STS-128
Encyclopedia

Crew notes

Nicole Stott was originally scheduled to return aboard Soyuz TMA-15
Soyuz TMA-15
Soyuz TMA-15 was a manned spaceflight to the International Space Station. Part of the Soyuz programme, it transported three members of the Expedition 20 crew to the space station. TMA-15 was the 102nd manned flight of a Soyuz spacecraft, since Soyuz 1 in 1967. The Soyuz spacecraft remain docked to...

, but a change in the flight plan was made due to the possible flight delays in future shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

 missions, which may extend Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk
Robert Thirsk
Robert Brent "Bob" Thirsk is a Canadian engineer and physician, and a former Canadian Space Agency astronaut. He holds the Canadian records for the longest space flight and the most time spent in space .-Personal life:Thirsk is from New Westminster, British Columbia and is married to Brenda...

's mission beyond the six-month duration preferred for station crew members.

STS-128 is planned to be the final Space Shuttle flight used for ISS crew rotation, with Nicole Stott replacing Tim Kopra. Stott returned on STS-129
STS-129
-Crew seat assignments:-Mission payload:-ExPRESS Logistics Carriers 1 and 2:The primary payload of STS-129 was the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier and the ELC-2. The mass capacity of each ELC is with a volume of 30 meters cubed...

, but that flight did not bring her replacement.

The mission of Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

 is named Alissé by the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...

. The name was proposed by Jürgen Modlich from Baierbrunn
Baierbrunn
Baierbrunn is a municipality in the district of Munich in the south-German state Bavaria....

, Germany. The name refers to the 15th-century explorers who used the trade winds to follow Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...

 across the oceans to the New World.

STS-128 also marked the first time two Hispanic Americans
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

 were on the same crew. John "Danny" Olivas of El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...

, made his second trip up into space, and José Hernández
Jose Hernandez (astronaut)
José Moreno Hernández , is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut.Hernández was born in French Camp, California, but calls Stockton, California, his hometown. His family is from La Piedad, Michoacán, with indigenous Purépecha roots...

 of Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...

, made his first. Both are of Mexican heritage.

Mission payload

Location Cargo Mass
Bays 1–2 Orbiter Docking System
EMU
Extravehicular Mobility Unit
The Space Shuttle/International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit is an independent anthropomorphic system that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for a Space Shuttle or International Space Station crew member to perform extra-vehicular activity...

 3009 / EMU 3015
1800 kilograms (3,968.3 lb)
~260 kilograms (573.2 lb)
Bay 3P Shuttle Power
Distribution Unit (SPDU)
~17 kilograms (37.5 lb)
Bay 4P APC/MISSE Carrier 57 kilograms (125.7 lb)
Bay 5P APC/MISSE Carrier 57 kilograms (125.7 lb)
Bay 7S ROEU umbilical ~79 kilograms (174.2 lb)
Bays 7–12 Leonardo (MPLM FM-1) 12131 kilograms (26,744.3 lb)
Bay 13 Lightweight MPESS Carrier (LMC) 1780 kilograms (3,924.2 lb)
Starboard Sill Orbiter Boom Sensor System
Orbiter Boom Sensor System
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...

~382 kilograms (842.2 lb)
Port Sill Canadarm 410 kilograms (903.9 lb)
Total: 16973 kilograms (37,419.1 lb)

Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Leonardo

The primary payload of STS-128 was the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
A Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is a large pressurized container used on Space Shuttle missions to transfer cargo to and from the International Space Station . An MPLM was carried in the cargo bay of a Shuttle and berthed to the Unity or Harmony modules on the ISS. From there, supplies were...

 Leonardo to assist with establishing a six-man crew capacity by bringing extra supplies and equipment to the station. The Multi-Purpose Logistics Module contained three racks for life support, a crew quarter to be installed in Kibo
Japanese Experiment Module
The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , 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...

