Shuttle Discovery returned to Florida today from a successful two-week mission to the ISS. NASA reports:
Discovery Lands at Kennedy
Image above: Space shuttle Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Photo credit: NASA TVSpace shuttle Discovery glided through a clear Florida sky this morning before touching down safely at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 11:15 a.m. EDT. With Commander Mark Kelly at the controls, the shuttle ended two weeks in space that saw the crew install the large Japanese Pressurized Module on the International Space Station. The 36-foot-long cylinder is the largest habitable module on the space station.
Kelly, Pilot Ken Ham and Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Greg Chamitoff and Japan’s Akihiko Hoshide launched from Kennedy on May 31. Chamitoff remained on the International Space Station for a six-month mission in space. He replaces Garrett Reisman, who came back with Discovery’s crew.
The crew will remain inside Discovery for about an hour, going through a number of procedures so ground crews can move in and ready the shuttle for its slow trip to its processing hangar.
STS-124 Mission Stats
Image above: Space shuttle Discovery jettisons its drag chute as it rolls down the runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery landed on-time at 11:15 a.m. EDT to end the STS-124 mission. Image credit: NASALanded: Sat., June 14, 2008, 11:15 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
Mission Elapsed Time: 13 days, 18 hours, 13 minutes, 7 secsOfficial Landing Times
Main gear touchdown: 11:15:19 a.m. EDT
Nose gear touchdown: 11:15:30 a.m. EDT
Wheels stop: 11:16:19 a.m. EDT
Total miles: 5.7 million
Live chat at Bad Astronomy. Discussions at Nasaspaceflight. Official NASA landing blog here.
Landing video here. Landing pics at KSC. Discussion here. Status Report #29 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
“Discovery … wrapping up a 5.7-million-mile mission to further expand the global city in space.”
Discovery glided home through sunny Florida skies. Fox News was covering the landing live with former astronaut Thomas Jones. NASA reports:
Discovery Lands in Florida
Image above: Space shuttle Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Photo credit: NASA› Share your comments about the mission
With Commander Mark Kelly and Pilot Ken Ham at the controls, space shuttle Discovery descended to a smooth landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The STS-124 crew concluded their successful assembly mission to the International Space Station when the shuttle landed at 11:15 a.m. EDT.
The STS-124 crew arrived at the station June 2, delivering the second component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory and a new Expedition 17 crew member – Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff – to the station. Chamitoff took the place of Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who is returning to Earth as a member of the Discovery crew.
STS-124 is the 123rd shuttle mission and 26th shuttle flight to visit the space station.
Live chat at Bad Astronomy. Discussions at Nasaspaceflight. Official NASA landing blog here.
Deorbit burn video here. Landing video here. Look for landing pics and video at KSC. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
Discovery has fired her OMS engines and is headed for a landing at KSC’s Runway 15. NASA reports:
Discovery Headed Home
Image above: A graphic representation of space shuttle Discovery’s re-entry path. Photo credit: NASA› Share your comments about the mission
Commander Mark Kelly performed the deorbit burn at 10:10 a.m. EDT to begin space shuttle Discovery’s descent to Kennedy Space Center for landing. Discovery is expected to land at 11:15 a.m. on runway 15 at the shuttle landing facility.
The STS-124 crew arrived at the International Space Station June 2, delivering the second component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory and a new Expedition 17 crew member – Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff – to the station. Chamitoff took the place of Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who is returning to Earth as a member of the Discovery crew.
STS-124 is the 123rd shuttle mission and 26th shuttle flight to visit the space station.
Live chat at Bad Astronomy. Discussions at Nasaspaceflight. Official NASA landing blog here.
Mission pics from Florida Today and CF13News. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
Flight Day 15 should be Homecoming Day for the seven astronauts of Discovery’s crew, now including Garrett Reisman. Weather at KSC is looking good. The payload bay doors are closed, and deorbit burn is scheduled for 10:10AM EDT. NASA reports:
Two Landing Opportunities Today
Image above: This image displays the long-range ground track for Discovery’s first landing opportunity tomorrow at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image credit: NASA› Share your comments about the mission
Two landing opportunities are available for space shuttle Discovery and the STS-124 crew to return to Earth today.
Discovery’s first landing opportunity is at 11:15 a.m. EDT on orbit 217. If controllers elect to take it, Commander Mark Kelly will perform the deorbit burn at 10:10 a.m. to begin the descent to Kennedy. Orbit 218 provides a second opportunity at 12:50 p.m.
Forecasters predict good weather at the landing site.
The STS-124 crew arrived at the station June 2, delivering the second component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory and a new Expedition 17 crew member – Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff – to the station. Chamitoff took the place of Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who is returning to Earth as a member of the Discovery crew.
STS-124 is the 123rd shuttle mission and 26th shuttle flight to visit the space station.
STS-124 Mission Information
› STS-124 Landing Ground Tracks
› STS-124 Mission TV Schedule
› STS-124 Execute Packages
› STS-124 Mission Summary (539 Kb PDF)
› STS-124 Press Kit (7 Mb PDF)
› Meet the Crew
Live chat at Bad Astronomy. Discussions at Nasaspaceflight. Official NASA landing blog here.
Flight Day 14 Highlights and Mission Status Briefing are up at Space Multimedia. Flight Day 12 images and Flight Day 14 videos are up at the JSC Gallery. Lotsa Youtube goodness at Space Get. Status Report #28 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
With their mission at the ISS wrapped up and the orbiter inspected, Discovery’s crew is getting ready to come home tomorrow morning. NASA reports:
Discovery Crew Prepares for Saturday’s Landing
Image above: Space shuttle Discovery is pictured from the International Space Station shortly after undocking. The shuttle’s robotic arm with the orbiter boom sensor system extends over its empty payload bay. Photo credit: NASA› Share your comments about the mission
The crew members of space shuttle Discovery are spending today getting ready for their return home and the end of the STS-124 mission. Among the preparations is a test of the thrusters that will be used to position the orbiter for re-entry and the control surfaces for its flight through the atmosphere.
The STS-124 astronauts also will set up the recumbent seat for Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman, who joined the crew of Discovery on the International Space Station. Reisman, who served as Expedition 17 flight engineer for three months, was replaced on the station crew by NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff.
STS-124 arrived at the station June 2, delivering the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM), the second and largest component of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory. The tour bus-sized JPM was attached to the left side of the Harmony connecting node by shuttle and station crew members during a series of three spacewalks.
Discovery is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., tomorrow.
STS-124 Mission Information
› STS-124 Landing Ground Tracks
› STS-124 Mission TV Schedule
› STS-124 Execute Packages
› STS-124 Mission Summary (539 Kb PDF)
› STS-124 Press Kit (7 Mb PDF)
› Meet the Crew
Flight Day 13 Highlights and Mission Status Briefing are up at Space Multimedia. Flight Day 13 videos are up at the JSC Gallery. Watch KSC for landing pics. Discussion here. Status Report #26 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
