STS-114 Report #09 Saturday, July 30, 2005 – 4 p.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas Space Shuttle Discovery’s heat protective tiles and thermal blankets have been pronounced fit for entry after engineers reviewed the imagery and other data to judge their health. Analysis remains on the reinforced carbon-carbon wing leading edges and the protruding gap fillers identified earlier. Aerodynamics experts are evaluating the effect on surface heating that the gap fillers may cause to decide whet ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #08 Friday, July 29, 2005 – 11:45 p.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas Astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson will step outside for their first spacewalk, and the first of this mission, early Saturday. The six and a half hour spacewalk is scheduled to begin from Discovery’s airlock at 3:44 a.m. CDT. Discovery’s crew was awakened at 10:43 p.m. CDT by the Japanese song “Sanpo,“ sung by a group of children, including Noguchi’s. The Station ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #07 Friday, July 29, 2005 – 6 p.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas Space Shuttle and International Space Station crewmembers installed the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module and began unloading the pressurized cargo carrier Friday. They also carried out a survey of selected areas of Discovery's thermal protection system and continued preparations for Saturday's spacewalk. Engineering analysis continues on the imagery collected so far, but no apparently serious problems with ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #06 Thursday, July 28, 2005 – 11 p.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas The first full day of joint Space Shuttle and International Space Station operations will be highlighted by installation of a cargo transportation module, additional orbiter heat shield inspections and spacewalk preparations. Discovery’s crew was awakened at 10:39 p.m. CDT by the song “Vertigo“ by U2 played for Pilot Jim Kelly. Capcom Shannon Lucid noted during the wakeup call that Kelly, wh ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #05 Thursday, July 28, 2005 – 4:30 p.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas The Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station smoothly and right on time Thursday morning, after doing a planned back flip so Station crewmembers could photograph its thermal protection system. Discovery Commander Eileen Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly flew Discovery through the rendezvous pitch maneuver about 600 feet below the Station about an hour before docking. The photos taken by St ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #04 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 – 11:45 p.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas Visitors on a Space Shuttle will arrive at the International Space Station for the first time in over two years today. The Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to catch up and dock to the Station at 6:18 a.m. CDT Thursday. During Discovery’s approach to the Station, Commander Eileen Collins will pause with the orbiter 600 feet below the Station and perform the first Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver. The moti ...Continue Reading

Coasting Arc #10 (begining on orbit 29) --------------------------------------- Vector Time (GMT): 2005/209/09:57:06.352 Vector Time (MET): 001/19:18:06.352 Weight (LBS) : 245980.5 M50 Cartesian M50 Keplerian ----------------------------------- -------------------------------- X = 4893693.35 A = 6736785.71 meter Y = 4526093.86 meter E = .0007635 Z = -956038.99 I ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #03 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 – 4 p.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas Discovery crewmembers completed a camera survey of the heat shields of the leading edges of the orbiter's wings and its nose cone Wednesday. They also began preparations for Thursday's docking with the International Space Station and the mission’s spacewalks. Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Charlie Camarda do ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #02 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - Midnight CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas The crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery has awakened to its first full day in space. Today it will focus on thermal protection system inspections, preparing for docking to the International Space Station and getting spacesuits ready for three spacewalks. Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Charlie Camarda received a wake ...Continue Reading

STS-114 Report #01 Tuesday, July 26, 2005 – 11 a.m. CDT Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas Discovery launched into a clear Florida sky this morning, returning the Shuttle fleet to space and beginning a journey of exploration to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Discovery lifted off at 9:39 a.m. central time today following a flawless countdown. Over the next 11 days, Discovery’s seven person crew will demonstrate techniques for inspecting and protecting the Shuttle’s thermal protection system a ...Continue Reading