, a new treadmill (COLBERT) that will temporarily be placed in Node 2 and later in Node 3, and an Air Revitalization System (ARS) that will temporarily be placed in Kibo and later in Node 3.
Leonardo Specifications:
  • Length: 21 feet (6.4 m)
  • Diameter: 15 feet (4.6 m)
  • Payload Mass (launch): 27510 lbs
  • Payload Mass (return): 16268 lbs
  • Empty Weight: 9810 lbs

Lightweight Multi-Purpose Carrier (LMC)

The shuttle carried a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC) with Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA). The new ammonia tank will replace an empty tank during an EVA.

TriDAR

The shuttle flew the first test flight of the TriDAR
TriDAR
TriDAR, or Triangulation and LIDAR Automated Rendezvous and Docking, is a relative navigation vision system developed by Neptec Design Group and funded by the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. It provides guidance information that can be used to guide an unmanned vehicle during rendezvous and...

, a 3D dual-sensing laser camera, intended for potential use as an autonomous rendezvous and docking sensor. The TriDAR successfully tracked the ISS position and orientation from the shuttle during docking operations.

Other science packages

It will also contain three racks dedicated to science, FIR (Fluids Integrated Rack) and the first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) to be placed in Destiny and MELFI-2
Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS
The Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS is a European-built experiment storage freezer for the International Space Station. It comprises four independent dewars which can be set to operate at different temperatures. Currently temperatures of −80°C, −26°C, and +4°C are used during...

 (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) to be placed in Kibo. The FIR will enable detailed study of how liquids behave in microgravity, a crucial detail for many chemical reactions. One experiment, for instance, will examine how mixtures known as colloids behave without being stirred by sedimentation and convection. Another using the Light Microscopy Module (LMM) will examine how an ideal heat pipe works without the distortions of gravity.

Mission experiments

The STS-128 mission (as did STS-125
STS-125
STS-125, or HST-SM4 , was the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope .Launch occurred on 11 May 2009 at 2:01 pm EDT...

 and STS-127
STS-127
STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility , and the Exposed Section of the...

) took part in crew seat vibration tests that will help engineers on the ground understand how astronauts experience launch. They will then use the information to help design the crew seats that will be used in future NASA spacecraft.

STS-128 repeated the Boundary Layer Transition (BLT) Detailed Test Objective (DTO) experiment that was done by the same shuttle during STS-119
STS-119
-Crew notes:This mission was originally scheduled to bring the Expedition 9 crew to the ISS. This crew would have consisted of:-Mission parameters:* Mass:* Orbiter liftoff: * Orbiter landing: * Perigee: * Apogee:...

. In this experiment, one of the thermal protection systems was raised to create a boundary layer transition
Boundary layer transition
The process of a laminar boundary layer becoming turbulent is known as boundary layer transition. This process is an extraordinarily complicated process which at present is not fully understood...

 in which the air flow becomes turbulent beyond a certain speed. During STS-119 the tile was raised 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) above the others, tripping the flow at Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...

 15 during reentry. In the modification being done, the tile has been raised 0.35 inches (8.9 mm) to trip at Mach 18 producing more heat.

Discovery undertook the testing of a catalytic coating which is meant to be used by the Orion (spacecraft)
Orion (spacecraft)
Orion is a spacecraft designed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States. Orion development began in 2005 as part of the Constellation program, where Orion would fulfill the function of a Crew Exploration Vehicle....

. Two TPS tiles located in the protuberance downstream from the BLT tile had been fully coated with the catalytic material in order to understand the entry heating performance. The tiles were instrumented to collect a wide variety of data.

Mission milestones

The mission marked:
  • 159th NASA manned space flight
  • 128th shuttle mission since STS-1
    STS-1
    STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981, and returned to Earth on 14 April, having orbited the Earth 37 times during the 54.5-hour mission. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project...

