STS-120 was a
space shuttleThe Space Shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System , is a spacecraft operated by NASA for orbital human spaceflight missions. It began operations in the 1980s and is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010 after 134 launches...
mission to the
International Space StationThe International Space Station is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be completed by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015...
(ISS), that launched on October 23, 2007 from the
Kennedy Space CenterThe John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center on Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States. The site is near Cape Canaveral, midway between Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. It is long and around wide, covering . A total of...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
. The mission is also referred to as
ISS-10A by the ISS program. STS-120 delivered the
Harmony module and reconfigured a portion of the station in preparation for future assembly missions. STS-120 was flown by
Space Shuttle DiscoverySpace Shuttle Discovery is one of the three currently operational orbiters in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States. When first flown in 1984, Discovery became the third operational orbiter, and is now the oldest orbiter in service...
, and was the twenty-third space shuttle mission to the ISS.
Crew
Crew Notes
As commander of STS-120, Pamela Melroy became the second woman (after
Eileen CollinsEileen Marie Collins is a retired American astronaut and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel. A former military instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle. She was awarded several medals for her work. Col. Collins has logged 38 days 8...
) to command a space shuttle mission. Additionally, the
Expedition 16Expedition 16 was the 16th expedition to the International Space Station .The first two crew members, Yuri Malenchenko and Peggy Whitson, launched on October 10 2007, aboard Soyuz TMA-11, and were joined by spaceflight participant Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, the first Malaysian in space.Expedition 15...
crew that received STS-120 was commanded by
Peggy WhitsonPeggy Annette Whitson is an American biochemistry researcher and a NASA astronaut. Her first space mission was in 2002, with an extended stay aboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 5. Her second mission launched October 10, 2007, as the first female commander of the ISS...
, the first female ISS commander. The flight of STS-120 thus became the first time two female mission commanders were in space at the same time.
Crew Prior to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Prior to the
Space Shuttle Columbia disasterThe Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the loss of all seven crew members, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107.The loss of Columbia...
, the original crew manifest for STS-120 was:
The STS-120 mission patch was designed by Michael Foreman before he was reassigned to
STS-123STS-123 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station which was flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. STS-123 was the 1J/A ISS assembly mission. The original launch target date was February 14, 2008 but after the delay of STS-122, the shuttle was launched on March 11, 2008...
.
Mission parameters
- Mass
In physics, mass commonly refers to any of three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent: inertial mass, active gravitational mass and passive gravitational mass...
:
- Orbiter liftoff: 286,211 lbs (129,823 kg)
- Orbiter landing: 201,895 lbs (91,578 kg)
- Perigee: 340 km
- Apogee: 344 km
- Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.- Orbits :The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
: 51.6°
- Period
The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
: 91.6 minutes
Mission payloads
| Location |
Cargo |
Mass |
| Bay 1-2 |
Orbiter Docking System
EMUThe Space Shuttle/International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit is an independent anthropomorphic system that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for a Shuttle or ISS crew member to perform extra-vehicular activity in earth orbit...
3010 / EMU 3017 |
1800 kg |
| Bay 3P |
Shuttle Power
Distribution Unit (SPDU) |
~100 kg |
| Bay 4S |
SASA FSE
(Fixture for return of S-band Antenna) |
~100 kg |
| Bay 5P |
Power/Data Grapple
Fixture (PDGF) for Node 2 |
~50 kg |
| Bay 6S |
Main Bus Switching
Unit (MBSU) and adapter |
360 kg |
| Bay 7P |
Shuttle Power
Distribution Unit (SPDU) |
~100 kg |
| Bay 8-12 |
Harmony (Node 2) |
14,288 kg |
| Sill |
OBSS The Orbiter Boom Sensor System is a 50-foot boom carried on board NASA's Space Shuttles. The boom can be grappled by the Canadarm and serves as an extension of the arm, doubling its length to a combined total of 100 feet...
203 |
~450 kg |
| Sill |
RMS 301 |
~410 kg |
|
Total: |
17,300 kg |
Harmony (Node 2)
STS-120 delivered launch package 10A to the International Space Station (ISS). It consisted of the U.S.
Harmony module (also known as Node 2), with four DC-to-DC Converter Unit (DDCU) racks and three Zero-g Storage Racks (ZSR) installed; a Power and Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) for the station's robot arm, and a Shuttle Power Distribution Unit (SPDU).
Harmony was built for NASA by
Thales Alenia SpaceThales Alenia Space is the company born after Thales had bought the participation of Alcatel in the two joint-ventures between Alcatel and Finmeccanica, Alcatel Alenia Space and Telespazio.-History:...
in Torino, Italy, as part of an agreement between NASA and the
European Space Agency|owner = |headquarters = Paris|spaceport = Guiana Space Centre|image = ESA LOGO.svg|size = 240px|acronym = ESA|established = 1975|administrator = Jean-Jacques Dordain...
and is the first pressurized habitable module delivered to the station since the Pirs docking compartment was installed in August 2001.
Since STS-120 docked to the
Pressurized Mating Adapter 2The International Space Station uses three Pressurized Mating Adapters to interconnect spacecraft and modules with different docking mechanisms. The first two PMAs were launched with the Unity module in 1998 aboard STS-88...
(PMA-2) on the forward port of the
Destiny Laboratory ModuleThe Destiny module is the primary operating facility for U.S. research payloads aboard the International Space Station . It was berthed to the Unity module and activated over a period of five days in February, 2001...
, installation of
Harmony occurs in two stages: STS-120 installed
Harmony to the port node of the
Unity module. After
Discovery undocked, the station's robotic arm detached PMA-2 from
Destiny, and moved it to the forward port of
Harmony. Following the relocation of PMA-2, the robotic arm has moved
Harmony from its initial position, to its final position on the forward port of
Destiny.
