By TonyF on 11 March 2009 at 10:19PM
Mission managers have further delayed the next launch date for Shuttle Discovery. A hydrogen leak at the launch pad caused today's scheduled launch to be scrubbed, and now it looks like the earliest they can fly is Sunday evening. The crew had not yet boarded when the leak was detected, about two hours into the tanking procedure. Due to conflicts with the upcoming Soyuz launch to the ISS, this delay may lead to a curtailing of STS-119. NASA reports:
Image: The sun sets behind space shuttle Discovery as it sits poised for launch to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA
› View larger image
The STS-119 mission to the International Space Station now is targeted for no earlier than March 15. Wednesday's planned liftoff was scrubbed due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank.
The official launch date will depend on the work necessary to repair the problem. NASA managers will meet again Thursday at 4 p.m. to assess the troubleshooting plan. Liftoff on March 15 would be at 7:43 p.m. EDT.
Image: The hydrogen vent line connects to the external tank for space shuttle Discovery. Photo Credit: NASA TV
› View Larger Image
Additional Resources
› STS-119 Flow Valve Fact Sheet (447 Kb PDF)
› STS-119 Mission Summary (562 Kb PDF)
› STS-119 Fact Sheet (788 Kb PDF)
› STS-119 Press Kit (5.06 Mb PDF)
› STS-119 Information for Educators
News video at WESH and MSNBC. Clips from the pad and press conference at YouTube. Preflight pics are up at the JSC Gallery. More preflight pics and video at KSC and Miami Herald. Discussions at NasaSpaceFlight and SlashDot. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 11 March 2009 at 3:41PM
A leak of gaseous hydrogen at the pad has prompted mission managers to postpone tonight’s scheduled Discovery launch for one day. The scrub was announced at 2:37PM EDT. NASA reports:
A slight leak in the gaseous hydrogen vent line at Launch Pad 39A prompted NASA officials to scrub Wednesday night’s attempt to launch space shuttle Discovery on STS-119. The scrub was ordered at 2:37 p.m. EDT. The launch team is resetting to make another attempt Thursday night at 8:54 p.m. EDT.
News clip (pre-scrub) at CFNews13. Preflight pics are up at the JSC Gallery. More preflight pics and video at KSC and Miami Herald. Discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 11 March 2009 at 12:23PM
Shuttle Discovery is being fueled for tonight's launch on mission STS-119 to the International Space Station. NASA reports:
Image: A nearly full Moon sets as the space shuttle Discovery sits atop Launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
› High-res Image
Space shuttle Discovery's external tank is being filled with more than 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The three-hour operation began at 11:56 a.m. EDT. There still is a 95 percent chance that weather will not affect the 9:20 p.m. launch of STS-119. The forecast also is favorable at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, Edwards Air Force Base in California and all three overseas Transatlantic sites, should an abort landing be necessary.
Preflight pics are up at the JSC Gallery and Miami Herald. More preflight pics and video at KSC. Discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 11 March 2009 at 8:31AM
Launch Day has finally arrived for the seven astronauts of Shuttle Discovery. The crew will head to Pad 39A at about 6PM EDT to begin strapping into the orbiter for liftoff at 9:20PM EDT. NASA reports:
Image: STS-119 Commander Lee Archambault and Pilot Tony Antonelli practice landing a space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility. A Gulfstream II business jet has been modified to mimic the shuttle as it glides back to Earth. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
› High-res Image
Commander Lee Archambault will lead Discovery's crew of seven, along with Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata on mission STS-119 to the International Space Station.
The Discovery crew members are set to fly the S6 truss segment and install the final set of power-generating solar arrays to the International Space Station. The S6 truss will complete the backbone of the station and provide one-fourth of the total power needed to support a crew of six.
Additional Resources
› STS-119 Flow Valve Fact Sheet (447 Kb PDF)
› STS-119 Mission Summary (562 Kb PDF)
› STS-119 Fact Sheet (788 Kb PDF)
› STS-119 Press Kit (5.06 Mb PDF)
› STS-119 Information for Educators
Preflight pics are up at the JSC Gallery. More preflight pics and video at KSC. Discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
Recent Comments