  • 37th flight of Discovery
  • 30th shuttle mission to the ISS
  • 103rd post-Challenger
    Space Shuttle Challenger
    Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...

    mission
  • 15th post-Columbia
    Space Shuttle Columbia
    Space 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 completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...

    mission
  • 32nd shuttle night launch
  • NASA's first space shuttle launch to take place during two calendar days
  • 25th anniversary of Discovery's first flight, STS-41-D
    STS-41-D
    STS-41-D was the first flight of NASA's Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery. It was the 12th mission of the Space Shuttle program, and was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 30 August 1984...

     (30 August 1984)

Shuttle processing

Discovery rolled out from the Orbiter Processing Facility
Orbiter Processing Facility
An Orbiter Processing Facility was one of three hangars where U.S. space shuttle orbiters underwent maintenance between flights. All three such facilities, OPF-1, OPF-2 and OPF-3, were located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at Launch Complex 39.They were located west of the Vehicle...

 to the Vehicle Assembly Building
Vehicle Assembly Building
The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center was used to assemble and house American manned launch vehicles from 1968-2011. It is the fourth largest building in the world by volume...

 after the external tank was cleared for use and was mated with it. The foam insulation on the tank underwent stringent pull tests after the foam liberated and hit the orbiter during STS-127. The STS-128's tank initially exhibited no concerns while the STS-127
STS-127
STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility , and the Exposed Section of the...

 case was determined to be a one off case due to surface contamination prior to foam application.

The main change from previous missions is the change of the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) vent housing. The quick release vents exhibited leaks during STS-119
STS-119
-Crew notes:This mission was originally scheduled to bring the Expedition 9 crew to the ISS. This crew would have consisted of:-Mission parameters:* Mass:* Orbiter liftoff: * Orbiter landing: * Perigee: * Apogee:...

 and STS-127, which were determined to be due to a misalignment in the vent. This led to the one part rigid seal in the external tank being replaced with a two part flexible seal.

Discovery later rolled out from the VAB to Launch Complex 39A on 4 August 2009, in a slow drive on the top of the Crawler-transporter
Crawler-Transporter
The crawler-transporters are a pair of tracked vehicles used to transport spacecraft from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building along the Crawlerway to Launch Complex 39. They were originally used to transport the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets during the Apollo, Skylab and Apollo–Soyuz programs....

. The 3.4 miles (5.5 km) rollout began at 02:07 EDT, and ended with the launch platform secured in place at about 13:50 EDT. The move took longer than expected due to adverse weather conditions, which included lightning warnings. The crawler also had to pause occasionally so mud could be removed from its treads and bearings. Technicians then quickly prepared the shuttle to host the crew’s countdown dress rehearsal known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). Discovery’s seven astronauts flew to Kennedy on 5 August 2009 for the training activity which concludes later in the week with a complete practice countdown, minus liftoff, involving the crew and the launch team. Meanwhile, in an unprecedented operation, modifications were made to the left Solid rocket booster
Solid rocket booster
Solid rocket boosters or Solid Rocket Motors, SRM, 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...

 on the pad. The modifications involved replacement of a check valve filter assembly in the booster which was found to have broken. In a potentially delaying factor, in depth testing of the external tank with X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...

 revealed voids in the foam which might have formed during the injection molding
Injection molding
Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials. Material is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity...

 of the foam. This has also been decided as a suspect factor in the foam shedding during STS-127. The air in the voids could have expanded due to the high temperatures generated during ascent thus breaking the foam. The reviews considered a rollback as an option since the defect could not be set right in the pad. Later, the tank was cleared for launch as is without any additional inspections.