The final positioning of
Harmony allows for the future installation of the European
ColumbusColumbus is a science laboratory that is part of the International Space Station and is the largest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency ....
and Japanese
KibōThe Japanese Experiment Module is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124...
research modules, which will be attached to the side ports of
Harmony.
P6 relocation
During STS-120, the P6 solar arrays were moved from the Z1 truss on top of
Unity, to their final position at the port end of the truss.
Outreach
STS-120 carried the signatures of over 500,000 students that participated in the 2007 Student Signatures in Space program, jointly sponsored by NASA and Lockheed Martin. In celebration of Space Day last May, students from over 500 schools around the world signed giant posters. Their signatures were scanned onto a disk, and the disk was manifested on the STS-120 mission.
Also during STS-120, the
lightsaberThe lightsaber is a science fiction weapon with a key role in the Star Wars movies and in the novels, games and other forms of media that constitute the Expanded Universe. The lightsaber is a sword with a column of brightly colored energy in the place of a metal blade...
used by actor
Mark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director and writer, Hamill is a best known for his role of Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the iconic voice of The Joker in the DC Animated Universe.-Early life and education:Hamill was born and raised in...
in the 1983 film
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth and final in terms of internal chronology...
was flown to the station and returned to Earth. Stowed on-board
Discovery for the length of the mission, the
propA theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is any object held or used on stage by an actor for use in furthering the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The...
was flown in honor of the 30th anniversary of the
Star WarsStar Wars is an epic space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas. The first film in the franchise was originally released on May 25, 1977, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, spawning two immediate sequels, released at three-year intervals...
franchise. On August 28, 2007,
ChewbaccaChewbacca, nicknamed Chewie, is a Wookiee character in Star Wars franchise. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in the films Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the...
from the
Star Wars films presented the lightsaber to NASA officials from
Space Center HoustonSpace Center Houston is the official visitors center of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center for human spaceflight activities—located in Houston.-Space hardware:...
, in an official ceremony at
Oakland International AirportOakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
. The lightsaber was then flown to Houston, where it was greeted by
StormtroopersThe Imperial Stormtroopers are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are the personal army of Emperor Palpatine and of his commanders, carrying out the will of their superiors without questioning....
. The lightsaber will be displayed at Space Center Houston.
Mission background
At the time of the
ColumbiaSpace Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it flew a total of 27 times before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 on the STS-107 mission , killing all seven...
disaster, STS-120 was scheduled for early 2004. It was delayed repeatedly until October 23, 2007.
NASA originally scheduled the launch for October 20, but due to the International Space Station program requirement, launch was delayed to October 23.
In light of the small gouge to the underside of
Endeavour that occurred on
STS-118STS-118 was a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. STS-118 successfully lifted off on August 8, 2007 from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center , Florida and landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC on August 21, 2007.It was the first...
, in August 2007, NASA managers announced that they expected to add a fifth spacewalk to the STS-120 mission, designed to test a heat-shield repair tool. The repair technique was originally scheduled for a flight in 2008, but following STS-118, it was decided to move up the testing. The repair tool, called a
TPSThe Space Shuttle thermal protection system is the barrier that protects the Space Shuttle Orbiter during the searing 1650 °C heat of atmospheric reentry. A secondary goal is to protect from the heat and cold of space while on orbit...
(thermal protection system) repair
ablatorAblation means removal of material from the surface of an object by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive processes. The term occurs in space physics associated with atmospheric reentry, in glaciology, medicine, and passive fire protection.-Space physics:...
dispenser (T-RAD), has never been tested in space, so the spacewalk would have allowed managers to evaluate its effectiveness in low gravity environments. During the course of the mission, issues with the S4
starboardStarboard is the nautical term that refers to the right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board a vessel and facing the bow . The equivalent for the left-hand side is port. The starboard side of a vessel is indicated with a
green navigation light at...
Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ), and P6 Solar Array, deferred this test objective to a future mission.
The mission marked:
- 151st manned US space launch.
- 120th space shuttle flight since STS-1
STS-1 was the first orbital flight of the Space Shuttle program, launched on April 12, 1981, and returning to Earth April 14. Space Shuttle Columbia orbited the earth 37 times in this 54.5-hour mission...
.
- 34th flight of Discovery
Discovery may refer to:* Discovery , observing or finding something unknown.* Discovery , a character's learning something unknown* Discovery , a process in courts of law- Devices :* Roomba Discovery, a robotic vacuuming device...
.
- 95th post-Challenger
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida, United States, at 11:39...
mission.
- 7th post-Columbia mission.
Launch preparations
Following STS-118 in August 2007, NASA managers decided to make modifications to the
External tankA Space Shuttle External Tank is the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. During lift-off and ascent it supplies the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines in the orbiter...
to be used on STS-120, and modify the
liquid oxygenLiquid oxygen is a form of the element oxygen. It has a pale blue color and is strongly paramagnetic and can be suspended between the poles of a powerful horse shoe magnet...
feed-line brackets. The change involved a new low-density foam application, and thinner gaskets. Shuttle Program Managers decided to do this to reduce the foam loss from the area that had been noted since
STS-114STS-114 was the first "Return to Flight" Space Shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The Space Shuttle Discovery launched at 10:39 a.m. EDT , July 26, 2005. The launch, 907 days STS-114 was the first "Return to Flight" Space Shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle...
's
Return to FlightReturn to Flight can refer to:* Apollo 7, NASA's first mission after the Apollo 1 fire* Space Shuttle mission STS-26, NASA's first mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster...
mission in 2005. STS-118 had a small gouge on the belly of the orbiter due to a chunk of foam that impacted during launch in August 2007. The week of September 17, NASA managers decided to delay
Discovery's rollover to the
Vehicle Assembly BuildingThe Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, is located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It is the fourth largest building in the world by volume. The building is halfway between Jacksonville and Miami, and due east of Orlando on Merritt Island on the Atlantic coast of Florida...
