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Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation
Orbiter Vehicle Designation

Each NASA space shuttle designation is composed of a prefix and suffix separated by a dash. The prefix for operational shuttles is OV, for Orbiter Vehicle....
: OV-103) is one of the three currently operational orbiters
Space Shuttle Orbiter

The Space Shuttle orbiters are the orbital spacecraft of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle program operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States....
 in the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle

NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System , is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions....
 fleet of NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
, the space agency of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. (The other two are Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis

Space Shuttle Atlantis is one of the three currently operational Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States....
 and Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of the three currently operational Space Shuttle orbiter 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. Discovery has performed both research and International Space Station (ISS
International Space Station

The International Space Station is a research facility Assembly of the International Space Station in outer space. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998, and is scheduled to be complete by 2011, with operations continuing until around 2015....
) assembly missions.

History
The spacecraft takes its name from previous ships of exploration named Discovery, primarily HMS Discovery
HMS Discovery (1774)

HMS Discovery was the consort ship of James Cook's third expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1776 - 1780. Like Cook's other ships, Discovery was a Whitby-built collier of 298 tons, originally named Diligence when she was built in 1774....
, the sailing ship that accompanied famous explorer James Cook
James Cook

Captain James Cook Royal Society Royal Navy was an English explorer, navigator and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy....
 on his third and final major voyage.






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Encyclopedia


Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation
Orbiter Vehicle Designation

Each NASA space shuttle designation is composed of a prefix and suffix separated by a dash. The prefix for operational shuttles is OV, for Orbiter Vehicle....
: OV-103) is one of the three currently operational orbiters
Space Shuttle Orbiter

The Space Shuttle orbiters are the orbital spacecraft of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle program operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States....
 in the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle

NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System , is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions....
 fleet of NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
, the space agency of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. (The other two are Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis

Space Shuttle Atlantis is one of the three currently operational Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States....
 and Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of the three currently operational Space Shuttle orbiter 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. Discovery has performed both research and International Space Station (ISS
International Space Station

The International Space Station is a research facility Assembly of the International Space Station in outer space. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998, and is scheduled to be complete by 2011, with operations continuing until around 2015....
) assembly missions.

History


The spacecraft takes its name from previous ships of exploration named Discovery, primarily HMS Discovery
HMS Discovery (1774)

HMS Discovery was the consort ship of James Cook's third expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1776 - 1780. Like Cook's other ships, Discovery was a Whitby-built collier of 298 tons, originally named Diligence when she was built in 1774....
, the sailing ship that accompanied famous explorer James Cook
James Cook

Captain James Cook Royal Society Royal Navy was an English explorer, navigator and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy....
 on his third and final major voyage. Others include Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson was an England sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. After several voyages on behalf of English merchants to explore a prospective Northeast Passage to China, Hudson explored the region around modern New York City while looking for a western route to the Orient under the auspices of the Dutch East India Company....
's ship Discovery which he used in 1610–1611 to search for a Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage

The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, and RRS Discovery
RRS Discovery

The Royal Research Ship Discovery was the last wooden three-masted ship to be built in United Kingdom, and was launched on 21 March 1901, designed for Antarctic research....
, a vessel used for expeditions to Antarctica
Antarctica

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctica of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean....
 in 1901-1904 by Scott
Robert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott Royal Victorian Order was a British Royal Naval officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13....
 and Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton Royal Victorian Order Order of British Empire, was an Anglo-Irish explorer who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration....
 (and still preserved as a museum). The shuttle shares a name with Discovery One
Discovery One

United States Spacecraft Discovery One is a fictional spacecraft appearing in The Space Odyssey series, including the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey ....
, the fictional Jupiter
Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the Solar system by size planet within the Solar System. It is two and a half times as massive as all of the other planets in our Solar System combined....
 spaceship from the films 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)

2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 in film science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. The film deals with thematic elements of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life, and is notable for its scientific realism, pioneering special effects, ambiguous and of...
 and 2010.

Discovery was the shuttle that launched the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope is a Space observatory that was carried into Low Earth orbit STS-31 in April 1990. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble....
. The second and third Hubble service missions were also conducted by Discovery. She has also launched the Ulysses probe
Ulysses probe

Ulysses is a Robotic spacecraft space probe designed to study the Sun at all latitudes. The spacecraft, named for the Latin translation of "Odysseus" after Dante Alighieri's Divine_Comedy#Inferno, was launched October 6, 1990 from the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery as a joint venture of NASA and the European Space Agency....
 and three TDRS
TDRS

A Tracking and Data Relay Satellite is one of a network of communications satellites of the TDRSS used by NASA and other United States government agencies for communication to satellites or the International Space Station....
 satellites. Discovery has been chosen twice as the return to flight orbiter, first in 1988 as the return to flight orbiter after the 1986 Challenger disaster
STS-51-L

STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle....
, and then for the twin return to flight missions in July 2005 and July 2006 after the 2003 Columbia disaster
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

The 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....
. Discovery also carried Project Mercury
Project Mercury

Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a human in orbit around the Earth....
 astronaut John Glenn
John Glenn

John Herschel Glenn Jr. is a former astronaut who became the third person and first American to orbit the Earth, and later, United States Senate....
, who was 77 at the time, back into space during STS-95
STS-95

STS-95 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on October 29, 1998. It was the 25th flight of Discovery and the 92nd mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in April 1981....
 on October 29, 1998, making him the oldest human being to venture into space.

