STS-114 Mission Journal  

STS-114 Mission Journal - Part 6

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Discovery undocking from the ISS. NASA PHOTO NO: ISS011-E-11536
SHUTTLE UPDATE:
DISCOVERY LANDS!
NASA image of the STS-114 mission patch.
LEFT: Discovery leaving the International Space Station.
RIGHT: STS-114 Mission Patch.

 
  • 08 August 2005 - Evening Update - Flight Day 15 starts tonight, as we look towards an early Tuesday homecoming. NASA reports:

    Landing Rescheduled for Tuesday
    Sunrise over Discovery's tail. NASA PHOTO NO: S114-E-7646The crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery was awakened at 8:39 p.m. EDT today to prepare for landing Tuesday morning. "We sure hope we get our feet on the ground today," Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence radioed down after the wake-up call.
    Low clouds at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida prevented the orbiter from landing Monday. Similar weather conditions are expected for the Tuesday landing opportunities in Florida, so all three primary Shuttle landing sites will be activated.
    KSC will remain the preferred landing site. Edwards Air Force Base, California, will be second in preference for landing and White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, will be third in preference. Two Shuttle landing opportunities will be available at each site.
    Weather forecasters will be watching the skies over Florida for the first landing opportunity, which would begin with a deorbit engine firing at 4:01 a.m. EDT and lead to a touchdown at KSC at 5:07 a.m. EDT.
  • 08 August - Afternoon Update - Discovery's crew enjoyed an extra free day in space today. This article has the new landing schedule. Officials are hoping to land in Florida, but if the weather doesn't cooperate, we may be looking at California. NASA reports:

    Landing Postponed to Tuesday
    Mission Control in Houston postpones Discovery's landing and prepares for a Tuesday touchdown. Image credit: NASAWeather conditions at Kennedy Space Center have forced a postponement of Monday's landing to Tuesday. The forecast in Florida remains unstable calling for low-level cloud cover and the potential for rain showers at the landing site.
    Unlike launches for which a "go" for liftoff can be given within minutes of changing weather conditions during the launch window, the landing site must be chosen more than an hour before touchdown, when the deorbit burn takes place. A switch in sites usually can be made up to 90 minutes prior to landing.

    Get up early, or stay up late, and watch the landing with us! Previous landing info below. Updated info is on the STS-114 Home Page.

    STS-114 Flight Facts

    Landing: 8 August 2005, 4:46AM EDT (0846 GMT)
    Landing Facility: Kennedy Space Center (target)
    Orbit Period: 91.6 minutes (201 full orbits)
    Duration: 12 Days, 18 Hours, 7 Minutes
  • 08 August 2005 - WAVE OFF! - NASA has delayed Discovery's landing by one day, due to weather concerns at KSC, setting the next opportunity for Tuesday morning. NASA reports:

    Landing Waved Off for Monday
    The ISS, seen from Discovery as the orbiter undocks. NASA PHOTO NO: S114-E-7246Due to low clouds at the Kennedy Space Center landing site, Mission Control Houston has waved off both landing opportunities for Space Shuttle Discovery today. STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins and the rest of the crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery will return the orbiter to normal flight operations for another day. The next opportunity is at 5:08 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
    There are several opportunities to land tomorrow, including two at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and two at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

    Check out NASA's new Landing play-By-Play.

  • 08 August 2005 - 3:44AM EDT - Low clouds have caused a wave-off of the first landing attempt. NASA reports:

    First Landing Opportunity Waved Off
    Discovery undocks from the International Space Station. NASA PHOTO NO: ISS011-E-11536Due to low clouds at the Kennedy Space Center landing site, Mission Control Houston has waved off the first landing opportunity for Space Shuttle Discovery today. STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins and the rest of the crew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery are still working through their landing checklist, working toward the second opportunity at 6:22 a.m. EDT.
    If the crew gets the go-ahead from Mission Control for the second landing opportunity, Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly will execute an engine burn that drops Discovery from orbit at 5:15 a.m. EDT.
    Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, on his last day in space, offered a glimpse of his experience on a historic spacewalk and other mission events during the first podcast delivered from orbit.
    + Listen to the podcast

    The second landing attempt would bring the total orbits up to 202. Flight Day 13 videos are up.

