First Photo: Shuttle Discovery’s Trail Into Space As Seen from Over 70,000 Feet in a Balloon “This photo was taken from an an altitude of over 70,000 feet (still being determined exactly) at 5:20 pm EST on 24 February 2011. The camera used was the lowest resolution camera on board the Robonaut-1 balloon – a Motorola Droid X smartphone. You can see the plume left by Space Shuttle Discovery as […]
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Shuttle Discovery’s lead spacewalker hurt in accident, Spaceflight Now “Space station veteran Timothy Kopra, scheduled for launch Feb. 24 aboard the shuttle Discovery, was injured in a bicycle accident Saturday, a NASA official said. The injury was not life threatening and the NASA official, citing medical privacy issues, provided no additional details. But multiple sources said Kopra may have broken his hip, raising the prospect of a significant impact to […]
Discovery’s Early February Launch Opportunity Delayed as Work Continues on External Tank “The Space Shuttle Program held its weekly Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) meeting today to review progress on the continuing engineering investigation, testing and analysis regarding shuttle Discovery’s external fuel tank stringer crack issue. With the work remaining, the potential for additional modifications yet to be defined, and further reviews pending, the decision was made today to allow […]
Shuttle engineers consider beefing up all tank ‘stringers’, Spaceflight Now “If that decision is made, it is unlikely NASA could complete the work, repair the tank’s foam insulation and get Discovery back out to the launch pad in time to support a launch attempt during the next available window, which opens Feb. 3 and closes Feb. 10. Work to beef up all 108 stringers at the top of the intertank […]
Technicians to Place 89 Sensors on Tank for Test, NASA “Technicians will work this weekend to prepare space shuttle Discovery’s external tank for a tanking test planned for no earlier than Wednesday. Because the test hopes to glean a great deal of information, technicians will place 89 instruments including strain gauges to the tank to precisely record movement and temperatures from the tank’s ribbed intertank area as it chills and […]
NASA Targets Shuttle Discovery’s Launch For No Earlier Than Feb. 3 “NASA managers have targeted space shuttle Discovery’s launch for no earlier than Feb. 3 at 1:34 a.m. EST. Shuttle managers determined more tests and analysis are needed before proceeding with the launch of the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. The Program Requirements Control Board met Thursday and reviewed engineering evaluations associated with cracks on two 21-foot-long, U-shaped […]
NASA to delay launch of Discovery again, Orlando Sentinel “NASA plans to delay the final launch of space shuttle Discovery at least until February, according to a source. The problem remains the cracks discovered in the shuttle’s external fuel tank last month. NASA’s Program Requirements Control Board has reviewed repairs and engineering evaluations associated with cracks on two 21-foot-long, U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, on the tank but decided the […]
NASA Reschedules Shuttle Launch Status Meeting, Discovery’s Launch No Earlier Than Dec. 3 “NASA managers have postponed a launch status meeting and news conference planned for Monday, Nov. 22. The Kennedy Space Center will begin the launch countdown no earlier than Nov. 30. That would support a launch attempt for Discovery no earlier than Dec. 3 at approximately 2:52 a.m. EST.”
Discovery’s Cargo Arrives at Launch Pad for Final Flight, Ken Kremer “Discovery’s primary cargo is a new module for the International Space Station which will provide much needed storage space for the resident crew of the orbiting outpost. The module -or PMM – will be the last permanent addition to be contributed by the United States to the ISS. The secondary cargo element is the Express Logistics Carrier-4 which will […]