Had the planned missions
STS-62-A

STS-62-A was a planned Space Shuttle mission to deliver a reconnaissance payload into polar orbit. It was expected to use Space Shuttle Discovery....
 from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base

Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States military installation with a spaceport, in Santa Barbara County, California, California, United States....
 for the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
 gone ahead, Discovery would have flown these missions.

Flights

Discovery has flown 35 flights, completed 4,888 orbits, and flown 117,433,618 miles (195,938,294 km) in total, . Discovery is the orbiter fleet leader, having flown more flights
Space Shuttle Orbiter

The Space Shuttle orbiters are the orbital spacecraft of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle program operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States....
 than any other orbiter in the fleet. Discovery flew all three "return to flight" missions after the Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

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....
 and Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

The 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....
 disasters: STS-26
STS-26

STS-26 was the 26th Space Shuttle mission and the seventh flight for Space Shuttle Discovery, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was the "Return to Flight" mission, being the first mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
 in 1988, STS-114
STS-114

STS-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....
 in 2005, and STS-121
STS-121

STS-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 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and European Space Agency astronaut Thoma...
 in 2006.

  • STS-41-D
    STS-41-D

    STS-41-D was the first Space Shuttle mission for Space Shuttle Discovery. It was the 12th shuttle mission, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on August 30, 1984....
    : First flight.
  • STS-51-D
    STS-51-D

    STS 51-D was the sixteenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. It conducted the fifth landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida....
    : Carried first sitting United States Member of Congress into space, Senator Jake Garn
    Jake Garn

    Edwin Jacob Garn is an American politician, a member of the Republican Party , and served as a United States Senate representing Utah from 1974 to 1993....
     (R
    Republican Party (United States)

    The Republican Party is one of the two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party . It is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP....
    -UT
    Utah

    The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
    ).
  • STS-26
    STS-26

    STS-26 was the 26th Space Shuttle mission and the seventh flight for Space Shuttle Discovery, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was the "Return to Flight" mission, being the first mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
    : Return to space after     Challenger
    Space Shuttle Challenger

    Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Space Shuttle Columbia being the first. Its maiden flight was on April 4, 1983, and it completed nine missions before breaking apart 73 seconds after the launch of its tenth mission, STS-51-L on January 28, 1986, resulting in the death of all seve...
     disaster (STS-51-L
    STS-51-L

    STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle....
    ).
  • STS-31
    STS-31

    STS-31 was the thirty-fifth mission of the American Space Shuttle program, which launched the Hubble Space Telescope astronomical observatory into LEO....
    : Launch of Hubble Space Telescope
    Hubble Space Telescope

    The Hubble Space Telescope is a Space observatory that was carried into Low Earth orbit STS-31 in April 1990. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble....
    .
  • STS-60
    STS-60

    STS-60 was the first mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried the first Russian cosmonaut, Sergei K. Krikalev, to fly aboard a Space Shuttle....
    : First Russian launched in an American spacecraft (Sergei Krikalev
    Sergei Krikalev

    Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalyov is a Russian cosmonaut and veteran of six space flights. He has spent more time in space than any other human being....
    ).
  • STS-95
    STS-95

    STS-95 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on October 29, 1998. It was the 25th flight of Discovery and the 92nd mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in April 1981....
    : Second flight of John Glenn
    John Glenn

    John Herschel Glenn Jr. is a former astronaut who became the third person and first American to orbit the Earth, and later, United States Senate....
    , oldest man in space and third sitting Member of Congress to enter space.
  • STS-92
    STS-92

    STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle....
    : The 100th Space Shuttle Mission.
  • STS-114
    STS-114

    STS-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....
    : Return to space after     Columbia
    Space Shuttle Columbia

    Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. Its first mission, STS-1, lasted from April 12 to April 14, 1981....
     disaster
    Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

    The 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....
     (STS-107
    STS-107

    STS-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....
    ).
  • STS-121
    STS-121

    STS-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 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and European Space Agency astronaut Thoma...
    : First Shuttle launch on the 4th of July Holiday, Return to Flight mission.
  • STS-116
    STS-116

    STS-116 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. Liftoff was originally scheduled for December 7, 2006, but that attempt was canceled due to a low cloud ceiling....
    : First night time launch of a shuttle since the     Columbia disaster
    Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

    The 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....
    . Last Shuttle launch from LC-39B
  • STS-120
    STS-120

    STS-120 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , that launched on October 23, 2007 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida....
    : Longest mission so far for this space shuttle.