(VAB), due to a hydraulic fluid leak from the right main landing gear strut. The strut repair was successfully completed on September 19, 2007. Discovery then moved to the VAB, and was mated to the External Tank and
Solid Rocket BoostersSolid rocket boosters are used to provide thrust in spacecraft launches from the launchpad up to burnout of the SRBs. Many launch vehicles include SRBs, including the Ariane 5, Atlas V, and the NASA Space Shuttle...
. Perched atop the
Mobile Launcher PlatformThe Mobile Launcher Platform or MLP is one of three two-story structures used by NASA to support the Space Shuttle stack during its transportation from the Vehicle Assembly Building to either Launch Pad 39-A or 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center as well as serve as the vehicle's launch platform...
,
Discovery arrived at Launch complex 39A on September 30, 2007.
The crew of STS-120 arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, October 7, 2007 and began final preparations, including the
terminal countdown demonstration testA terminal countdown demonstration test is a simulation of the final hours of a launch countdown and serves as a practice exercise in which both the launch team and flight crew rehearse launch day timelines and procedures...
, or "Dress Rehearsal", scheduled for October 7 through October 10.
On October 9, 2007, NASA's Engineering and Safety Center, an independent review group set up after the 2003 Columbia disaster, advised replacement of three of
Discovery's reinforced carbon-carbonCarbon fibre-reinforced carbon is a composite material consisting of carbon fibre reinforcement in a matrix of graphite. It was developed for the nose cones of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle...
(RCC) panels on the leading wing edge, due to a loss of small amounts of the protective
siliconSilicon is the most common metalloid. It is a chemical element, which has the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, silicon is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon...
-
carbideIn chemistry, a carbide is a compound composed of carbon and a less electronegative element. Carbides can be generally classified by chemical bonding type as follows: salt-like, covalent compounds, interstitial compounds, and "intermediate" transition metal carbides...
coating. NASA reviewed the issue of oxidation of the panels for several months, using a variety of specialized testing methods, including
thermographyInfrared Thermography, thermal imaging, thermographic imaging, or thermal video, is a type of infrared imaging science. Thermographic cameras detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms...
. These tests showed that the panels had not worsened over the course of the past two flights of
Discovery, and the orbiter project engineers concluded in August that
Discovery was safe to launch as is. Had a decision been made to repair the panels, the orbiter would have been rolled back to the VAB, delaying the launch.
On October 16, 2007, NASA Managers completed the Flight Readiness Review, and held a press conference to announce the mission plan. The issue of the RCC panels raised by NESC was found to be of little immediate concern, because the NESC took pre-flight thermography data from
Endeavour and compared it with
Discovery, but there was no commonality in flight history between the two vehicles. The research showed no significant difference between the panels prior to STS-114, and the panels today, which indicates the coating has not worsened during the previous flights, adding confidence that
Discovery's RCC panels have had no deterioration in the flights since. NASA announced on the main shuttle page that "The Space Shuttle Program has determined that Discovery's astronauts can safely carry out their mission without having to replace the panels."
Tuesday October 23 (Flight Day 1, Launch)
Discovery launched on time at 11:38 a.m.
EDTEastern Daylight Time may refers to:* Eastern Daylight Time , UTC-4.* Australian Eastern Daylight Time, UTC+11....
(15:38 UTC). In the countdown's final minutes, a piece of ice, measuring x was seen on the hydrogen umbilical between the orbiter and the external tank. The inspection team was called back to the pad (a contingency that has been practiced, and used before), to get a closer look at the ice build-up. NASA flight controllers deemed it too small to pose a threat to the thermal protection system. The ice was attached to a
KaptonKapton is a polyimide film developed by DuPont which can remain stable in a wide range of temperatures, from -273 °C to +400 °C . Kapton is used in, among other things, flexible printed circuits and thermal micrometeoroid garments, the outside layer of space suits.The chemical name for Kapton K...
purge barrier near the LH2 umbilical
pyrotechnicA pyrotechnic fastener is a fastener, usually a nut or bolt, that incorporates a pyrotechnic charge that can be initiated remotely. Explosive charges embedded within the bolts are typically activated by an electric current, and the charge breaks the bolt into two or more pieces...
canister closeout. It had been shown in tests that ice on this liner, sometimes called a
"baggie"Baggies, made by Pactiv Corporation, were the first brand of food storage bags. Twist-tie-sealed bags that keep food fresh, they are available in quart , gallon and 2-gallon bags....
, would likely come off at main engine ignition. Had it been on other metal surfaces around the liner, this may have posed a threat of staying on and breaking off at a critical part of launch. Despite these issues, the launch continued as planned. The forecast for launch initially was a 60% chance of weather prohibiting launch, and although the launch team weather officers were tracking an incoming storm, the weather remained favorable for launch. Present for the launch was
George LucasGeorge Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, director and chairman of Lucasfilm Ltd. He is best known for being the creator of the epic sci-fi franchise Star Wars and joint creator of the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
, to see off the Star Wars lightsaber. In a press briefing following launch, NASA managers noted a few "events" involving debris, but they occurred later in ascent, after the period of maximum aerodynamic
velocityIn physics, velocity is the rate of change of position. It is a vector physical quantity; both speed and direction are required to define it. In the SI system, it is measured in meters per second: or ms-1. The scalar absolute value of velocity is speed...
and speed, and were not concerning.