Launch attempts

The first launch attempt was delayed by 24 hours due to weather concerns, including multiple weather violations in NASA's launch rules beginning over 2 hours before the scheduled launch. During the second attempt on Wednesday morning, a problem with a LH2 fill-and-drain fuel valve inside Discoverys aft compartment led to another scrubbing. The problem arose when sensors did not detect the closure of the valve when commanded to do so. The issue was thought to be with the sensors rather than the valve itself. After inerting the orbiter's tank, which involved draining it, tests were conducted on the valves. Despite the valves working normally, another delay was called for to have more confidence in the system, and to give the console operators who performed the test some rest. The launch team evaluated the issue, passing on a possible launch window on 27 August 2009 at 00:22 EDT. The launch was delayed till 23:59 EDT, 28 August 2009, to allow the engineers to be fully satisfied with the vehicle. Later the mission was cleared for launch which involved a flight rule waiver for cycling the valve and a discussion to analyze the test failure of an Ares-1 booster that was similar to the SRBs used for the mission. NASA feared another delay when storms formed near the Kennedy Space Center on 28 August 2009, but the weather cleared in time for a successful launch of Discovery at 23:59 EDT.

28 Aug. (Flight Day 1 – Launch)

After launch at 23:59 EDT, Discovery opened her payload bay doors. Once the doors were opened the crew deployed the Ku-band antenna and activated the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS). Once the Ku-band antenna was deployed and activated the crew then down-linked photos from the External Tank Umbilical Well Camera system, so controllers on the ground could see how the tank performed and how much if any foam was shed during ascent.

29 Aug. (Flight Day 2 – TPS Survey)

During Discoverys first full day on orbit, the crew used the SRMS to grapple the Orbiter Boom Sensor System
Orbiter Boom Sensor System
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...

 (OBSS) and survey the wing leading edges, nose and other parts of the Thermal Protection System (TPS), as well as the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) Pods. During this time some of the crew were preparing the space suits that will be used during the 3 Extra-vehicular activities
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...

 (EVA) and setting up the tools that will be used during the docking. This includes installing the Centerline Camera and extending the Orbiter Docking system Ring Extension.

30 Aug. (Flight Day 3 – Docking)

Discovery docked with the Pressurized Mating Adapter
Pressurized Mating Adapter
The 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 front of the Harmony connecting module. Before the shuttle docked Commander Rick Sturckow performed what is known as the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver (RPM), while Expedition 20
Expedition 20
Expedition 20 was the twentieth long-duration flight to the International Space Station. The expedition marked the first time a six-member crew inhabited the station...

 Commander Gennady Padalka
Gennady Padalka
Gennady Ivanovich Padalka is a Russian Air Force officer and an RSA cosmonaut. As of June 2010, Gennady ranks sixth for career time in space due to his time on both Mir and the International Space Station....

 and Flight Engineer Michael Barret took photos of the shuttles belly. The photos were down-linked to mission control for review. After docking, Nicole Stott and Tim Kopra switched Soyuz seat liners, making Stott an Expedition 20 Flight Engineer and Tim Kopra an STS-128 Mission Specialist. The joint crews also performed some transfers from the shuttle mid-deck and checked on the pressure in the MPLM Leonardo.

31 Aug. (Flight Day 4 – MPLM Berthing)

During flight day 4, the MPLM Leonardo was berthed to the Nadir or earth facing port on Harmony using the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). Once it was berthed, the crews activated it and opened the hatch for ingress. Some more items were transferred from the shuttle mid-deck including the MDS experiment and the space suits Danny Olivas and Nicole Stott will use during EVA 1. The pair also prepared all the tools that will be used during the EVA with some help from Tim Kopra. Later on during the night when the crews were asleep, the team of ground controllers vented the Port 1 (P1) Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA) Nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...

 Vent lines, in preparation for the ATA to be removed during EVA 1.

1 Sept. (Flight Day 5 – EVA 1)

EVA 1 was performed, and saw the removal of the empty Ammonia Tank Assembly, and the removal and stowage of the EuTef and MISSE 6 experiments. While the spacewalk was going on crew members inside were transferring the Crew Quarters, C.O.L.B.E.R.T treadmill and the Node 3 Air Revitalization System rack (ARS). The treadmill and ARS were temporarily stowed, while the crew Quarters was installed in the Kibo Module
Japanese Experiment Module
The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , 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...

 where setup and activation was begun.

