Space Shuttle Discovery Flown Over the U.S. Capitol

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, is seen as it flies near the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers.

Image Credit: NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Harold Dorwin

NASA 905 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Arrives at Kennedy Space Center

The newly arrived Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is seen through the platforms of the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aircraft, known as an SCA, arrived at 5:35 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, to prepare for shuttle Discovery’s ferry flight to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Va., on April 17. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, originally manufactured for commercial use.

One of two SCAs employed over the course of the Space Shuttle Program, NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 911 was decommissioned at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in California in February.

Discovery will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Arrives at Kennedy

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft glides down the runway of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aircraft, known as an SCA, arrived at 5:35 p.m. EDT to prepare for shuttle Discovery’s ferry flight to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Va., on April 17. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, originally manufactured for commercial use. One of two SCAs employed over the course of the Space Shuttle Program, NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 911 was decommissioned at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in California in February. Discovery will be placed on permanent public display in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

Image Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

NASA – Construction Begins on Atlantis’ Permanent Home

With space shuttle Atlantis’ 25-year spaceflight career now in the history books, its next mission — to inform and inspire generations of visitors to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida — is one step closer to reality. A groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 18 officially launched construction of a new 65,000-square-foot exhibit at the complex’s Space Shuttle Plaza, where NASA’s fourth space-rated orbiter will be the main attraction.

This artist rendering reveals a full-scale external tank and twin solid rocket booster replicas standing at the exhibit entrance.

Image Credit: NASA/PGAV Destinations for Delaware North Parks & Resorts

 

NASA Top Stories of 2011-4 SPACE SHUTTLE FLIES FINAL THREE FLIGHTS, PROGRAM ENDS

NASA’s Space Shuttle Program concluded in 2011 with three final missions to the International Space Station. Each mission carried supplies and equipment that will sustain the space station crews until NASA’s new Commercial Resupply Service providers take over this role.

Shuttle Discovery launched the STS-133 mission on Feb. 24, carrying the retrofitted, Italian-built multipurpose logistics module (MPLM) “Leonardo” to the space station. On May 16, Endeavour launched STS-134 and, along with supplies and equipment, brought the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS) to the space station. The AMS is a particle physics experiment module designed to search for unusual matter by measuring cosmic rays. STS-135 launched on July 8, making the space shuttles’ final delivery of supplies to the space station. Just before returning to Earth, STS-135 Commander Chris Ferguson presented the station’s crew with a U.S. flag flown on the first space shuttle mission, STS-1, in April 1981. The flag will remain displayed aboard the station until the next crew launched from the U.S. retrieves it for return to Earth so it can be carried by the first crew launched from the U.S. on a journey of exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.

Space Shuttle Award and Mission Complete Medallions

NASA – Official ‘Award’ Medallions with flown metal

NASA’s Space Shuttle Program Medallion (with space flown metal)

 

NASA has commissioned two commemorative medals, each minted using flown-in-space metal, to recognize the end of its 30-year space shuttle program.

The NASA Award Medallion (1.75″ diameter) is “in recognition of all who played a vital role in supporting the shuttle program.” In addition, this limited edition medallion celebrates the program’s 135 missions during 30 years of innovation and service.

 Metal ingots produced for this program were flown on a space shuttle mission and then included in the production stage so that each medallion would contain flown material.

On the reverse, a space shuttle launch is rendered dimensionally in antique silver. The award medallion was designed by NASA artist Sean Collins.

Raumfähre medaillon,Space shuttle medaglione,Rymdfärjan medaljong,Espacio medallón de transporte,Médaillon de la navette spatial

Available now from the Spaceboosters Online Store

The medallions will be distributed by NASA and its contractors to employees as well as will eventually be available to the public.

STS-135 MCC Status Report #20

HOUSTON – The STS-135 flight day 11 wakeup call came from Houston, as always, but in a broader sense of the word than usual.

“Good morning, Atlantis, from all of us at the Johnson Space Center!” chorused an auditorium-full of Johnson employees in a message recorded before Atlantis’ launch. “Have a great mission!”

Johnson Space Center is home not only to the astronaut corps, but also Mission Control and the Space Shuttle Program, itself.