Wednesday, October 24 (Flight day 2)
The crew of STS-120 spent their first full day in space by performing the RCC survey, using the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS), and the
Orbiter Boom Sensor SystemThe Orbiter Boom Sensor System is a 50-foot boom carried on board NASA's Space Shuttles. The boom can be grappled by the Canadarm and serves as an extension of the arm, doubling its length to a combined total of 100 feet...
(OBSS).
The crew also worked on various tasks such as inspecting the
Extravehicular Mobility UnitThe Space Shuttle/International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit is an independent anthropomorphic system that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for a Shuttle or ISS crew member to perform extra-vehicular activity in earth orbit...
s (EMUs, or spacesuits) that will be used on the EVAs, and doing some preliminary work to get ready for docking with the International Space Station on Thursday. Deputy Shuttle Program Manager and Mission Management Team (MMT) chairman John Shannon noted during the status briefing that the preliminary data the team had reviewed showed no items of concern, and the ascent imagery showed no significant losses prior to SRB separation. Shannon said there were several items the team was waiting for higher resolution imagery to assess, including a possible protruding gap filler, and some external tank foam losses, but there was nothing to indicate any problems. Shannon also noted that a vapor trail was seen coming off the external tank for several seconds during launch, but noted that this was a condition seen during both STS-114, and
STS-121STS-121 was a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. The main purposes of the mission were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced following the Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and...
, and was found to be condensate coming off the back side of the tank. Due to the temperature and humidity, combined with the angle of the sun for
Discovery's launch, the plume appeared more dramatic in some of the imagery. This was considered an "expected condition", and Shannon confirmed it was of no concern.
Thursday, October 25 (Flight day 3)
The crew of STS-120 worked through the rendezvous procedures in the morning leading to the
rendezvous pitch maneuverThe R-bar pitch maneuver , popularly called the rendezvous pitch maneuver, is a maneuver performed by the space shuttle as it rendezvous with the International Space Station prior to docking. The shuttle performs a backflip that exposes its heat-shield to the crew of the ISS that makes...
which began at 11:34 UTC. Following the RPM, the crew was given the "Go" to dock with the station, and successful docking to the International Space Station occurred at 12:40 UTC. Following docking, the joint crews conducted a station safety review, and Tani's custom Soyuz seatliner was transferred from
Discovery to the
Soyuz TMA-11Soyuz TMA-11 was a human spaceflight mission using a Soyuz-TMA spacecraft to transport personnel to and from the International Space Station . The mission began at 13:22 UTC on October 10, 2007 when the spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle...
, with Anderson's seat liner taken into
Discovery. This marked the official end of Expedition 16 for Anderson, and the start of Tani's increment. Just before the two crews signed off to sleep, they were informed that after preliminary review of the RPM photography, focused inspection of the orbiter's heat shield would not be required. During the MMT briefing, Shannon confirmed that initial evaluation of the available data showed
Discovery to be a "pretty clean vehicle". He also confirmed they were not working any issues or items of interest. Shannon said the piece of ice that was looked at prior to launch dislodged during main engine ignition, and as it fell, the ice appeared to graze the underside of the orbiter at the beginning of ascent, but the area around the impact site was in good condition, and the ice did not appear to have caused any damage. Shannon said the teams would continue to evaluate the imagery and data, but the shuttle was in a good configuration.
Friday, October 26 (Flight day 4)
The two crews started the day by preparing for the mission's first spacewalk, which began at 10:02 UTC, and ended at 16:16 UTC. Parazynski and Wheelock successfully completed all EVA activities, including preparing
Harmony for removal from the payload bay. Wilson, Tani, and Anderson controlled the station's robotic arm, moving
Harmony out of the bay and onto the port side of the
Unity nodethumb|right|300px|ISS Unity connecting module The Unity connecting module was the first U.S.-built component of the International Space Station....
. At 15:38 UTC,
Harmony was officially mated to the space station. The station's new addition adds to the station's living volume, an increase of almost 20%, from to .
At the Mission Management Team meeting, managers cleared
Discovery's heat shield for reentry, and verified that focused inspection was not required, but noted that late inspection will still be performed on flight day 13 following undocking. John Shannon mentioned that managers have decided to add a task to the second EVA, asking the astronauts to visually inspect the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) on the starboard side, as the joint has registered some vibration for the past month and a half. While the friction is not constant or severe, managers will have Tani remove the insulation covers from the joint to photograph the swing bolts on the joint since Tani would be near the area during the EVA.
Saturday, October 27 (Flight day 5)
The two crews worked to prepare
Harmony for entry in the morning, connecting power and data cables, and at 12:24 UTC, the hatch was opened, and the crew was allowed to enter. Whitson, Malenchenko, and Nespoli entered first, wearing masks, and installed a temporary air duct to the node, to allow the air inside to circulate through the station's filters. Until the air is fully exchanged, occupancy of the node is limited to only a few crew members at a time, and they are not to remain inside for extended periods. Some of the work the crew has to do inside the node is to remove approximately 700 screws and bolts that are holding down equipment and panels, placed for security during launch, but not needed in space. After allowing the ventilation system work for several hours, the two crews participated in a press conference with
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
, Fox News, and
WHAM-TVWHAM-TV, channel 13, is the ABC network and The CW network television affiliate in Rochester, New York. It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 13. WHAM-TV, channel 13, is the ABC network and The CW network television affiliate in Rochester, New York. It broadcasts its digital signal on...
from inside
Harmony.
Sunday, October 28 (Flight day 6)
The two crews awoke at 05:08 UTC, and began preparing for the second EVA. Parazynski and Tani began the spacewalk at 09:32, a half hour ahead of the planned timeline. The pair started with the P6 truss, removing the attachments to the Z1 truss, which allowed Wilson and Wheelock to use the station's robotic arm to move the truss to a position where it was "parked" for the night. Joking to Wilson "Don't drop it!", Parazynski then moved on and installed handrails onto
Harmony, while Tani went to inspect some items requested by the managers, including handrails on a Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart, that was considered as a possible cause of
Rick MastracchioRichard Alan "Rick" Mastracchio is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut.-Personal:Mastracchio was born in Waterbury, Connecticut and graduated from Crosby High School in 1978...
