News From Space!

Sunday features the second EVA of Discovery’s mission. This morning’s job is to prep a girder-like structure (supporting solar panels) to move to a new spot on the Station. NASA reports:

Astronauts Go to Work Outside Space Station

Image Above: STS-120 spacewalkers exit the Quest airlock to begin the second spacewalk of the mission. Image credit: NASA TV

Astronauts are working outside the International Space Station for the second time during the STS-120 mission. The main objective of today’s spacewalk, which began at 5:32 a.m. EDT, is the preparation of the Port 6, or P6, truss segment for its relocation.

Parazynski and Tani began the spacewalk heading to the section where the P6 truss was attached to the Z1 truss. Once there they disconnected the umbilicals and bolts holding the two trusses together. Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Doug Wheelock used the station robotic arm to remove the P6. They will place the solar array section in a temporary holding position for tonight before handing it off to the shuttle’s robotic arm Monday morning.

Tani performed a couple of inspections requested by mission managers. He inspected handrails on a Crew and Equipment Translation Aid cart for sharp edges. He also inspected a rotary joint used to rotate solar arrays on the starboard side of the truss. The joint has been showing some increased friction lately, though Tani was unable to identify the cause. Mission Control requested Tani take photographs of the rotary joint for further examination on the ground.

Parazynski is outfitting the Harmony node with handholds and other equipment. Both spacewalkers will finish up their tasks when they install a new grapple fixture to Harmony. The station’s robotic arm will use the grapple fixture next month when it reinstalls Harmony to the front of the Destiny laboratory.

The excursion is scheduled to last 6 hours and 40 minutes. Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli will be the spacewalk coordinator, assisting the spacewalkers with their tasks.

Flight Day 4 pics and Flight Day 5 videos are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Status Report #11 here. More video clips here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Happy Friday… the first of the mission’s five EVAs is underway. NASA reports:

Spacewalkers Go to Work to Expand Station

Image Above: STS-120 Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock rides the station’s robotic arm into Discovery’s payload bay. Image credit: NASA TV

STS-120 Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock kicked off STS-120’s first spacewalk at 6:02 a.m. EDT to prepare Harmony for removal from Discovery’s payload bay. The excursion is scheduled to wrap up at about 12:32 p.m.

Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli is the spacewalk coordinator, assisting the spacewalkers with their tasks from inside the spacecraft. Mission Specialists Stephanie Wilson and Clay Anderson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Daniel Tani are at the controls of the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm.

The spacewalkers have removed and stowed the S-band Antenna Structural Assembly. They will secure a Payload and Data Grapple Fixture onto Harmony that could not be in place during launch, remove contamination covers and disconnect the power cables linking Harmony to Discovery.

The station robotic arm operators then will remove Harmony from the payload bay and begin moving it toward its position on Unity. Finally, the spacewalkers will prepare the P6 truss for its relocation.

Flight Day 3 pics and video are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Status Report #07 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Discovery has completed the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver, and is about to dock to the ISS. Capture should happen at 8:45AM EDT, a few minutes after the original schedule. NASA reports:

Docking Nears for Discovery, Flip Maneuver Complete

Image Above: Discovery orbits the Earth above the Andes Mountains while approaching the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA TV

Space Shuttle Discovery is approaching the International Space Station. Docking is slated to take place at 8:33 a.m. EDT today. Discovery’s arrival will set the stage for the next phase of the station’s on-orbit construction and a change in the Expedition 16 crew.

Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka fired Discovery’s engines at 5:55 a.m. to refine the approach to the station. Melroy and Zamka performed a back-flip maneuver over an hour and a half later allowing the Expedition 16 crew to photograph the shuttle’s protective heat-resistant tiles. The imagery will be sent to engineers on Earth for analysis.

Station Crew to Greet New Visitors Aboard Station

Image Above: The International Space Station is viewed from Discovery’s orbiter docking ring several hundred feet away. Image credit: NASA TV

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Clay Anderson will welcome a new set of visitors aboard the International Space Station today. Space Shuttle Discovery is slated to dock with the station at 8:33 a.m. EDT and the STS-120 crew will enter the station for the first time about 10:30 a.m.

One of the first major tasks is the station crew rotation. STS-120 Mission Specialist Daniel Tani will switch places with Anderson, who will be wrapping up a four-month tour of duty as an Expedition crew member. Tani is scheduled to stay on the station until he returns to Earth with STS-122 later this year.

The two crews will also begin joint operations to begin preparations for STS-120’s first spacewalk to continue the on-orbit construction of the station. A new station module, called Harmony, will be attached to the station and sets the stage for the arrival of new research laboratories.

Five spacewalks are scheduled during Discovery’s stay at the station to attach Harmony and to relocate the station’s P6 truss and solar arrays.

In addition to Harmony, Discovery is delivering supplies and equipment to the station.

