Shuttle Endeavour blasts off for space station

Updated on : Monday, February 8, 2010

CAPE CANAVERAL: The space shuttle Endeavour blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center on Monday on a tower of flame that turned the dark Florida sky as bright as day.

Endeavour and its six astronauts set off at 4:14 a.m. (0914GMT) on a 13-day trip to install the last two main pieces of the International Space Station. It was expected to be the final launch in darkness for NASA's shuttle fleet, which is scheduled to be retired after completing five missions this year.

NASA fuels Space Shuttle 2nd time

Updated on : Monday, February 8, 2010

CAPE CANAVERAL: With the weather prospects looking up, astronauts boarded shuttle Endeavour for the second day in a row early Monday in hopes of blasting off on the last big space station construction mission.

The six astronauts looked more optimistic than they did Sunday morning, when the launch site was socked in with clouds. They waved to the crowds and made A-OK gestures with their fingers.

"Welcome aboard," launch controllers told commander George Zamka as he strapped in.

Liftoff was scheduled for 4:14 a.m. Monday. Aboard Endeavour were a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.

NASA began fueling Endeavour on Sunday evening just as the Super Bowl was kicking off to the south in Miami. Launch director Mike Leinbach told his controllers to be at their computers, ready to support the launch, football or not. He said there would be no distractions in the firing room, scene of all the shuttle monitoring.

Sunday morning's try was spoiled by thick, low clouds. The clouds returned briefly Sunday night, but forecasters said it looked more favorable than the previous night and they put the odds of acceptable conditions at 60 percent.

It was the last scheduled night launch for the space shuttle program, winding down after nearly 30 years. After this one, just four flights remain. The astronauts will work the overnight shift during the two-week mission.

If Endeavour does not make it off the ground Monday, NASA officials said they would probably not try again Tuesday, given the exhausting middle-of-the-night schedule. An unmanned rocket with a solar observatory would have a chance to fly next, on Wednesday, and the shuttle would get in line behind that, later in the week.

"That's space 'biz!" space station commander Jeffrey Williams said in a Twitter update live from orbit. "We on ISS now have some extra prep time."

Endeavour is loaded with two major payloads: the Tranquility living quarters and a seven-windowed dome that will give space station residents sweeping 360-degree views of their orbital home, as well as Earth and outer space.

Both compartments are courtesy of the European Space Agency. They're worth more than $400 million.

The space station will be 98 percent complete once Tranquility and the dome are installed. The Endeavour crew will conduct three spacewalks to hook up everything.

As for the Super Bowl that unfolded 200 miles south of Kennedy Space Center, the coin used in the opening toss flew on the last shuttle mission, in November. A former wide receiver, Leland Melvin, was on that flight. He was picked by the Detroit Lions in the NFL draft in 1986, but injured his hamstring and went on - famously - to science and space-flying careers.

No, the shuttle crew did not watch the Super Bowl, NASA's launch commentator said. But the game was beamed up to the space station in case the five men there wanted to see it.

Shuttle Atlantis arrives at space station

Updated on : Thursday, November 19, 2009

CAPE CANAVERAL: Space shuttle Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station on Wednesday to deliver spare parts needed to keep the outpost operational after the shuttles' retirement next year.

Atlantis, which blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center on Monday, ended its two-day journey at 11:51 a.m. EST (1651 GMT). Commander Charlie Hobaugh gently eased the shuttle into a docking port on the station as the two ships sailed 220 miles above the coast of Australia.

The shuttle is scheduled to remain attached to the space station until next Wednesday.

"We're looking forward to seeing you guys," station flight engineer Jeff Williams radioed to the Atlantis crew.

Hatches between the shuttle and station were to remain shut for a couple of hours while leak checks and other inspections were under way.

Atlantis is packed with 15 tonnes of pumps, gyroscopes, tanks and other gear that is too big to be carried by other spacecraft.

NASA plans to retire Atlantis and two sister ships, Discovery and Endeavour, next year after five more missions to complete construction of the space station, a $100 billion project of 16 nations that began in 1998.

After the fleet's retirement, Russian, European and Japanese cargo ships will keep the station stocked with food, fuel and supplies. Space station crewmembers will fly on Russian Soyuz capsules, a service that will cost the United States about $50 million per seat.

NASA launches space shuttle Atlantis

Updated on : Tuesday, November 17, 2009

NEW YORK: The shuttle Atlantis has blasted off carrying vital supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station to push its life past the 2010 retirement of the aging shuttle fleet.
Atlantis launched at 2.28pm on Monday (0628 AEDT Tuesday) from the Kennedy Space Centre near Florida's Cape Canaveral carrying six astronauts and some 12 tonnes of gyroscopes, ammonia tanks and other equipment.

"A perfect launch, right on time," said a NASA spokesman after the shuttle reached orbit about eight minutes into its flight, hurtling at a speed of more than 24,000km/ph, NASA said.

Moment before the lift-off, launch director Mike Leinback wished the crew godspeed, declaring: "All the vehicle systems are outstanding today, the weather is near perfect for a good lift-off today."