The message was preceded in the 9:29 p.m. wakeup call by Keith Urban’s “Days Go By,” which was chosen by Mission Specialist Rex Walheim.

Walheim and his fellow crew members – Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus – are scheduled to close the hatches between the International Space Station and a space shuttle for the last time today, at 8:19 a.m. But before they do that, they’ll pack up the last of the cargo to come home from the station on the shuttle’s middeck and move the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module back into place inside the shuttle’s cargo bay.

The crew finished packing Raffaello on flight day 10, and now it’s just a matter of getting it – with its 5,666 pounds of returning cargo – back in place for the trip home. When it’s unpacked back on Earth, multipurpose logistic modules will have returned 20 tons of supplies and equipment to Earth, and carried another 50 tons into space since their first mission, STS-102 in 2002.

After returning to the space shuttle for the remainder of the mission, the crew will prepare for Tuesday’s undocking from the space station, checking out the tools they’ll use for that activity and setting up a camera inside the shuttle hatch.

STS-135 MCC Status Report #19

HOUSTON – Moving days aboard the International Space Station are nearing completion for the station and shuttle crews.

The 9,400 pounds of equipment and supplies brought up by the multi-purpose logistics module have been moved to the International Space Station. The loading of Raffaello with almost 5,700 pounds of unneeded station equipment and trash also is almost finished.

The Raffaelo module is scheduled to be unberthed early Monday from the station’s Harmony node and secured in Atlantis’ cargo bay for the ride home. At the controls of the station’s Canadarm2 will be Atlantis Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus, who served as load master for the complex and demanding cargo transfer, and Pilot Doug Hurley.

After their midday meal today, Magnus and Commander Chris Ferguson worked a little over an hour continuing to move experiments and equipment to and from Atlantis’ middeck. That done, the shuttle crew had most of the afternoon off.

Mission control data processing experts declared Atlantis’ General Purpose Computer 4 to be healthy after its Thursday shutdown. It is back in operation in its normal role of shuttle systems management. GPC 1 remains the guidance, navigation and control computer while GPCs 2 and 3 are in standby.

Beginning about 5:10 a.m. CDT, Hurley and Mission Specialist Rex Walheim answered questions from NASA Explorer Schools students. It was the last opportunity for shuttle crew members to respond to students’ questions.

Hatches Closed Between Station and Shuttle for Final Time

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:36:36 -0500
Following a poignant farewell ceremony by the crews of Atlantis and Expedition 28, hatches between the International Space Station and a space shuttle were closed for the final time at 10:28 a.m. EDT.

The hatches between the spacecraft were open for seven days, 21 hours and 41 minutes.

Atlantis’ crew will spend the remainder of today preparing for Tuesday’s early morning undocking. The station crew goes to sleep at 1:29 p.m. and the shuttle crew follows at 1:59 p.m.

STS-135 MCC Status Report #18

HOUSTON – After several days of wakeup calls from celebrities, the STS-135 crew kicked off their 10th day in space with a message from some of the stars of the Space Shuttle Program.

“Good morning Atlantis, from your friends at Stennis Space Center,” Stennis employees said in a message recorded before launch. “It’s time to fire up your engines – laissez les bons temps rouler!”

“Laissez les bons temps rouler,” is a Cajun French phrase that translates “Let the good times roll.” Stennis Space Center, located in southern Mississippi, 50 miles from New Orleans, is home to the test stands that verified each of the main engines that helped propel space shuttles into low Earth orbit – including the three used in the STS-135 launch – was in good working order before it was installed.

The message was fittingly preceded by the wakeup song, “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang, which was played for Mission Specialist Sandy Magnus. The wakeup call came at 9:59 p.m.

Flight day 10 will see the wrap up of transfer work inside the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module, before the crew closes its hatch and returns it to the shuttle’s cargo bay on Monday. They started the day with 96 percent of the work inside Raffaello done.

In addition, Commander Chris Ferguson and Pilot Doug Hurley are scheduled at 5:09 a.m. to answer videotaped questions from students at NASA Explorer Schools across the country, in the last interactive educational event with a space shuttle crew.

Following that, the crew will have two hours of off duty time.