Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:46:53 AM CST

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:18:13 AM CST

Space shuttle Discovery's launch on the STS-133 mission has been targeted for no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011, to allow for more testing on the intertank stringers on the external tank.

Source http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

At today’s Program Requirements Control Board, or PRCB, the Space Shuttle Program clearly identified the analysis and repairs that are required to safely launch shuttle Discovery on its STS-133 mission. This analysis will be in work during the next five days and will be reviewed at a special PRCB on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Pending a successful review of the flight rationale at that meeting, a Launch Status Briefing would be held with senior NASA management on Monday, Nov. 29.

The Launch Status Briefing and news conference planned for Monday, Nov. 22 are cancelled.

Moving a major step closer to its final spaceflight before retirement, shuttle Discovery took a road trip this morning from the hangar to the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center where it will be attached to the external fuel tank and twin solid rockets. Launch is slated for Nov. 1.

NASA's space shuttle fleet will continue flying through at least early next year due to delays with the agency's final two missions.

Space shuttle program managers officially decided Thursday to delay the launch of NASA's next space shuttle mission to Nov. 1 and push back the last scheduled flight to late February 2011.

The move was not unexpected - the space agency said in late June it was hoping to postpone the final shuttle flights because of cargo delivery and schedule conflicts. Both missions are bound for the International Space Station.

The new plan delays the launch of Discovery - NASA's oldest space shuttle - from an earlier Sept. 16 target to Nov. 1.

People can upload their information on a new website under the Face in Space program to have it go into orbit along with the astronauts on the last two times the reusable space planes will launch.

In a statement released by NASA's space shuttle program chief John Shannon he said: "The Space Shuttle Program belongs to the public, and we are excited when we can provide an opportunity for people to share the adventure of our missions. This website will allow you to be a part of history and participate as we complete our final missions "

The next to last mission is scheduled to launch on September 16, which will be on Discovery, and the final space shuttle to go on orbit will be Endeavour, with its mission lifting off no earlier than November 27.

As NASA continues its internal review of the pending launch dates for the final two Space Shuttle missions in history, preparations are also continuing in earnest for the mission that everyone hopes will never be needed: the STS-335 flight to rescue the STS-134 crew in the event that Endeavour becomes disabled during the program's final [...] Read more... @

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/05/sts-335-nasa-planning-contingency...

Wed, 26 May 2010 07:48:39 AM CDT

Space shuttle Atlantis and six astronauts ended a 12-day journey of more than 4.8 million miles with an 8:48 a.m. EDT landing Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The third of five shuttle missions planned for 2010, this was the last scheduled flight for Atlantis. The mission, designated STS-132, delivered the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. Also known as Rassvet ("dawn" in Russian), the module provides additional storage space and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.

Ken Ham commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers.

Ground tracks for Wednesday's two landing attempts have been published. Only KSC will be targeted for Wednesday morning. Deorbit Burn for the 1st opportunity is 6:41 am CDT with a landing at 7:48 am CDT. 2nd rev burn is 8:17 am CDT and landing would be 9:23 am CDT

Plots at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts132/news/la...

HOUSTON - Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station at 10:22 a.m. CDT Sunday, ending a seven-day stay that saw the addition of a new station module, replacement of batteries and resupply of the orbiting outpost.

During three spacewalks astronauts added a backup high-data-rate antenna to the station and a tool platform to Dextre, the robot-like special purpose dexterous manipulator. They removed and replaced six 375-pound batteries on the station's P6 truss segment. The six old batteries are headed back to Earth in Atlantis' cargo bay.

Rassvet, the Russian Mini-Research Module 1 brought to the station by Atlantis, was installed on the Zarya module by Mission Specialists Piers Sellers and Garrett Reisman. The delicate installation involved working in Russian on a computer linked to Rassvet and the station's Russian segment and exacting control of the 58-foot Canadarm2. Both astronauts were in the new cupola, enjoying the luxury of window views to aid arm operation for the first time.