Live discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Thursday will see Discovery dock with the ISS. NASA reports:

Docking Nears for Discovery, Space Station

Image Above: Space shuttle Discovery’s robotic arm with the attached boom extension is moved into position shortly after completion of the heat shield inspection. Image credit: NASA

Space Shuttle Discovery is approaching the International Space Station. Docking is slated to take place at 8:33 a.m. EDT today. Discovery’s arrival will set the stage for the next phase of the station’s on-orbit construction and a change in the Expedition 16 crew.

+ View docking animation
+ View rendezvous animation
+ View rendezvous pitch maneuver animation
+ View shuttle approaching the space station animation

Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka fired Discovery’s engines at 5:55 a.m. to refine the approach to the station. About an hour before docking, Melroy and Zamka will guide the shuttle through a back-flip maneuver that will allow the Expedition 16 crew to photograph the shuttle’s protective heat-resistant tiles. The imagery will be sent to engineers on Earth for analysis.

After Discovery docks, the shuttle and station crews will conduct pressure and leak checks before the hatches between the two spacecraft open at 10:33 a.m. The crews will greet each other and quickly begin joint operations.

One of the first major tasks is the station crew rotation. STS-120 Mission Specialist Daniel Tani will switch places with Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson, who will be wrapping up a four-month tour of duty as an Expedition crew member. Tani is scheduled to stay on the station until he returns to Earth with STS-122 later this year.

Also, preparations will begin today for the first of five scheduled STS-120 spacewalks. It is set to kick off at 6:28 a.m. Friday.

Flight Day 2 videos are up at the JSC Gallery. ABC Pics here. Discussion here. Status Report #05 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Discovery rocketed to orbit this morning, carrying 7 astronauts and the Space Station’s new Harmony node, which will allow connection of labs from Europe and Japan. NASA reports:

NASA Hails Smooth Launch

Image Above: Space shuttle Discovery leaps from its launch pad Tuesday morning to start STS-120. Photo courtesy of Reuters/Scott Audette
+ View larger image

NASA officials and launch managers were pleased Tuesday following a clean countdown and flawless launch of space shuttle Discovery from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Launch Director Mike Leinbach said the launch team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center was able to study a potential problem of ice buildup without jeopardizing the shuttle while still launching on time.

“It was one of the cleanest countdowns we’ve had since I’ve been launch director,” Leinbach said.

Discovery and its seven astronauts have a tight schedule that calls for placing the new Harmony segment to the International Space Station, moving a tower of solar arrays already in space to a new location and overseeing the station crew rotation that will see Discovery astronaut Dan Tani and station resident Clayton Anderson switch places.

“(There is) just a tremendous set of challenges in front of us,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for Space Operations.

There won’t be much time to savor the liftoff, though, because preparations are already under way to get Atlantis over to the launch pad for a Dec. 6 launch.

“This is exactly what the (launch) teams have trained multiple years for,” Gerstenmaier said.

See the launch video here and here. Flight Day 1 pics are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Status Report #01 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Discovery has lifted off on mission STS-120!

“…lift-off of Discovery hoisting Harmony to the heavens and opening new gateways for international science!”

Play-by-play here.

Discovery is due to launch tomorrow, if the weather cooperates. Work at the pad continues. NASA reports:

Space Shuttle Discovery is Ready; Weather Remains a Concern

The countdown to launch of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-120 mission is proceeding smoothly at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Test Director Steve Payne announced at this morning’s countdown status briefing.

“At this point in the count, we’re on schedule, our systems are all good and we’re in great shape,” Payne said, adding that the launch team is not tracking any technical issues.

Image Above: With the rotating service structure retracted, Space shuttle Discovery stands at Launch Pad 39A where it is undergoing final preparations for launch on Tuesday. Image credit: NASA TV

However, the weather forecast for Tuesday continues to pose a threat to NASA’s launch plans. Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters reported that the seabreeze could begin developing by the 11:38 a.m. EDT launch time. There is a 60-percent chance that cumulus clouds, showers and a low cloud ceiling could keep Discovery grounded.

Because launch times are earlier each day, the forecast improves slightly for Wednesday and Thursday, with a 40-percent probability of weather prohibiting liftoff.

Discovery’s crew of seven astronauts arrived in Florida on Friday and have been going through final checklists and preparations for Tuesday’s liftoff.

Discovery is scheduled to return to Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 4:47 a.m. Nov. 6.

Mission Information
+ STS-120 Mission Overview
+ Harmony Node 2
+ Space Shuttle Discovery

Media Resources
+ Mission TV Schedule
+ Press Kit (9.1 Mb PDF)
+ Fact Sheet (2 Mb PDF)

Preflight pics are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. News resources here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.

Researchers in England have developed their own flying saucer — and it might be going to work for the U.S. and British militaries.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,302346,00.html