's glove tear on STS-118. Tani noted the handrail appeared to be intact, with no obvious sharp edges. Tani then moved on to the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) that has had an intermittent vibration for over a month. After removing the cover from the joint, Tani called down to the team to let them know he saw some metal shavings, and some wear patterns and discoloration on one of the rings inside the joint. "It's like the result that you get with the metal, iron filings and you put a magnet under it and they stand straight up." Tani collected some of the shavings onto some tape, which will return to Earth with the shuttle for further analysis. Managers decided to add a task to Tuesday's EVA, having Parazynski inspect the port (left side) SARJ, using photography and video to compare it to the starboard SARJ inspected by Tani.
Monday, October 29 (Flight day 7)
The two crews used the morning to move the P6 truss from its overnight position on the station's robotic arm, over to the shuttle's robotic arm. The crew then moved the station's arm along the mobile transporter to an outboard work site that allows attachment of the P6 truss to its new location on the P5 truss on Tuesday. Managers on the ground had Whitson perform an experiment on the shavings Tani collected from the SARJ on Sunday's EVA, putting a magnet under a slip of paper, and testing to see if the shavings collected on the paper, to ascertain if they were metal. The test confirmed the particles collected by Tani were
ferrousFerrous, in chemical science, indicates a bivalent iron compound , as opposed to ferric, which indicates a trivalent iron compound ....
. This information allowed the managers on the ground to rule out some possibilities of the origin of the particles, such as the thermal covers, which are made of aluminized mylar.
The Mission Management Team discussed the SARJ issues with the ISS team, and decided to add an extra docked day to the mission, between flight days 11 and 12. The new plan changed the objectives of EVA four from the heat shield repair materials testing, to a more thorough inspection of the starboard SARJ. With the new flight plan,
Discovery would undock on November 5, with a landing on Wednesday, November 7, at approximately 5:11 a.m. EST.
Tuesday, October 30 (Flight day 8)
The two crews spent the morning preparing for the mission's third EVA, which began at 08:45 UTC. The EVA completed the installation of the P6 solar arrays onto the P5 truss, and the rest of the EVA activities were accomplished successfully, with the EVA ending at 15:53 UTC. Once the P6 solar array was attached, the process of deploying the arrays began. The first set of arrays, 2B, was successfully deployed with no issues, but during the deployment of the 4B array, the crew halted when they noticed an abnormality. Initial images taken by the crew and station cameras showed what appeared to be a tear in a small portion of the array. During a press briefing, ISS Program Manager Mike Suffredini said the crew took high resolution images of the solar array, and the managers would analyze the images overnight to determine a course of action. Sufredini mentioned that with the array in the 90% unfurled position, it was still generating 97% of the expected power to the station, only slightly less than a fully unfurled array.
Wednesday, October 31 (Flight day 9)
The crew began the day working through a variety of tasks, including preparing for the fourth EVA, installing a Zero Gravity Stowage Rack in
Harmony, and working with some of the experiments on board. Nespoli and Melroy participated in a Public Affairs event (PAO), and received a call from the
PresidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Italy,
Giorgio NapolitanoGiorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician and former lifetime senator, the eleventh and current President of the Italian Republic...
. The entire crew took part in a second PAO event, fielding calls from news agencies from the United States, Europe, and Russia. Around 15:00 UTC, mission control informed the crew that Thursday's planned EVA would be postponed to either Friday, or perhaps Saturday, to allow for a new EVA plan to be worked out, which would include troubleshooting of the P6 solar arrays.
Thursday, November 1 (Flight day 10)
Shortly after awakening in the morning, the crew was informed that the managers had chosen to take an extra day to evaluate and plan the fourth EVA. Managers initially planned for the EVA to be done Friday, but would use an extra day to conduct further analysis and allow the crew to have extra time to make the tools and equipment needed, and to review and practice the procedures. The crew took some time out to gather in the
Harmony module to speak with former President
George H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st President of the United States . He was also Ronald Reagan's Vice President , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence....
and his wife, Barbara, who were visiting Johnson Space Center.
The rest of the day was devoted to assembling and configuring the new equipment and tools that would be required for the solar array repair, including a tool termed a "cufflink". The tear in the array is located at one of the hinges, which carries the load of the array, so the cufflink will be a load-bearing strap to relieve the pressure from the snagged area, transferring the load from the hinge, to the cufflink. The cufflink is made up of two wires, with two tabs at the end, that are threaded through existing reinforced aluminum holes in the solar array panels. The EVA plans call for the space station's robotic arm to grapple the shuttle's orbital inspection boom, with an extension on the end, to allow Parazynski to reach the solar array while positioned on a foot restraint at the end of the system. Wheelock will be watching to let the team know the clearances, and to assist Parazynski and the robotics team with positioning. With the changes to the timeline, the crew would be shifting their sleep schedule, to allow for a daylight landing on Wednesday, rather than the early morning landing that was originally planned. The fifth EVA that was planned for the Expedition 16 crew during the mission was delayed, and will be performed by the station crew after the shuttle departs.
Friday, November 2 (Flight day 11)
The shuttle and station crews spent the day discussing the new EVA plan with managers on the ground, reviewing the procedures, completing the tool configurations, and going over the timeline for the fourth EVA, scheduled for Saturday. The crew also positioned the station's mobile transporter and robotic arm on the end of the truss, to allow the apparatus to reach the solar array. Saturday's EVA would be the first operational use of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) to reach a worksite, although the task was tested and demonstrated during STS-121 to show the boom could provide a stable work platform for EVA activities.
