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Buckeye
April 20 2012
Space Shuttle Discovery is on pad 39A and ready to launch on her seventh trip to the SSF. On board is the Helios Solar Truss Array bound for the Helios High Orbital Station. Mission duration will be about seven days (+2 for weather).
FD1: Launch/reondezous setup
FD2: OBSS surveys
FD3: approach and docking with SSF
FD4: Robotic Ops/EVA for HSTA-OMV mating
FD5: Launch of OMV to HEO
FD6: Undocking
FD7: Landing-KSC
After landing, Discovery will begin her OMDP which will last about eight months.
Payload: The Helios Solar Truss Array (HSTA) is a third generaton space station component and is similar to the arrays on both ISS and SSF. It will be attached to one end of the HeliosHAB module that was launched on STS-209. All connections between the modules are automatic and are activated by computers on board of the HAB after hard mate and latch activation. This system was tested on smaller components of SSF. NASA hopes that future generations of these systems will aid in construction of large Interplanetary craft as well as future Space Stations.
UPDATE:
Discovery has reached orbit safely.
UPDATE FD2:
Discovery's TPS has been given a look over by the crew using the OBSS. No major damage was obsurvered and it is expected that the ship will be given the all-clear for entry sometime tomorrow. The crew also set up everything that they will need for docking with SSF. That will take place tomorrow.
UPDATE FD3:
STS-211 has docked with the SSF. Docking occured at 12:15 EDT. The crew will now open up the hatches and before the day is out, they will perform the OBSS SSRMS-SRMS handoff in preperation for the main robotics work that will be done tomorrow. Attached is a picture of Discovery during her RPM from one of the cupolas on the station.
UPDATE FD6:
Pegasus has delivered the STA to Helios. Discovery is ready to undock with the station and begin her trip home.
UPDATE:
Discovery has undocked with the SSF and is ready to come home tomorrow. Landing will be at KSC Runway 33 around 3:00pm EDT.
UPDATE FD7:
Discovery has been given the go for landing at KSC. The crew is closing up the PLB doors and getting ready to come home.
UPDATE:
Discovery is home and on her way to OPF3 to start her OMDP. The oldest orbiter in the fleet will be the last to start the latest round of upgrades and modifications. The OMDP is expected to last seven months allowing Discovery to fly STS-214-LF8 in December, the last flight of the year.
The next shuttle flight will be STS-213-LF7, a logistics flight to the SSF flown by Atlantis. Launch is scheduled for the second half of July.
The next launch at KSC is the launch of the first piece of Artemis Program hardware, the Lunar Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 01 (LTDRS 01). LTDRS 1 will be the first in a lunar satellite network that needs to be inplace by the start of manned flights to lunar orbit in 2014. LTDRS 1 also has onboard, several mapping instraments that will aid in surface mission planning. Launch is planned for May 8th 2012 at 18:25:12 UTC. A second launch window will open on May 29th at 12:07:24 UTC.
Space Shuttle Discovery is on pad 39A and ready to launch on her seventh trip to the SSF. On board is the Helios Solar Truss Array bound for the Helios High Orbital Station. Mission duration will be about seven days (+2 for weather).
FD1: Launch/reondezous setup
FD2: OBSS surveys
FD3: approach and docking with SSF
FD4: Robotic Ops/EVA for HSTA-OMV mating
FD5: Launch of OMV to HEO
FD6: Undocking
FD7: Landing-KSC
After landing, Discovery will begin her OMDP which will last about eight months.
Payload: The Helios Solar Truss Array (HSTA) is a third generaton space station component and is similar to the arrays on both ISS and SSF. It will be attached to one end of the HeliosHAB module that was launched on STS-209. All connections between the modules are automatic and are activated by computers on board of the HAB after hard mate and latch activation. This system was tested on smaller components of SSF. NASA hopes that future generations of these systems will aid in construction of large Interplanetary craft as well as future Space Stations.
UPDATE:
Discovery has reached orbit safely.
UPDATE FD2:
Discovery's TPS has been given a look over by the crew using the OBSS. No major damage was obsurvered and it is expected that the ship will be given the all-clear for entry sometime tomorrow. The crew also set up everything that they will need for docking with SSF. That will take place tomorrow.
UPDATE FD3:
STS-211 has docked with the SSF. Docking occured at 12:15 EDT. The crew will now open up the hatches and before the day is out, they will perform the OBSS SSRMS-SRMS handoff in preperation for the main robotics work that will be done tomorrow. Attached is a picture of Discovery during her RPM from one of the cupolas on the station.
UPDATE FD6:
Pegasus has delivered the STA to Helios. Discovery is ready to undock with the station and begin her trip home.
UPDATE:
Discovery has undocked with the SSF and is ready to come home tomorrow. Landing will be at KSC Runway 33 around 3:00pm EDT.
UPDATE FD7:
Discovery has been given the go for landing at KSC. The crew is closing up the PLB doors and getting ready to come home.
UPDATE:
Discovery is home and on her way to OPF3 to start her OMDP. The oldest orbiter in the fleet will be the last to start the latest round of upgrades and modifications. The OMDP is expected to last seven months allowing Discovery to fly STS-214-LF8 in December, the last flight of the year.
The next shuttle flight will be STS-213-LF7, a logistics flight to the SSF flown by Atlantis. Launch is scheduled for the second half of July.
The next launch at KSC is the launch of the first piece of Artemis Program hardware, the Lunar Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 01 (LTDRS 01). LTDRS 1 will be the first in a lunar satellite network that needs to be inplace by the start of manned flights to lunar orbit in 2014. LTDRS 1 also has onboard, several mapping instraments that will aid in surface mission planning. Launch is planned for May 8th 2012 at 18:25:12 UTC. A second launch window will open on May 29th at 12:07:24 UTC.