2 Sept. (Flight Day 6)

During flight day 6 the joint crews continued the activation of the new crew quarters. The last of the major transfer items, the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR), Materials Science Research Rack and the Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer ISS 2 (MELFI-2) were transferred from the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
A Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is a large pressurized container used on Space Shuttle missions to transfer cargo to and from the International Space Station . An MPLM was carried in the cargo bay of a Shuttle and berthed to the Unity or Harmony modules on the ISS. From there, supplies were...

 (MPLM) Leonardo. Astronauts Danny Olivas and José Hernández
Jose Hernandez (astronaut)
José Moreno Hernández , is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut.Hernández was born in French Camp, California, but calls Stockton, California, his hometown. His family is from La Piedad, Michoacán, with indigenous Purépecha roots...

 answered some questions submitted on Youtube and Twitter. Olivas along with Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

 also prepared for the second EVA and "camped out" in the air lock at a lower pressure to help get ready for EVA 2 on flight day 7.

3 Sept. (Flight Day 7 – EVA 2)

On flight day 7, Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

 performed the second spacewalk of the STS-128 mission. Olivas and Fuglesang installed and connected the new Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA), and also performed two get aheads. The get ahead tasks included installing protective lens covers on the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) End B cameras . Once the ATA was installed, the tank was integrated into the cooling loop. While Olivas and Fugelsang were outside, the rest of the crew continued on transferring items to and from both the shuttle mid-deck and MPLM
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
A Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is a large pressurized container used on Space Shuttle missions to transfer cargo to and from the International Space Station . An MPLM was carried in the cargo bay of a Shuttle and berthed to the Unity or Harmony modules on the ISS. From there, supplies were...

.

4 Sept. (Flight Day 8)

The first part of the crew day was spent off duty. The crews enjoyed a meal, took a crew photo and took part in a PAO event. More transfer was completed by both crews. The space station crew calibrated the Oxygen Generation System (OGS) sensor. Timothy Kopra and Nicole Stott continued their hand over activities, helping Stott who is taking over from Kopra. Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

 got their space suits
Extravehicular Mobility Unit
The Space Shuttle/International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit is an independent anthropomorphic system that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for a Space Shuttle or International Space Station crew member to perform extra-vehicular activity...

 ready for the third and final space walk. The pair spent the night in the Quest Joint Airlock, at a lower pressure of 10.2 psi instead of 14.7 psi.

5 Sept. (Flight Day 9 – EVA 3)

During flight day 9 Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

 performed EVA 3. The pair completed all tasks that were to be done, including installing two GPS antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...

s and deploying the Starboard 3
Integrated Truss Structure
the Integrated Truss Structure forms the backbone of the International Space Station, with mountings for unpressurized logistics carriers, radiators, solar arrays, and other equipment.-History:...

 (S3) Payload Attach System (PAS), a new Rate Gyro Assembly (RGA) 2 and routing of Node 3 Avionics cables. The joint crew also completed more transfer, mostly transfer for return to earth in the MPLM and space shuttle mid-deck. The ISS crew also replaced a bolt on the Common Berthing Mechanism
Common Berthing Mechanism
The common berthing mechanism is a berthing mechanism used to connect all non-Russian pressurized modules of the International Space Station....

 (CBM) so that the MPLM won't get stuck, and also to ensure correct capture of the HTV
H-II Transfer Vehicle
The H-II Transfer Vehicle , called , is an unmanned resupply spacecraft used to resupply the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module and the International Space Station . The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been working on the design since the early 1990s. The first mission, HTV-1, was originally...

.

6 Sept. (Flight Day 10 – Off duty)

Flight day 10 saw the joint crews transfer samples from the space station to the shuttle freezer known as Glacier. The samples will be returned to earth for examination by scientists who will develop ways to prevent bone and muscle loss in space as well as cures for other illnesses on earth. The crews also completed some close outs of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
A Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is a large pressurized container used on Space Shuttle missions to transfer cargo to and from the International Space Station . An MPLM was carried in the cargo bay of a Shuttle and berthed to the Unity or Harmony modules on the ISS. From there, supplies were...

