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By TonyF on 7 November 2007 at 3:23PM
At around 2:10PM EST, all the astronauts are off Discovery and aboard the Crew Tranport Vehicle. NASA reports:
Image Above: Space shuttle Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Image credit: NASA
+ View Hi-Res Image
Space shuttle Discovery descended to a smooth landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., concluding a successful assembly mission to the International Space Station. With Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka at the controls, Discovery landed at 1:01 p.m. EST.
During its stay at the station, which began Oct. 25, the STS-120 crew continued the on-orbit construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss.
The crew installed Harmony Oct. 26 and did four spacewalks at the station. During the third spacewalk, the crew installed the P6 truss and solar array pair in its permanent location outboard of the port truss. The fourth spacewalk was changed during the mission so that the crew could repair a torn solar array on the P6 truss. Following the successful repair work, the crew was able to fully deploy the solar array.
Discovery also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Daniel Tani.
STS-120 is the 120th shuttle mission and 23rd mission to visit the space station. The next mission, STS-122, is slated to launch in December.
Landing videos here. Discussion here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV. Live video at CFNews13 and Florida Today.
By TonyF on 7 November 2007 at 2:04PM
 Shuttle Commander Pam Melroy has landed Discovery safely on KSC Runway 33, wrapping up a 6.25-million mile mission!
By TonyF on 7 November 2007 at 12:08PM
Discovery is heading home! NASA reports:
STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka fired Space Shuttle Discovery’s jets at 11:59 a.m. EST to begin the descent to Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Discovery is scheduled to touch down at Kennedy at 1:01 p.m. to end its mission to the International Space Station.
+ View landing ground tracks
Discovery undocked from the station Monday to end its almost-11-day stay and begin the trip home.
Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV. Live video at CFNews13 and Florida Today.
By TonyF on 7 November 2007 at 11:00AM
Discovery should be landing today shortly after 1PM EST, at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Weather is looking good. NASA reports:
Image Above: The path for space shuttle Discovery's first landing opportunity takes it over the heartland of the United States. Image credit: NASA
Space shuttle Discovery is ready to return home with landing planned for the first of two opportunities to the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 1:01 p.m. EST today. The seven astronauts on board the shuttle completed final preparations Tuesday.
Landing preparations included testing flight control systems and thruster jets, stowing equipment and installing a special reclining seat for Clay Anderson, who is returning after more than five months on board the International Space Station. Later, the crew oversaw an orbit adjust maneuver to optimize landing opportunities with weather forecasts indicating favorable conditions for Wednesday’s landing.
This morning, Entry Team Flight Director Bryan Lunney and his team are overseeing Discovery’s reentry and landing with the deorbit burn set for 11:59 a.m. The 1 minute, 58 second burn will slow Discovery by 148 miles per hour (217 feet per second) for the reentry across the heartland of the United States traveling from the northwest to southeast.
A second landing opportunity also is available about 90 minutes later. Lunney will consider Florida only for today’s landing attempts with plenty of consumables on board to stay in space through Saturday, if necessary.
Flight Day 15 videos are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Status Report #31 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV. Live video at CFNews13 and Florida Today.
By TonyF on 6 November 2007 at 11:16AM
Discovery is set to come home tomorrow afternoon (Nov 7) after a long, but successful, mission to the ISS. The orbiter's landing track will take Discovery over the US for the first time since Columbia disintegrated over the American South. NASA reports:
 Image Above: The STS-120 crew members aboard Discovery take a break from landing preparations on Tuesday to talk to reporters. Image credit: NASA TV
The seven astronauts on board space shuttle Discovery completed final preparations Tuesday for their return home with landing planned for the first of two opportunities to the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at 1:02 p.m. EST Wednesday.
In preparation for the return home, the crew tested flight control systems and thruster jets, stowed equipment and installed a special reclining seat for Clay Anderson, who is returning after more than five months on board the International Space Station. Later, the crew oversaw an orbit adjust maneuver to optimize landing opportunities with weather forecasts indicating favorable conditions for Wednesday’s landing.
Wednesday morning, Entry Team Flight Director Bryan Lunney and his team will oversee Discovery’s reentry and landing with the deorbit burn set for 11:59 a.m. The 1 minute, 58 second burn will slow Discovery by 148 miles per hour (217 feet per second) for the reentry across the heartland of the United States traveling from the northwest to southeast.
A second landing opportunity also is available about 90 minutes later. Lunney will consider Florida only for Wednesday’s landing attempts with plenty of consumables on board to stay in space through Saturday, if necessary.