Saturday, November 3 (Flight day 12)
After being awakened by the theme music from
Star WarsThe music of Star Wars consists of the scores written for all six Star Wars films by composer John Williams from 1977 to 1983 for the Original Trilogy, and 1999 to 2005 for the Prequel Trilogy. More broadly, it refers to any music that is used to depict the larger Star Wars Universe, which would...
, the station and shuttle crews got to work preparing for the mission's fourth EVA. The spacewalk began at 10:03 UTC. After translating out to the robotic arm, Parazynski attached himself to the adjustable portable foot restraint (APFR), and was taken to the solar array worksite. Working slowly, with direction from Wheelock and the ground team, Parazynski secured the five cufflinks to the array, and then backed away to observe the deploy action. Inside the station, the crew deployed the array a half a "bay" at a time, and the array was fully deployed at 15:23 UTC. After performing additional inspections of both the 2B, and 4B arrays, Parazynski and Wheelock finished the EVA at 17:22 UTC. With the mission's final spacewalk completed, Parazynski has completed seven EVAs, for a total time of 47 hours, 05 minutes, placing him 5th overall for total EVA duration. Wheelock completed three EVAs, for a total time of 20 hours, 41 minutes, and the total EVA time for STS-120 was 27 hours, 14 minutes. During the EVA, a pair of needlenose pliers floated free of the equipment, and was observed floating nearby the window by the crew inside the station. The tool floated clear of the station, and was not a hazard.
| Illustration of plan |
Repair images |
| |
|
OBSS used as an extension boom for Canadarm2. |
| |
|
The placement of the five cufflinks designed to relieve tension from the damaged solar array hinge. |
Sunday, November 4 (Flight day 13)
The Shuttle and station crews spent the day transferring cargo, and resting in preparation for Monday's departure of Discovery. Nespoli and Melroy spent some time in the morning speaking to the Italian media, and later in the day the crew had some off-duty time. Following the traditional farewell ceremony, the hatches were closed at 20:03 UTC. During the emotional ceremony, Anderson spoke to the ground crew, expressing his gratitude for their support during his 137 days as an Expedition crewmember.
Monday, November 5 (Flight day 14)
The two crews spent the morning preparing for
Discovery's undocking from the International Space Station. At 10:32 UTC, the orbiter successfully backed away from the Pressurized Mating Adapter on the Destiny Laboratory, and pilot Zamka began the fly-around to allow the shuttle crew to photograph the new configuration of the station. After performing the final separation burn, focused inspection began, to scan the wing leading edges and nose cap, the final analysis that allows the ground team to clear the orbiter for re-entry on Wednesday.
Tuesday, November 6 (Flight day 15)
The crew of Discovery spent the day preparing Wednesday's landing. In addition to doing final packing and stowing activities, Melroy and Zamka did a check of the orbiter's systems, including the flight control systems, and the reaction control system jets. The crew took some time out in the morning to speak to the media, and then had a deorbit preparation briefing with the ground team. Melroy performed a burn of the orbiter's engines in the afternoon, an orbit adjustment burn done to refine the orbiter's trajectory for the two Wednesday landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center. NASA managers officially cleared
Discoverys heat shield for landing after reviewing the data sent down by the final inspection on Monday.
Wednesday, November 7 (Flight day 16, Landing)
The crew of Discovery got to work preparing for landing following their wake up call. NASA did not activate either
Edwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond. It is named in...
, or
White SandsWhite Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in area, the largest military installation in the United States. WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range. WSMR and the 600,000-acre Fort Bliss ' to the south, form a contiguous swath of territory for military testing...
for Wednesday, as the weather looked favorable for both landing opportunities at Kennedy. The weather forecast at the Shuttle Landing Facility called for good visibility, with mostly sunny skies, although the headwinds would be evaluated, as they had been peaking at . Due to the sleep shifting done by the crew earlier in the mission to schedule the extra mission days, the landing was done on what is called a "descending" node entry. Unlike ascending node entries, this entry trajectory brought the shuttle diagonally across the United States for the first time since
STS-107STS-107 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Columbia, launched January 16, 2003. This was a multi-disciplinary microgravity and Earth science research mission with a multitude of international scientific investigations conducted continuously during 16 days in orbit.The...
. The shuttle passed over Vancouver,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
, Canada, and angled down towards
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
. Once the orbiter reached Florida, Melroy performed a 195-degree right overhead turn along the heading alignment cone (HAC) in order to line up for a landing on Runway 33. The first landing opportunity began with a deorbit burn at 16:59 UTC and finished with a landing at 1:01 p.m. EST. The deorbit burns were done to slow the orbiter's speed and to drop it out of freefall orbit and on target for the designated runway.
Discovery's payload bay doors were closed at 14:13 UTC, and the crew began fluid loading at 16:00 UTC. Fluid loading is a procedure that involves drinking high
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
content fluids, which allows the astronauts to adjust to the return to gravity, and reduces the chance of
hypotensionIn physiology and medicine, hypotension refers to an abnormally low blood pressure. This is best understood as a physiologic state, rather than a disease. It is often associated with shock, though not necessarily indicative of it. Hypotension is the opposite of hypertension, which is high blood...
upon returning to Earth. Shortly after 16:00 UTC, the crew began to get into their launch and entry suits, and ingress into their respective seats for landing. At 16:50 UTC, Entry Flight Director
Bryan LunneyBryan Lunney is a NASA flight director.-Early life:The son of Apollo-era flight director Glynn Lunney, Bryan Lunney grew up in Friendswood, Texas and attended Friendswood High School...
gave the crew the "go" for deorbit burn. The initiation of the burn committed Discovery to landing. The burn was initiated at 16:59 UTC, and was one minute and 53 seconds in duration. The deorbit burn is performed while the orbiter is facing opposite its direction of travel, which allows the engines to act as a braking system, slowing its speed by approximately , or about 147
miles per hourThe mile per hour is a unit of speed, measured in Imperial units expressing the number of international miles covered per hour.It is currently the unit used for speed limits, and speeds, on roads in the United Kingdom and United States...
