By TonyF on 8 February 2010 at 4:30AM
"..and LIFTOFF of Shuttle Endeavour: NASA's final Space Station crew compartment that brings a bay-window view to our celestial back yard!"
Endeavour lit up the night as she roared off the pad for one of the last five launches of the Shuttle program. NASA reports:
Image above: Space shuttle Endeavour roars off Launch Pad 39A on its STS-130 mission to deliver Tranquility and cupola to the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TV
› Meet the STS-130 Crew
Endeavour's STS-130 Mission
Commander George Zamka will lead the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour. Terry Virts will serve as the pilot. Mission Specialists are Nicholas Patrick, Robert Behnken, Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire. Virts will be making his first trip to space.
Shuttle Endeavour and its crew will deliver to the space station a third connecting module, the Italian-built Tranquility node and the seven-windowed cupola, which will be used as a control room for robotics. The mission will feature three spacewalks.
Image: Space shuttle Endeavour launches on the STS-130 mission. Image credit: NASA TV
Launch video at YouTube. Tracking at N2YO. Live HD coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 7 February 2010 at 11:04PM
Endeavour is fueled up for her second try early Monday. The first launch attempt was called off due to low clouds which would have hampered visibility in case the Orbiter had to return to the launch site. The ice team is currently checking for debris at the pad. NASA reports:
Image above: Looking down on space shuttle Endeavour as it stands on Launch Pad 39A. Image credit: NASA TV
› Meet the STS-130 Crew
Image: Space shuttle Endeavour's three main engines are visible in this view from Launch Pad 39A. Image credit: NASA TV
STS-130 COUNTDOWN HIGHLIGHTS
For launch Monday, Feb. 8: All Times are Listed in Eastern
| 11:44 p.m. |
The astronauts conduct a weather briefing with Flight Director Norm Knight and the Ascent Team of flight controllers in Mission Control, Houston |
| 11:54 p.m. |
The astronauts suit up for launch |
| 12:19 a.m. |
Countdown resumes at the T-3 hour mark |
| 12:24 a.m. |
The astronauts depart their crew quarters for Launch Pad 39A |
| 12:54 a.m. |
The astronauts arrive at Launch Pad 39A and begin to board Endeavour |
| 2:09 a.m. |
Endeavour's hatch is closed and latched for launch |
| 2:59 a.m. |
Countdown enters a 10-minute built-in hold at the T-20 minute mark |
| 3:09 a.m. |
Countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark |
| 3:20 a.m. |
Countdown enters a 40-minute built-in hold at the T-9 minute mark; the MMT conducts its final poll for a "go-no go" for the launch of Endeavour (this hold will be adjusted by about 5 additional minutes to become a 45-minute built-in hold designed to meet the preferred in-plane launch time of 4:39:47 a.m. EST) |
| 4:05 a.m. |
Countdown resumes at the T-9 minute mark |
| 4:09 a.m. |
APU start |
| 4:14:08 a.m. |
Launch of Endeavour on the STS-130 mission |
| 4:22:38 a.m. |
Main engine cutoff |
Additional Resources
› STS-130 Press Kit (8.4 Mb PDF)
› STS-130 Mission Summary (448 Kb PDF)
› Orbiter Status Updates
Image above: NASA's "Ice Team" is at the launch pad to inspect the exterior, fuel tank and other hardware on space shuttle Endeavour for any evidence of ice or debris. Image credit: NASA TV
Live HD coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Preflight pics are up at JSC and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 7 February 2010 at 7:42AM
Low clouds at KSC forced mission managers to postpone this morning's Shuttle launch, the first one of the year (and one of the last five missions of the program). The announcement came at 4:30AM EST, just nine minutes before liftoff time. After some deliberation about whether to delay for 24 or 48 hours, the 24-hour option was chosen. NASA reports:
Image: The six STS-130 astronauts enjoy a meal together in the crew quarters at Kennedy's Operations and Checkout Building before suiting up for launch. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
› High-res image
Managers officially have scheduled space shuttle Endeavour's next launch attempt for Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:14 a.m. EST.
The Mission Management Team will meet at 6:15 p.m. Sunday to give the "go" to fill Endeavour's external fuel tank with propellants. Tank loading would begin at 6:45 p.m.
Looks like Superbowl Sunday will be spent prepping for tomorrow morning's launch. Did you know that today's coin toss will use a flip coin that was flown on STS-129? That mission counted former NFLer Lee Melvin among its crew.
