery's STS-128 mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 1:36 a.m. EDT.

NASA's Management Team Chair, Mike Moses gave an update of the maintenance and repair projects performed preparing the shuttle for launch and said the only concern at this point was the possible inclement weather just before the external tank is fueled.

"I'm really pleased to report that launch countdown activities are proceeding nominally and we working no issues," said Launch Director Pete Nickolenko.

Nickolenko reported that there are four launch attempts available within five days from Aug. 25 through Aug. 30 and he was "96 percent certain" of being able to launch in this time frame.

The forecast for launch has improved to 80 percent for favorable weather at time of liftoff according to Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters. There is a possibility that storms could form within 5 miles of Launch Pad 39A just before fueling of the external tank violating constraints but the sea breezes could move them out of the area in time.

Rollback of the rotating service structure that protects the shuttle before launch is planned for 5 a.m. Monday and fueling of the external tank is scheduled to begin at 4:11 p.m.

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[Henk Voortwijs]

Discovery in Orbit, Chasing Space Station
Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:18:13 AM GMT+0200

With seven astronauts and a host of experiments and equipment on board, space shuttle Discovery completed a flawless ascent into orbit Friday night to begin a two-day chase of the International Space Station. With Commander Rick "C.J. " Sturckow at the controls, the shuttle lifted off on-time at 11:59 p.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will rendezvous and dock with the station Sunday and the crew will begin transferring equipment to the outpost during the 13-day mission.

After flying up on Discovery, Nicole Stott will trade places with station resident Tim Kopra, who went into space last month aboard Endeavour. Equipment and science racks for the orbiting laboratory are riding inside the Leonardo cargo module, which is secured tightly inside Discovery's payload bay. The module will be lifted out of Discovery and locked onto the station so the crew can transfer the gear efficiently. The treadmill named for comedian Stephen Colbert also is aboard Discovery and destined for the station.

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[Henk Voortwijs]

Discovery to Perform Landing Tests Wednesday
Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:52:33 -0500

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

Discovery's undocking occurred Tuesday at 3:26 p.m. and the fly-around took place about 650 feet from the station as the shuttle used its Reaction Control System jets rather than the normal Vernier thrusters.

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.

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[Henk Voortwijs]

Crew Prepares for Landing
Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:30:48 PM GMT+0200

Commander Rick Sturckow and his crew were awakened at 9:32 a.m. EDT today with the song “Big Boy Toys” by Aaron Tippin, and they should be into the deorbit preparation timeline by 12:49 p.m.

The deorbit burn for the first Kennedy Space Center, Florida landing opportunity is at 4:41 p.m., with landing at 5:48 p.m. The second Florida landing window begins with a deorbit burn at 6:17 p.m., and ends with a landing at 7:23 p.m.

The first landing opportunity for Edwards Air Force Base, California has a deorbit burn time of 7:47 p.m., with landing at 8:53 p.m. The second opportunity would start with a deorbit burn at 9:23 p.m., and end with a landing at 10:28 p.m.

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[Henk Voortwijs]

Discovery Lands in California

Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew landed at 8:53 p.m. EDT Friday at Edwards Air Force Base in California, capping off a 14-day mission to deliver supplies and research facilities to the International Space Station and its six-person crew.

Mission managers called off Friday afternoon’s landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida because of thunderstorms and otherwise unstable weather conditions.

Discovery’s arrival completes a two-week flight for Commander Rick Sturckow, Pilot Kevin Ford, and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester, Jose Hernandez, Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang. Friday was the 58th day in space for their crewmate Tim Kopra, who launched on shuttle mission STS-127 in July and spent two months on the International Space Station as an Expedition 20 crew member.

"We're very happy to be back on land here in California," STS-128 Commander Rick "C.J." Sturckow said after the astronauts got off the shuttle and surveyed their craft. "It was a great mission and we just want to thank everybody for their support."

The crew of seven astronauts, including former station resident Tim Kopra, will fly to their training base at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday. Meanwhile, technicians at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, adjacent to Edwards, will take about a week to get the spacecraft ready for its cross-country flight back to Kennedy atop a modified 747.

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