 Leonardo. The last portion of the crew day was spent off duty.

7 Sept. (Flight Day 11 – Hatch closure)

On flight day 11 the joint ISS/shuttle crews completed transfers and closed the hatches with the MPLM. Once the hatches were closed, the MPLM was deactivated, demated and berthed back in the payload bay of the space shuttle. During this process José Hernández
Jose Hernandez (astronaut)
José Moreno Hernández , is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut.Hernández was born in French Camp, California, but calls Stockton, California, his hometown. His family is from La Piedad, Michoacán, with indigenous Purépecha roots...

 and Nicole Stott took part in a PAO event. The end of the crews work days saw the two crews say goodbye in a farewell ceremony and close the hatches between the shuttle and ISS. Once the hatches were closed, the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2
Pressurized Mating Adapter
The 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...

 was depressurized, in advance of undocking. The shuttle crew setup and checked out the rendezvous tools before going to bed.

8 Sept. (Flight Day 12 – Undocking)

On flight day 12, space shuttle Discovery successfully undocked from the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...

 at 19:26 UTC. After undocking, the shuttle backed out and performed a fly around of the ISS. The space shuttle then performed 2 separation burns using its thrusters. After the separation burns, astronauts Kevin Ford
Kevin A. Ford
Kevin Anthony Ford is a retired United States Air Force Colonel and a NASA astronaut. He is married with two children. Ford has received a number of special honors and awards, some of which are the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal and the...

, José Hernández
Jose Hernandez (astronaut)
José Moreno Hernández , is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut.Hernández was born in French Camp, California, but calls Stockton, California, his hometown. His family is from La Piedad, Michoacán, with indigenous Purépecha roots...

 and Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

 used the Orbiter Boom Sensor System
Orbiter Boom Sensor System
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...

 (OBSS) to inspect the shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS). When they completed that task the OBSS was berthed on the starboard sill of the payload bay and the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) was powered down.

9 Sept. (Flight Day 13 – End Of Mission Prep)

On flight day 13 the space shuttle crew began stowing items for landing. During the course of the day commander Frederick W. Sturckow
Frederick W. Sturckow
Frederick Wilford "Rick" Sturckow is a United States Marine Corps officer and a NASA astronaut. Sturckow is a veteran of four shuttle missions. He flew STS-88 and STS-105 as a pilot and STS-117 and STS-128 as a commander. All four missions docked with the International Space Station, making...

 and pilot Kevin A. Ford
Kevin A. Ford
Kevin Anthony Ford is a retired United States Air Force Colonel and a NASA astronaut. He is married with two children. Ford has received a number of special honors and awards, some of which are the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal and the...

 performed standard checks of the Flight Control Systems (FCS), Reaction Control System
Reaction control system
A reaction control system is a subsystem of a spacecraft whose purpose is attitude control and steering by the use of thrusters. An RCS system is capable of providing small amounts of thrust in any desired direction or combination of directions. An RCS is also capable of providing torque to allow...

 (RCS) jets and communications with the ground. The crew also deactivated the Wing Leading Edge System (WLES), stowed the Ku-band antenna, and reviewed landing procedures.

10 Sept. (Flight Day 14 – Landing Postponed)

On flight day 14, Discovery was scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center at 19:04 EDT
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...

 (23:04 UTC). The landing was postponed due to weather conditions, and the second opportunity at 20:40 EDT (00:40 UTC) was also postponed due to weather conditions.

11 Sept. (Flight Day 15 – Landing)

On flight day 15 at 19:47 EDT
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...

 (23:47 UTC), Discovery started the de-orbit burn for landing at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards 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...

 after its two landing attempts at Kennedy Space Center the previous day were waved off. Discovery touched down safely at 20:53 EDT (17:53 PDT/00:53 UTC).

Spacewalks

Each spacewalk was planned to last approximately 6.5 hours.
EVA Spacewalkers Start (UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...