Live HD coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Preflight pics are up at JSC and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 7 February 2010 at 2:37AM
Endeavour's crew of six astronauts are all strapped in for this morning's pre-dawn Shuttle launch. NASA reports:
Image above: The STS-130 crew members wave to well-wishers as they make their way to the vehicle that will transport them to Launch Pad 39A. Image credit: NASA TV
Image above: STS-130 Commander George Zamka is being strapped into his seat on space shuttle Endeavour. Image credit: NASA TV
STS-130 COUNTDOWN HIGHLIGHTS
Sunday, Feb. 7: All Times are Listed in Eastern
| 12:09 a.m. |
The astronauts conduct a weather briefing with Flight Director Norm Knight and the Ascent Team of flight controllers in Mission Control, Houston |
| 12:19 a.m. |
The astronauts suit up for launch |
| 12:44 a.m. |
Countdown resumes at the T-3 hour mark |
| 12:49 a.m. |
The astronauts depart their crew quarters for Launch Pad 39A |
| 1:19 a.m. |
The astronauts arrive at Launch Pad 39A and begin to board Endeavour |
| 2:34 a.m. |
Endeavour's hatch is closed and latched for launch |
| 3:24 a.m. |
Countdown enters a 10-minute built-in hold at the T-20 minute mark |
| 3:34 a.m. |
Countdown resumes at the T-20 minute mark |
| 3:45 a.m. |
Countdown enters a 40-minute built-in hold at the T-9 minute mark; the MMT conducts its final poll for a "go-no go" for the launch of Endeavour (this hold will be adjusted by about 5 additional minutes to become a 45-minute built-in hold designed to meet the preferred in-plane launch time of 4:39:47 a.m. EST) |
| 4:30 a.m. |
Countdown resumes at the T-9 minute mark |
| 4:34 a.m. |
APU start |
| 4:39:47 a.m. |
Launch of Endeavour on the STS-130 mission |
| 4:48:17 a.m. |
Main engine cutoff |
Live HD coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Preflight pics are up at JSC and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 6 February 2010 at 11:01PM
Endeavour is at the launchpad and fueled up for what may be the last night launch of the Shuttle program. NASA reports:
Image above: At Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida space shuttle Endeavour sits poised for launch. Image credit: NASA TV
› Meet the STS-130 Crew
Endeavour's STS-130 Mission
Commander George Zamka will lead the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour. Terry Virts will serve as the pilot. Mission Specialists are Nicholas Patrick, Robert Behnken, Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire. Virts will be making his first trip to space.
Shuttle Endeavour and its crew will deliver to the space station a third connecting module, the Italian-built Tranquility node and the seven-windowed cupola, which will be used as a control room for robotics. The mission will feature three spacewalks.
Liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is scheduled for February 7, 2010, at 4:39 a.m. EST
Additional Resources
› STS-130 Press Kit (8.7 Mb PDF)
› STS-130 Mission Summary (448 Kb PDF)
› Reusable Solid Rocket Motor and Solid Rocket Boosters
› Fact Sheet: Remaining Shuttle Missions (1.3 Mb PDF)
Orbiter Status
› About the Orbiters
Live HD coverage at SpaceVidCast. Live video at SFN and Florida Today. Discussion at Nasaspaceflight. Preflight pics are up at JSC and Sentinel. Launch blog at NASA. Pics and video at KSC. More clips at Space Multimedia. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By Rick on 31 January 2010 at 5:00PM
In yet another blow to progress and achievement and the advancement of man, Obama aims to ax the moon mission.
http://newsmax.com/PamelaGeller/Geller-Democrats-NASA-spending/2010/01/29/id/348456
By Rick on 29 January 2010 at 1:00PM
On the eve of the fullest moon of the year, NASA scientists were told they won't be able to visit any longer. In his new budget, President Obama plans to eliminate the space program's manned moon missions.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/01/27/obama-budget-drop-nasa-constellation-program/?test=faces
By TonyF on 28 January 2010 at 8:25AM
Jan 28th marks the 24th anniversary of a terrible tragedy in the history of the Space Program: The Challenger disaster. On 28 January 1986, 7 astronauts lost their lives when Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after launch. Mission Fact sheet here; Crew info here; Video here; Image collections here and here. A new home video of the launch accident has recently come to light.
Mission STS-51L was the 25th Shuttle flight, and it carried the first "Teacher In Space", Christa McAuliffe. The Challenger, (OV-99), was the second orbiter built, and had completed 9 successful missions (starting with STS-6 in 1983) before the awful incident, which was caused by O-rings in the right solid rocket booster becoming brittle in the winter cold.
The accident rocked the nation and became embedded in the minds of an entire generation. The remains of some crewmembers were buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery, and the wreckage of the spacecraft is sealed in a missile silo at Cape Canaveral. NASA grounded the Shuttle program for more than two years while safety improvements were made.
The Challenger Learning Centers, dedicated to space science education, were founded in honor of the crew. Remember the brave men and women of Challenger, Apollo 1, and Columbia!
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