Space agency officials said the mission was crucial as just five more shuttle launches remain before the planned September 2010 retirement of the fleet and the spare parts will add years to the space station's life.

"You'll see this theme in some of the flights that are going to come after ours as well," said mission director Brian Smith. "This flight is all about spares, basically, we're getting them up there while we still can."

Atlantis reached its orbit in eight and-a-half minutes 225km above earth. It was due to dock with the ISS at 1653 GMT on Wednesday (0353 AEDT Thursday).

Led by Marine Corps Colonel Charlie Hobaugh, the all-male crew arrived on Thursday at Kennedy Space Centre from Houston, Texas, where the astronauts are based.

The 11-day space outing, the fifth and final shuttle mission for 2009, is scheduled to include three space walks to store hardware on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA readies space shuttle Atlantis for Monday launch

Updated on : Sunday, November 15, 2009

WASHINGTON: The US space agency was readying for the launch Monday of the space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts to deliver equipment that will maintain the nearly completed International Space Station.

Lift-off is set for 1928 GMT from the Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA said Saturday.

"Atlantis is ready to go, in really great shape," said shuttle launch manager Mike Moses at a press conference broadcast on NASA television.

"Here at Kennedy Space Center weather should be very good," said Meteorologist Kathy Winters, adding that there was just a ten percent chance of weather prohibiting the launch.

Captained by Marine Corps colonel Charlie Hobaugh, the all-male crew arrived Thursday at Kennedy Space Center from Houston, Texas, where the astronauts are based.

The shuttle mission is set to include three spacewalks aimed at storing space hardware on the exterior of the orbiting outpost.

The 11-day space outing will be the fifth and last shuttle mission for 2009.

There are just five more shuttle launches scheduled before the planned September 2010 retirement of the fleet.

US shuttle Discovery docks with space station

Updated on : Monday, August 31, 2009

WASHINGTON:The US shuttle Discovery made a textbook docking late Sunday with the International Space Station where a total of 13 astronauts begin nine days together improving and supplying the orbiting outpost.

US space agency NASA confirmed the docking procedure, which allows the seven-member Discovery crew to open a hatch and climb into the ISS to join their six fellow astronauts there, occurred at 2354 GMT, about ten minutes ahead of schedule.

Commander Rick Sturckow guided the shuttle to a "smooth-as-silk" mating of the two vessels some 225 miles (362 kilometers) above the Atlantic ocean, said a commentator on NASA TV."Both vehicles at free drift, all thrusts disabled," he added. The astronauts then began some 90 minutes of checks to complete on either side of the docking interface before opening the hatches.

Shuttle Discovery launching for ISS trip on Tuesday

Updated on : Monday, August 24, 2009

WASHINGTON: The US space shuttle Discovery, and its crew of seven astronauts -- including one Swede -- are preparing this weekend to launch on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The shuttle is scheduled to take off Tuesday at 01:36 am (0536 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The shuttle is to deliver equipment for a new bedroom, a treadmill, a freezer, food and other supplies. It will also be dropping off the newest member of the ISS team -- US astronaut Nicole Stott.

Stott will be taking over from engineer and fellow American Tim Kopra, who has been aboard the ISS since July and is returning to Earth with the Discovery.

"Our systems are in good shape, the launch countdown preps are proceedings without much event and we have no new issues to report," said Test Director Steve Payne. "The flight crew, vehicle and the launch team are ready to go."

The mission will be the 128th for the space shuttle program, and the 30th mission to the ISS.

Once the Discovery mission is complete, just six more shuttle flights remain before NASA's three shuttles are retired in September 2010.

The International Space Station is a project jointly run by 16 countries at a cost of 100 million dollars -- largely financed by the United States.

Lightning delays NASA space shuttle launch

Updated on : Sunday, July 12, 2009

CAPE CANAVERAL: A dramatic lightning storm forced NASA to delay the space shuttle Endeavour's launch on Saturday, pushing takeoff to late Sunday, in the latest blow to the seven-astronaut mission.

With just nine hours to go before liftoff, NASA said the launch would be scrapped, citing 11 lightning strikes near the Cape Canaveral launch site during a powerful electrical storm late Friday.

"We decided we are going to take 24 more hours to continue to review our data," said Mike Moses, the head of the mission.

Moses later announced that the launch was rescheduled for 7:13 pm (2313 GMT) Sunday, and said the weather forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions for takeoff.

After the lightning storm overnight, NASA technical teams were dispatched to examine the shuttle for damage.

Spokesman George Diller said there was "no damage found on the shuttle or on the pad systems," but that engineers needed to examine whether the lightning could have caused other problems.

NASA said the lightning strikes were within 0.3 nautical miles (0.6 kilometers) of the pad, with several of them striking the wiring system designed to protect the shuttle from taking direct lightning hits.

Moses said NASA would examine the space shuttle orbiter and the solid rocket boosters further to "be 100 percent confident that we have a good system across the board."