)
End (UTC) Duration
EVA 1 John D. Olivas 
Nicole Stott
Nicole P. Stott
Nicole Marie Passonno Stott is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. She served as a Flight Engineer on ISS Expedition 20 and Expedition 21 and was a Mission Specialist on STS-128. In 2011, She flew a second time as a Mission Specialist on STS-133....

1 September 2009
21:49 UTC
2 September 2009
04:24 UTC
6 hours, 35 minutes
Prepared for the replacement of an empty ammonia tank on the station’s port truss by releasing its bolts. Retrieved the Materials International Space Station Experiment
Materials International Space Station Experiment
The Materials International Space Station Experiment , is a series of experiments mounted externally on the International Space Station that investigates the effects of long-term exposure of materials to the harsh space environment....

 and European Technology Exposure Facility
European Technology Exposure Facility
The European Technology Exposure Facility is a payload mounted on the exterior of the European Columbus laboratory, one of the modules of the International Space Station...

 mounted outside the Columbus laboratory
Columbus (ISS module)
Columbus 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 stowed them in Discovery’s cargo bay for their return to Earth.
:Robotic Arm Operators: Ford and Thirsk
EVA 2 John D. Olivas
Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

3 September 2009
22:13 UTC
4 September 2009
04:51UTC
6 hours, 39 minutes
Removed the new ammonia tank from the shuttle's payload bay and replaced it with the used tank from the station. The new tank, weighing about 1800 pounds (816.5 kg), was the most mass ever moved by spacewalking astronauts.

With this spacewalk, ESA astronaut Fuglesang became the first person, who is not from either an American or Russian space program, to have participated in four or more spacewalks.
:Robotic Arm Operators: Ford and Stott
EVA 3 John D. Olivas
Christer Fuglesang
5 September 2009
20:39 UTC
6 September 2009
03:40 UTC
7 hours, 01 minutes
Preparations for the arrival of the Tranquility node by attaching cables between the starboard truss and the Unity node, the area where Tranquility will be installed. Tranquility is targeted to arrive on STS-130 in February 2010. The spacewalkers also replaced a communications sensor device, installed two new GPS antennas, and replaced a circuit breaker.

Wake-up calls

NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, which was first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...

. 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 Played for Links
Day 2 Back In The Saddle Again
Back in the Saddle Again
"Back in the Saddle Again" was the signature song of American cowboy entertainer Gene Autry. It was co-written by Autry with Ray Whitley and first released in 1939...

Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...

Frederick W. Sturckow
Frederick W. Sturckow
Frederick Wilford "Rick" Sturckow is a United States Marine Corps officer and a NASA astronaut. Sturckow is a veteran of four shuttle missions. He flew STS-88 and STS-105 as a pilot and STS-117 and STS-128 as a commander. All four missions docked with the International Space Station, making...

WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 3 Made to Love
Made to Love
"Made to Love" is a song by contemporary Christian singer tobyMac from his third album, Portable Sounds. It was released as the album's lead single on December 26, 2006. This was also by the compilation album, WOW Hits 2008.-Music and lyrics:...

TobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....

Nicole Stott WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 4 Mi Tierra
Mi Tierra
Mi Tierra is the third studio solo album and first Latin solo album released by American singer Gloria Estefan, but is her 15th overall, released in 1993 .- History :...

Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...

José Hernández
Jose Hernandez (astronaut)
José Moreno Hernández , is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut.Hernández was born in French Camp, California, but calls Stockton, California, his hometown. His family is from La Piedad, Michoacán, with indigenous Purépecha roots...

WAV MP3
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Day 5 Indiana, Our Indiana
Indiana, Our Indiana
"Indiana, Our Indiana" is the official school fight song of Indiana University. The lyrics were written by IU band director Russell P. Harker to the tune of "The Viking March" by Karl King, conductor of the Barnum and Bailey Circus Band....

Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...

