STS-128 Mission Journal

STS-128 Updated Flight Facts

Mission:	International Space Station Assembly Flight 17A
Orbiter:	Discovery (OV-103)
Primary Payload:	MPLM Leonardo with: COLBERT, MELFI-2, MSSR-1/MSL, FIR/LMM
Secondary Payload:	LMC with Ammonia Tank Assembly; MDS; Crew Quarters; ARS
Return Payload:	MPLM Leonardo, EuTEF, MISSE-6, LMC with spent ATA; "BLSR"
Crew:	7 (6 US, 1 Swedish) - 1 ISS Up/1 ISS Down
Launch Date:	Friday, 28 August 2009 (3rd Attempt)
Launch Time:	11:59PM EDT (0359 UT - 29 Aug)
Launch Window:	10 minutes
Launch Facility:	Kennedy Space Center, Pad 39A
Liftoff Weight:	4,522,852 lb (2,051,531 kg)
Docking:	30 Aug 2009, 8:54PM EDT/00:54 UT 1 Sep (FD-3) to Harmony/PMA-2
EVAs:	3 Spacewalks (FD-5, FD-7, FD-9)
Other Activities:	Crew Seat, TriDAR, and BLT Detailed Test Objectives; mid-deck experiments
Undocking:	8 Sep 2009, 3:26PM EDT/19:26 UT (FD-12)
Landing Date:	11 Sep 2009 (FD-15 - after 1 day of wave-offs)
Landing Time:	8:53PM EDT/0053 UT 12 Sep
Landing Facility:	Edwards AFB - Runway 22 (was scheduled for KSC)
Orbital Inclination/Altitude:	51.60° / 122 nautical miles (226 kilometers)
Orbit Period/Total:	91.2 minutes / 219 Revolutions
Mission Duration/Distance:	13 days, 20:54:55 / 5.7 million miles
Launch On Need:	None

Mission info from NASA, ESA, and Spaceflight Now! websites

Preflight Summary:

STS-128 Mission Information

Image above: Seated are Commander Rick Sturckow (right) and Pilot Kevin Ford. From the left (standing) are mission specialists José Hernández, John "Danny" Olivas, Nicole Stott, European Space Agency's Christer Fuglesang and Patrick Forrester. Stott is scheduled to join Expedition 20 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station on STS-128.

Commander Rick Sturckow will lead the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery with Kevin Ford serving as pilot. Also serving aboard Discovery are mission specialists Patrick Forrester, José Hernández, John "Danny" Olivas, Christer Fuglesang and Nicole Stott.

Stott will remain on the station as an Expedition 20 flight engineer replacing Timothy Kopra. Kopra will return home aboard Discovery as a mission specialist.

Discovery is carrying the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module containing life support racks and science racks. The Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier will also be launched in Discovery's payload bay.

This is Discovery's 37th mission to space and the 30th mission of a space shuttle dedicated to the assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station.

+ Read the July 16, 2008, press release

Did You Know?

• ESA has designated Christer Fuglesang's flight as the Alissé mission
• This is the second time that two ESA astronauts have been in space together (Fugelsang and ISS' Frank DeWinne)
• This is the second time that 13 people have been aboard the ISS at once
• Discovery docked on the 25th anniversary of her first launch
• This is the 6th flight of the Leonardo MPLM
• This is the last time that an ISS crew member will arrive via Space Shuttle
• Jose Hernandez and Danny Olivas are both of Mexican heritage
• Three of STS-128's crew and five of Expedition 20's are licensed amateur radio operators - that's 8 hams in space!
• Because liftoff was so close to midnight, this was NASA's first space shuttle launch to take place during two calendar days!
• STS-128 is the 4th Shuttle mission in 2009, the 37th flight for Discovery, the 30th Shuttle flight to the ISS, and the 128th Shuttle flight overall.

Check the Vault for older mission summaries and links.