    DirecTV customers can watch NASA TV on channel 376, and it's on the web here. CNN presentation here.

  • 08 August 2005 - LANDING DAY - Discovery is buttoned up and ready for re-entry. With weather at KSC looking good, the payload bay doors have been closed, and we await the order for de-orbit burn, which should come at 3:21 AM EDT. NASA reports:

    Payload Bay Doors Closed for Landing
    Space Shuttle Discovery in orbit. Credit: NASASpacecraft Communicator Ken Ham in Mission Control Houston called Space Shuttle Discovery with an optimistic weather report for landing today. The first landing opportunity is at 4:47 a.m. EDT.
    Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and the rest of the crew are well into their preparations for landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One important milestone, closing the orbiter's payload bay doors, was executed after the weather report and an official "go" from Mission Control.
    If the crew gets the go-ahead from Mission Control for the first landing opportunity, Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly will execute an engine burn that drops Discovery from orbit at 3:40 a.m. EDT. If weather prohibits landing on that orbit, Discovery will have another opportunity about 90 minutes later.

    Check the play-by-play links at top right, and watch live on NASA TV. CBS video coverage hereLanding Schedule and Ground Tracks available.

  • 07 August - Evening Update - Sunday night into Monday morning marks Flight Day 14, where Discovery's seven astronauts will return home. NASA reports:

    Landing Day Arrives
    On Discovery's flight deck, STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins, center, is flanked by Mission Specialist Steve Robinson on the left and Pilot Jim Kelly. Robinson will serve as the flight engineer on the flight deck during re-entry. NASA PHOTO NO: STS114-E-5184"We're looking forward to coming home," Commander Eileen Collins radioed to Mission Control upon crew wakeup at 8:30 p.m. EDT today.
    Collins and her crewmates immediately began preparing the orbiter and themselves for landing. Their first landing opportunity is at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:47 a.m. Monday. If weather prohibits landing on that orbit, they will have another opportunity about 90 minutes later.
    If the crew gets the go-ahead from Mission Control for the first landing opportunity, Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly will execute an engine burn that drops Discovery from orbit at 3:40 a.m.
    Listen to a podcast from space: Mission Specialist Steve Robinson, on his last day in space, gives a glimpse of his experience on a historic spacewalk and other mission events.

    Stay tuned for live coverage.


  • 07 August 2005 - Sunday - Heading home. Discovery is slated to land early Monday morning, taking a new ground track. Weather at KSC is looking good. NASA reports:

    Discovery's Voyage Nears an End
    Need a hand? STS-114 Mission Specialist Steve Robinson carried spacesuit gloves through a hatch while Space Shuttle Discovery was still docked with the International Space Station. NASA PHOTO NO: S114-E-7123Space Shuttle Discovery flies alone. Its crew was awakened at 8:39 p.m. EDT for the last full day of spaceflight before landing, which is scheduled for 4:46 a.m. EDT Monday.
    This will be a quiet day aboard Discovery for the crew, who spent nearly nine days in joint operations with the International Space Station's Expedition 11 crew before undocking early Saturday. Together, they transferred tons of supplies and equipment to and from the Station, conducted three spacewalks and experimented with techniques for repairing the Shuttle's heat shields.
    The soft black underbelly of Discovery. NASA PHOTO NO: S114-E-6412STS-114, dubbed the most photographed spaceflight, set a new precedent for future test flights. Never-before-seen imagery aided engineers in assessing the Shuttle’s external tank performance and ensuring a safe heat shield for return to Earth.
    A mission of firsts, STS-114 carried the Orbiter's Boom Sensor System on its maiden flight, performed the first back-flip in spaceflight and successfully completed a first-of-its-kind repair to the Shuttle, making spacewalk history. Discovery was the first Space Shuttle to visit the Station since late 2002.
    The two crews paid tribute to the astronauts and cosmonauts who have given their lives for space exploration.

    Flight Day 12 pics and videos are up, as well as the Mission Status Briefing.



STS-114 Links...


Play-By-Play:

Spaceflight Now!

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Space.com

CBS News

MSNBC


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CNN Mission Guide

NASA Preflight Briefing

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ISS Reference:

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