. After the burn, the remaining propellant in the orbiter's maneuvering thrusters was dumped overboard, at 17:13 UTC. Discovery
began to feel the effects of gravity around , as it traveled above the North Pacific Ocean at 17:30 UTC. As the orbiter descended, Melroy initiated a series of "rolls", and roll reversals, which serve to create friction and bleed off additional speed. At 17:40 UTC, Discovery
entered the United States, flying over MontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. At 17:53, the orbiter entered Florida, flying at a speed of , and an altitude of .
Discovery
touched down on runway 33 at 1:01:18 p.m. EST, the rear landing gear touching down first, the nose gear touching down at 1:01:32 p.m., and the orbiter came to a complete stop at 1:02:13 p.m. Total mission time was 15 days, 2 hours, 23 minutes, 55 seconds, for a distance of 6.25 million miles in 238 orbits. The completion of STS-120 marks the longest duration mission for Discovery.
Extra-vehicular activity
Four spacewalks were scheduled and completed during STS-120. The cumulative time in extra-vehicular activity during the mission was 27 hours and 14 minutes.
|
Spacewalkers |
Start |
End |
Duration |
Mission |
| EVA1 |
Scott E. ParazynskiScott Edward Parazynski, M.D. is an American physician and a NASA astronaut. A veteran of five Space Shuttle flights and seven spacewalks, Parazynski's latest mission was STS-120 in October, 2007. He retired from NASA in March 2009 to pursue opportunities in the private sector...
Douglas H. WheelockDouglas Harry "Wheels" Wheelock is a United States Army officer and a NASA astronaut. He is flew on Space Shuttle flight STS-120 as a Mission Specialist....
|
October 26
10:02 UTC |
October 26
16:16 UTC |
6 hours, 14 minutes |
Harmony (Node 2) installation preparation, S-Band The S band ranges from 2 to 4 GHz, crossing the conventional boundary between UHF and SHF at 3.0 GHz. It is part of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum. The S band is used by weather radar, surface ship radar, and some communications satellites, especially those used by...
AntennaAn antenna is a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves. In other words, antennas convert electromagnetic waves into electrical currents and vice versa. Antennas are used in systems such as radio and television broadcasting, point-to-point radio communication, wireless...
Support Assembly (SASA) retrieval, P6/Z1 fluid line disconnections, P6 aft radiator shroud installations. |
| EVA2 |
Scott E. Parazynski
Daniel M. TaniDaniel Tani is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. Although born in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, he considers Lombard, Illinois, to be his hometown...
|
October 28
09:32 UTC |
October 28
16:05 UTC |
6 hours, 33 minutes |
Z1 to P6 umbilical disconnections, P6 detach from Z1, S1 radiator configuration, Node 2 handrail installations, S4 starboardStarboard is the nautical term that refers to the right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board a vessel and facing the bow . The equivalent for the left-hand side is port. The starboard side of a vessel is indicated with a green navigation light at...
Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) inspection. |
| EVA3 |
Scott E. Parazynski
Douglas H. Wheelock |
October 30
08:45 UTC |
October 30
15:53 UTC |
7 hours, 08 minutes |
P6 to P5 attachment. P6/P5 umbilical connections, S1 configure post-redeploy, port SARJ inspection. |
| EVA4 |
Scott E. Parazynski
Douglas H. Wheelock |
November 3
10:03 UTC |
November 3
17:22 UTC |
7 hours, 19 minutes |
Inspection and repair of P6 Solar Array. |
ESA Esperia mission
In addition to his participation in the ISS assembly mission during the STS-120 flight, Paolo Nespoli conducted science research as part of the Esperia mission for ESA. According to the STS-120 press kit, Nespoli was to carry out a number of experiments on behalf of the European science community. Two of these experiments (Chromosome‐2 and Neocytolysis) were sponsored by ESA. The other three (HPA, FRTL‐5 and SPORE) were sponsored by the
Italian Space AgencyThe Italian Space Agency was founded in 1988 to promote, coordinate, and conduct space activities in Italy. Operating under the Ministry of the Universities and Scientific and Technological Research, the Agency cooperates with numerous international and Italian entities, who are active in space...
. Chromosome‐2, Neocytolysis and HPA were experiments in the field of human physiology. FRTL‐5 and SPORE were biology experiments.
Wake-up calls
A tradition for NASA human spaceflights since the days of
GeminiProject Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini operated between Projects Mercury and Apollo, with 10 manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966...
, mission crews are played a special musical track at the start of each day in space.
Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.
| Flight Day |
Song |
Artist/Composer |
Played for |
Links |
Day 2
|
Lord of the Dance Lord of the Dance may refer to:* Lord of the Dance , a hymn written by Sydney Carter in 1963* Lord of the Dance, a title given to Jesus Christ* Tomorrow shall be my dancing day the traditional song that the "Lord of the Dance" hymn is based on....
|
John Langstaff John Langstaff , a concert baritone, and early music revivalist was the founder of the Northeast United States tradition of the Christmas Revels, as well as a respected musician and educator. He attended the Curtis Institute of Music as well as Juilliard. In 1943 he married Diane Hamilton...
|
Pam Melroy |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 3
|
Dancing in the Moonlight "Dancing in the Moonlight" is the title song on the 1973 King Harvest album. The track was released as a single and it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released other singles but these were never able to match the success of "Dancing in the Moonlight"...
|
King Harvest King Harvest was a 1970s American rock band.Formed by a group of four American expatriates in Paris, France in 1970, King Harvest was best known for its one US hit single, "Dancing In The Moonlight", in 1973...
|
Dan Tani |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 4
|
Rocket Man "Rocket Man " is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and originally performed by John. It is loosely based on the short story "The Rocket Man" in Ray Bradbury's book The Illustrated Man, and echoes the theme of David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity"...
|
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has sold more than 200 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single, Candle in the Wind 1997, has sold over 37 million copies, becoming the...
|
Douglas Wheelock |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 5
|
Bellissime Stelle |
Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli, Grande Ufficiale OMRI is a five-time Classical Brit winner and three-time Grammy nominated Italian tenor....
|
Paolo Nespoli |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 6
|
What a Wonderful World "What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world...
|
Louis ArmstrongLouis Daniel Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
|
Scott Parazynski |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 7
|
One by One One By One is the fourth studio album by the Foo Fighters, released October 22 2002. The album is the first to feature guitarist Chris Shiflett....
|
Wynton MarsalisWynton Learson Marsalis is an American trumpeter and composer. He is among the most prominent jazz musicians of the modern era and is also a well-known instrumentalist in classical music. He is also the Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center...
|
Stephanie WilsonStephanie Diana Wilson is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. She flew on her first mission in space onboard the Space Shuttle mission STS-121, and is the second African American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison.-Education:Graduated from Taconic High School, Pittsfield,...
|
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 8
|
Malagueña Salerosa Malagueña Salerosa is a traditional Mexican folk song which has been covered by many performers.The song is that of a man telling a woman how beautiful she is, and how he would love to be her man, but that he understands her rejecting him for being too poor.Malagueña Salerosa is attributed to...
|
Chingon Chingon is a Mexican rock band based in Austin, Texas. Their sound is heavily influenced by mariachi, ranchera, and Texan rock 'n roll music.-History:...
|
George Zamka |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 9
|
Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu |
Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno was a twice Grammy Award-winning Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament.-Biography:Modugno was born in Polignano a Mare, province of Bari ....
|
Paolo Nespoli |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 10
|
The Lion Sleeps Tonight "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is an acclaimed song sung by The Tokens and written as Mbube by Solomon Linda.-History:"Mbube" was first recorded by its writer, Solomon Linda, and his group, The Evening Birds, in 1939. Gallo Record Company paid Linda a single fee for the recording and no royalties...
|
Robert John Robert John is an American singer-songwriter.- Biography :He is best remembered for the 1979 hit, "Sad Eyes". This song, which features John's falsetto vocals, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 that summer...
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|
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 11
|
WorldWorld is a highly common name for the planet Earth, but it was originally used to mean the sum of human civilization living on it, specifically human experience, history, or the 'human condition' in general....
|
Five for Fighting Five for Fighting is the stage name of American singer-songwriter John Ondrasik. His 2000 album America Town went platinum in the U.S. largely because of the success of the song "Superman ". The 2004 album The Battle for Everything has also enjoyed chart success in the United States with the hit...
|
Doug Wheelock |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 12
|
Star WarsStar Wars is an epic space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas. The first film in the franchise was originally released on May 25, 1977, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, spawning two immediate sequels, released at three-year intervals...
|
John WilliamsJohn Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career that spans six decades, Williams has composed many of the most famous film scores in Hollywood history, including Star Wars, Superman, Home Alone, the first three Harry Potter movies and all but two of Steven...
|
Scott Parazynski |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 13
|
The Presence of the Lord |
Byron Cage -Early years:Inspired by the singing of the late Rev. Donald Vails and Thomas Whitfield, Cage began singing gospel music as a teenager. He also served as music director for Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan.-1995-1996: Purpose:...
|
Stephanie WilsonStephanie Diana Wilson is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. She flew on her first mission in space onboard the Space Shuttle mission STS-121, and is the second African American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison.-Education:Graduated from Taconic High School, Pittsfield,...
|
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 14
|
Roll Me Away "Roll Me Away" is a song written in 1982 by Bob Seger on thealbum The Distance by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band . The song is also featured on the Armageddon soundtrack....
|
Bob Seger Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the "System" from his recordings, and continued to strive for...
|
George Zamka |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 15
|
Space Truckin' "Space Truckin'" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple. It is the seventh track on the Machine Head album. Its lyrics talk of space travel and it showcases the vocal abilities of singer Ian Gillan and powerful drumming of Ian Paice...
|
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorise themselves as any one genre. The band...
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Expedition 15Expedition 15 was the 15th expedition to the International Space Station . Four crew members participated in the expedition, although for most of the expedition's duration only three were on the station at any one time...
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WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Day 16
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Chitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham...
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Sherman Brothers The Sherman Brothers are an Academy Award-winning American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
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Pamela MelroyPamela Anne Melroy is a retired United States Air Force officer and a former NASA astronaut. She served as pilot on Space Shuttle missions STS-92 and STS-112 and commanded mission STS-120.-Early life and education:...
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WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
Contingency mission
STS-320Space Shuttle missions designated STS-3xx are rescue missions which would be mounted to rescue the crew of a Space Shuttle if their vehicle was damaged and deemed unable to make a successful reentry...
was the designation given to the Contingency Shuttle Crew Support mission which would have been launched in the event Space Shuttle Discovery became disabled during STS-120. It would have been a modified version of the
STS-122STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1....
mission, which would have involved the launch date being brought forward. If it had been needed, it would have been launched no later than January 5, 2008. The crew for this mission would have been a four-person subset of the full STS-122 crew.
Media
See also
External links