Discovery's crew, Nicole Stott, Mike Barrett, Tim Kopra, Alvin Drew, Eric Boe, Steve Lindsey. Photo Credit/NASA
Discovery’s astronauts, in the closing weeks of training for what will be the final voyage of NASA’s most experienced shuttle orbiter, say they’re ready to tackle what is scheduled to be the next-to-last assembly mission to the International Space Station.
The launching of Discovery’s 11-day flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is tentatively set for Nov. 1 at 4:40 p.m., EDT.
During an 11-day mission, the six astronauts will deliver and equip the orbiting science laboratory with the Permanent Multipurpose Module, essentially a storage compartment for scientific gear and other internal gear. They’ll also deliver an external platform loaded with spare parts to prepare the station for operations well after the shuttle’s retirement and carry out a pair of recently assigned spacewalks.
“We are basically trained and ready to fly,” Discovery commander Steve Lindsey said Thursday, while surrounded by his crew mates at Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39 A.
“The vehicle is looking great,” he told news reporters with a nod over his shoulder. “There’s just a few more weeks of activities we need to go through, and then we will hopefully be back here for an on time launching.”
Lindsey, pilot Eric Boe, robot arm operators Nicole Stott and Mike Barratt as well as spacewalkers Alvin Drew and Tim Kopra will complete a week of safety drills and a countdown rehearsal at Kennedy on Friday.
Discovery, first to retire
It now appears that Discovery will be the first of NASA’s active shuttle orbiters to enter retirement as the program draws to a close. Endeavour is to follow with a Feb. 27 lift off on the final scheduled shuttle mission, which will deliver and equip the station with the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an astronomical observatory. The White House and Congress have agreed to an encore mission for Atlantis, however the flight has yet to be funded. After serving as Endeavour’s potential rescue mission vehicle, Atlantis would launch in the late June timeframe on a short re-supply mission to the station if the funding materializes.
This week’s traditional training session at the Florida shuttle port has been a somber one for Discovery’s crew and the many Kennedy personnel who have been laid off or are facing job losses as the shuttle program winds down.
“I think it’s bitter sweet,” said Lindsey, who will lead Discovery on its 39th trip to orbit.
Over a distinguished 26-year career, Discovery has twice led America back into orbit, following the Columbia and Challenger tragedies. Discovery opened a window on the distant universe with the launching of the Hubble Space Telescope; and forged historic post-Cold War ties with Russia, the successor to the Soviet Union. Discovery chauffeured Mercury astronaut John Glenn, then a U. S. Senator, on a nostalgia-filled journey into orbit; and shouldered much of the International Space Station’s assembly.
“Discovery is a workhorse, the fleet leader,” said Lindsey, who has traveled to orbit twice before on the orbiter. “Yet, when you walk inside of Discovery and see it, it looks almost like a new car.”
Appreciation for Kennedy workforce
Stott, who spent a decade working in shuttle operations at Kennedy before joining NASA’s astronaut corps, told reporters she’s been especially moved by the dedication of her Florida colleagues in the face of difficult economic times.
“We have certainly seen quite a few people walk out the door,” she reflected. “The things that impresses me the most is the spirit that is here. With these people, it’s been here forever. This is definitely one of those places where people come to work because it’s a heart and soul thing. It’s not just a job for them. You see that in every aspect of the work that goes on here. We are thankful for that. It gives us confidence in the vehicle.”
Spacewalk duties
Drew and Kopra will share a pair of spacewalks that were added to the mission plan following a tense couple of weeks in August, when an external circulation pump on the space station failed. The failure shutdown half of the station’s cooling system, which also meant a significant loss of electrical power. The station’s crew managed to restore the cooling system by replacing the pump with a spare during three challenging spacewalks.
NASA, though, extended Discovery mission from eight to 11 days and added two spacewalks to complete external tasks the busy station astronauts were forced to forego. Drew and Kopra will clean up the old circulation pump which was left temporarily fastened to the station’s solar power truss and move it to a stowage platform on the airlock. NASA is hopeful the old pump can be returned to Earth aboard Atlantis for a failure analysis.
The spacewalkers will also equip a Canadian robotic device with camera optics and extend the tracks that run along the power system truss for a small rail car.
They’ll carry out an unusual Japanese experiment which will attempt to bottle up a sample of the space vacuum.
Remembering Discovery
There will also be some moments for the Discovery crew to commemorate their venerable spacecraft. The name was borrowed from at least two well known sailing ships, one that explored Hudson Bay in search of the Northwest Passage in the early 1600s. Another sailed the South Pacific in the late 18th Century, leading to the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands.
“I don’t think you can take a final voyage on a ship of exploration and not take some moments to celebrate its history,” said Barratt.
After a final flight, Discovery will be turned over to the Smithsonian Institution for display in the Air and Space Museum in Washington.
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