Mission Information
+ STS-120 Mission Overview
+ Harmony Node 2
+ Space Shuttle Discovery
Media Resources
+ Landing Ground Tracks
+ Mission TV Schedule
+ Press Kit (9.1 Mb PDF)
+ Fact Sheet (2 Mb PDF)
Landing Control Center:
+ Landing Blog
+ Landing 101
Discussion here. Status Report #30 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 6 November 2007 at 7:30AM
Tuesday will see the Shuttle crew, now minus Dan Tani but including Clay Anderson, prepare for landing, scheduled for tomorrow at KSC. NASA reports:
 Image Above: The space shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station after undocking. Image credit: NASA TV
The crew will spend today preparing for landing. Discovery’s first landing opportunity is at 1:02 p.m. EST Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Weather forecasters predict favorable landing conditions once a cold front passes through late Tuesday night. The backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be considered Wednesday.
+ View landing ground tracks
Space shuttle Discovery’s crew left the International Space Station Monday morning after almost 11 days of joint operations with the Expedition 16 crew. The shuttle undocked from the station at 5:32 a.m. as they flew over the South Pacific.
STS-120 Pilot George Zamka backed the orbiter about 400 feet from the station and performed a fly-around to allow crew members to collect video and imagery of the station in its new configuration. He completed the final separation engine burn at 7:15 a.m.
The shuttle crew members used the shuttle robot arm and the 50-foot long Orbiter Boom Sensor System to conduct a late inspection of the thermal protection system.
During its stay at the station, which began Oct. 25, the STS-120 crew continued the on-orbit construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss.
The crew installed Harmony Oct. 26 and did four spacewalks at the station. During the third spacewalk, the crew installed the P6 truss and solar array pair in its permanent location outboard of the port truss. The fourth spacewalk was changed during the mission so that the crew could repair a torn solar array on the P6 truss. Following the successful repair work, the crew was able to fully deploy the solar array.
Discovery also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Daniel Tani. He replaced astronaut Clayton Anderson. Anderson arrived at the station in June with STS-117.
Flight Day 14 pics and video are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Status Report #29 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 4 November 2007 at 11:07PM
After a spectacular stay at the ISS, the Discovery astronauts closed the hatches and got ready for undocking early Monday morning. NASA reports:
 Image Above: The STS-120 and Expedition 16 crew members bid farewell to each other. Image credit: NASA TV
The STS-120 crew bid farewell to the Expedition 16 crew before the hatches closed at 3:03 p.m. EST Sunday between Discovery and the station. Attention now turns to Discovery’s undocking from the station a little after 5:30 a.m. Monday.
STS-120 arrived at the station Oct. 25, delivering the Harmony Node 2 module to the station. The crew installed Harmony Oct. 26 and conducted four spacewalks during its stay at the station. During the third spacewalk, the crew installed the P6 truss and solar array pair in its permanent location outboard of the port truss. The fourth spacewalk was changed during the mission so that the crew could repair a torn solar array on the P6 truss. Following the successful repair work, the crew was able to fully deploy the solar array.
Discovery also delivered a new station crew member, Flight Engineer Daniel Tani. He replaced astronaut Clayton Anderson. Anderson arrived at the station in June with STS-117.
Before Discovery begins the journey home, Pilot George Zamka will perform a fly-around to allow crew members to collect video and imagery of the station in its new configuration.
Discovery is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., a little after 1:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Lots of work to do at the ISS before Atlantis launches next month. Flight Day 12 pics and video are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Status Report #26 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
By TonyF on 3 November 2007 at 6:00AM
Saturday Morning Spacewalk: The fourth (and now final) EVA of the STS-120 mission is on tap for today. NASA reports:
The STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews are preparing for today's spacewalk to repair a torn solar array. It will be the fourth spacewalk of the mission. Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock are scheduled to leave the station about 6:30 a.m. EDT.
The 6.5-hour spacewalk begins with Parazynski riding the station's robotic arm up to the damaged area of the array. He will be secured in a foot restraint on the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, or OBSS - the extension to the shuttle robot arm used for inspection of the orbiter's thermal protection system.
Though this will be the first operational use of the OBSS to reach a worksite, the task was demonstrated during a spacewalk on the STS-121 mission in July 2006 to prove the boom could provide a stable environment for this type of work.
As Parazynski installs homemade stabilizers and releases the snag suspected of causing the tear in the array panel, Wheelock will assist from the base of the solar array. The distance from the station's center is about 165 feet out on the truss and approximately 90 feet up to the damaged site.
If all goes as planned, the crew inside will then deploy the array half a bay at a time while Parazynski watches for any new complications. The spacewalk is scheduled to wrap up about 1:00 p.m.
Flight Day 11 pics and video are up at the JSC Gallery. Discussion here. Status Report #23 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.
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