 Band
Kevin A. Ford
Kevin A. Ford
Kevin Anthony Ford is a retired United States Air Force Colonel and a NASA astronaut. He is married with two children. Ford has received a number of special honors and awards, some of which are the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal and the...

WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 6 What a Wonderful World
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 . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...

Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....

Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 7 There is a God
There Is a God
"There Is a God" is the title of a song written by Chris DuBois and Ashley Gorley, and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in November 2009 as the lead-off single to her upcoming seventh studio album.-Content:...

33Miles
33Miles
33Miles is a contemporary Christian band with country music influences from Franklin, Tennessee. They began playing in Nashville and signed to INO Records, who released the band's debut album, 33Miles, in 2007. The album peaked at #8 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers albums chart and #16 on its Top...

Patrick G. Forrester
Patrick G. Forrester
Patrick Graham Forrester is a retired United States Army officer and a NASA astronaut. At the time of his retirement from the U.S. Army, Forrester had achieved the rank of colonel...

WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 8 What a Wonderful World
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 . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...

Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....

Danny Olivas WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 9 El Hijo del Pueblo
El hijo del pueblo
El hijo del pueblo is a 1973 Mexican film. It stars Sara García....

José Alfredo Jiménez
José Alfredo Jiménez
José Alfredo Jiménez was a Mexican singer-songwriter in the ranchera style whose songs are considered an integral part of Mexico's musical heritage....

José Hernández
Jose Hernandez (astronaut)
José Moreno Hernández , is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut.Hernández was born in French Camp, California, but calls Stockton, California, his hometown. His family is from La Piedad, Michoacán, with indigenous Purépecha roots...

WAV MP3
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Day 10 “Rocket” Andrew Peterson Patrick G. Forrester
Patrick G. Forrester
Patrick Graham Forrester is a retired United States Army officer and a NASA astronaut. At the time of his retirement from the U.S. Army, Forrester had achieved the rank of colonel...

WAV MP3
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Day 11 “Only One” Jeremy Kay
Jeremy Kay
Jeremy Kay is a singer/songwriter. He released his first self titled album in 2000 and then released a second one in 2003 titled Idol American. He has achieved some notoriety when his music was featured in several soundtracks. His songs have been featured in television series like Scrubs in its...

John D. Olivas WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 12 "Beautiful Day
Beautiful Day
"Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date...

"
U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

Timothy Kopra WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 13 "Sailing
Sailing (Rod Stewart song)
"Sailing" is a song written by Gavin Sutherland and recorded by The Sutherland Bros. Band . Released in June 1972, it can be found on their album 'Lifeboat' released in the same year....

"
Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....

Christer Fuglesang
Christer Fuglesang
Dr. Arne Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish physicist and an ESA astronaut. He was first launched aboard the STS-116 Space Shuttle mission on December 10, 2006, at 01:47 GMT, making him the first Swedish citizen in space....

WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 14 "Good Day Sunshine
Good Day Sunshine
"Good Day Sunshine" is a song by The Beatles on the 1966 album Revolver. It was written mainly by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Leonard Bernstein praised the song for its construction in a 1967 CBS News documentary...

"
The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

Kevin A. Ford
Kevin A. Ford
Kevin Anthony Ford is a retired United States Air Force Colonel and a NASA astronaut. He is married with two children. Ford has received a number of special honors and awards, some of which are the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal and the...

WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT
Day 15 "Big Boy Toys" Aaron Tippin
Aaron Tippin
Aaron Dupree Tippin is an American country music artist and record producer. Initially a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music, he gained a recording contract with RCA Records in 1990...

Frederick W. Sturckow
Frederick W. Sturckow
Frederick Wilford "Rick" Sturckow is a United States Marine Corps officer and a NASA astronaut. Sturckow is a veteran of four shuttle missions. He flew STS-88 and STS-105 as a pilot and STS-117 and STS-128 as a commander. All four missions docked with the International Space Station, making...

WAV MP3
TRANSCRIPT

See also


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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