Jacques van Oene
August 5th 05, 04:17 AM
Thursday, August 4, 2005 - 4 p.m. CDT
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-114 MCC Status Report #19
Space Shuttle Discovery's heat shield is cleared for the return to Earth
early Monday after mission managers decided today that a fourth spacewalk to
deal with a puffed out thermal blanket is unnecessary. Wind tunnel tests
overnight at NASA's Ames Research Center in California showed little chance
of any significant debris coming from the blanket at supersonic speeds.
Further engineering analysis showed any debris released from the blanket was
unlikely to hit structures on Discovery.
Thursday's Mission Management Team decision put to rest the work that was
being done to assess the health of the thermal protection system. The tiles
and reinforced carbon-carbon on Discovery's wings and nose were cleared
earlier for entry.
Discovery and International Space Station crewmembers Thursday delivered a
moving tribute to members of the Columbia crew and others, astronauts and
cosmonauts, who lost their lives in the human exploration of space.
Each crewmember, in red shirt with Columbia's STS-107 mission patch spoke
during the tribute as the docked spacecraft flew over the southern Indian
Ocean approaching a sunset. Station Science Officer John Phillips said: "To
the crew of Columbia, as well as the crews of Challenger, Apollo 1, Soyuz 1
and 11, and to those who have courageously given so much, we now offer our
enduring thanks."
Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
repeated Phillips' words in Japanese during the tribute, and Station
Commander Sergei Krikalev spoke them in Russian. For the text of the
tribute, please see:
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/sts114_exp11_tribute.html
After their successful Wednesday spacewalk, Discovery and Station
crewmembers continued transfer activities, mostly packing the Multi-Purpose
Logistic Module Raffaello with items from the Station. The pressurized cargo
carrier is to be unberthed Friday from the Station's Unity Node and returned
to Discovery's cargo bay for the trip back to Earth.
Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence attached the Station's
Canadarm2 to Raffaello in preparation for its unberthing.
Discovery Commander Eileen Collins, spacewalking Mission Specialist Steve
Robinson and Mission Specialist Charlie Carmada talked with reporters from
the Associated Press and NBC. A little later Collins and Noguchi spoke with
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri
and others, including Japanese students.
Crewmembers had an hour together for a common meal, then the seven Discovery
astronauts had the afternoon off. The Station crew spent about two hours
preparing equipment for the unberthing of Raffaello.
The next STS-114 mission status report will be issued Thursday night, or
earlier if events warrant.
- end -
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
STS-114 MCC Status Report #19
Space Shuttle Discovery's heat shield is cleared for the return to Earth
early Monday after mission managers decided today that a fourth spacewalk to
deal with a puffed out thermal blanket is unnecessary. Wind tunnel tests
overnight at NASA's Ames Research Center in California showed little chance
of any significant debris coming from the blanket at supersonic speeds.
Further engineering analysis showed any debris released from the blanket was
unlikely to hit structures on Discovery.
Thursday's Mission Management Team decision put to rest the work that was
being done to assess the health of the thermal protection system. The tiles
and reinforced carbon-carbon on Discovery's wings and nose were cleared
earlier for entry.
Discovery and International Space Station crewmembers Thursday delivered a
moving tribute to members of the Columbia crew and others, astronauts and
cosmonauts, who lost their lives in the human exploration of space.
Each crewmember, in red shirt with Columbia's STS-107 mission patch spoke
during the tribute as the docked spacecraft flew over the southern Indian
Ocean approaching a sunset. Station Science Officer John Phillips said: "To
the crew of Columbia, as well as the crews of Challenger, Apollo 1, Soyuz 1
and 11, and to those who have courageously given so much, we now offer our
enduring thanks."
Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
repeated Phillips' words in Japanese during the tribute, and Station
Commander Sergei Krikalev spoke them in Russian. For the text of the
tribute, please see:
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/sts114_exp11_tribute.html
After their successful Wednesday spacewalk, Discovery and Station
crewmembers continued transfer activities, mostly packing the Multi-Purpose
Logistic Module Raffaello with items from the Station. The pressurized cargo
carrier is to be unberthed Friday from the Station's Unity Node and returned
to Discovery's cargo bay for the trip back to Earth.
Pilot Jim Kelly and Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence attached the Station's
Canadarm2 to Raffaello in preparation for its unberthing.
Discovery Commander Eileen Collins, spacewalking Mission Specialist Steve
Robinson and Mission Specialist Charlie Carmada talked with reporters from
the Associated Press and NBC. A little later Collins and Noguchi spoke with
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri
and others, including Japanese students.
Crewmembers had an hour together for a common meal, then the seven Discovery
astronauts had the afternoon off. The Station crew spent about two hours
preparing equipment for the unberthing of Raffaello.
The next STS-114 mission status report will be issued Thursday night, or
earlier if events warrant.
- end -
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info