Flights listing

# Date Designation Notes Length of journey
1 1984 August 30 STS-41-D
STS-41-D

STS-41-D was the first Space Shuttle mission for Space Shuttle Discovery. It was the 12th shuttle mission, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on August 30, 1984....
 First Discovery mission: Launched two communications satellite
Communications satellite

A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications. Modern communications satellites use a variety of orbits including geostationary orbits, Molniya orbits, other elliptical orbits and low Earth orbits....
s, including LEASAT F2
Syncom

Syncom started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems....
.		 6 days, 00 hours,
56 minutes, 04 seconds
2 1984 November 8 STS-51-A
STS-51-A

STS-51-A was the second flight of Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, and the fourteenth shuttle flight. It conducted the third landing at Kennedy Space Center....
 Launched two and rescued two communications satellites including LEASAT F1. 7 days, 23 hours,
44 minutes, 56 seconds
3 1985 January 24 STS-51-C
STS-51-C

STS 51-C was the fifteenth flight of a Space Shuttle, the third flight of Space Shuttle Discovery, and the first United States Department of Defense mission....
 Launched DOD
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
 Magnum ELINT satellite.		 3 days, 01 hours,
33 minutes, 23 seconds
4 1985 April 12 STS-51-D
STS-51-D

STS 51-D was the sixteenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the fourth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. It conducted the fifth landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida....
 Launched two communications satellites including LEASAT F3. 6 days, 23 hours,
55 minutes, 23 seconds
5 1985 June 17 STS-51-G
STS-51-G

STS 51-G was the eighteenth flight of a space shuttle, and the fifth flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on June 17, 1985....
 Launched two communications satellites, Sultan Salman al-Saud becomes first Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south....
n in space.		 7 days, 01 hours,
38 minutes, 52 seconds
6 1985 August 27 STS-51-I
STS-51-I

STS-51-I was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission that deployed three communications satellites. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on August 27, 1985....
 Launched two communications satellites including LEASAT F4. Recovered, repaired, and redeployed LEASAT F3. 7 days, 02 hours,
17 minutes, 42 seconds
7 1988 September 29 STS-26
STS-26

STS-26 was the 26th Space Shuttle mission and the seventh flight for Space Shuttle Discovery, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was the "Return to Flight" mission, being the first mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
 Return to flight after Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

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....
, launched TDRS.		 4 days, 01 hours,
00 minutes, 11 seconds
8 1989 March 13 STS-29
STS-29

STS-29 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission to insert a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite into Earth's orbit. It was the third mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on March 13, 1989....
 Launched TDRS. 4 days, 23 hours,
38 minutes, 52 seconds
9 1989 November 22 STS-33
STS-33

STS-33 was the fifth space shuttle mission for the United States Department of Defense. Due to the nature of this mission, specific details are classified....
 Launched DOD Magnum ELINT satellite. 5 days, 00 hours,
06 minutes, 49 seconds
10 1990 April 24 STS-31
STS-31

STS-31 was the thirty-fifth mission of the American Space Shuttle program, which launched the Hubble Space Telescope astronomical observatory into LEO....
 Launch of Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope is a Space observatory that was carried into Low Earth orbit STS-31 in April 1990. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble....
 (HST).		 5 days, 01 hours,
16 minutes, 06 seconds
11 1990 October 6 STS-41
STS-41

STS-41 was the eleventh mission of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery. The four-day mission with a primary objective to launch the Ulysses probe probe as part of the "International Solar Polar Mission"....
 Launch of Ulysses. 4 days, 02 hours,
10 minutes, 04 seconds
12 1991 April 28 STS-39
STS-39

STS-39 was the code for a mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery.Crew* Michael L. Coats , Commander* L. Blaine Hammond, Jr., Pilot...
 Launched DOD Air Force Program-675 (AFP675) satellite. 8 days, 07 hours,
22 minutes, 23 seconds
13 1991 September 12 STS-48
STS-48

STS-48 was a Space Shuttle mission that launched on September 12, 1991, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The orbiter was . The primary payload was the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite....
 Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is an orbital observatory whose mission is to study the Earth?s atmosphere, particularly the protective ozone layer....
 (UARS).		 5 days, 08 hours,
27 minutes, 38 seconds
14 1992 January 22 STS-42
STS-42

STS-42 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission with the Spacelab module. Liftoff which was originally scheduled for 8:45 North American Eastern Time Zone January 22, 1992, but the launch was delayed due to weather constraints....
 International Microgravity Laboratory-1 (IML-1). 8 days, 01 hours,
14 minutes, 44 seconds
15 1992 December 2 STS-53
STS-53

STS-53 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission in support of the United States Department of Defense. The mission was launched on December 2, 1992 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida....
 Department of Defense payload. 7 days, 07 hours,
19 minutes, 47 seconds
16 1993 April 8 STS-56
STS-56

STS-56 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission to perform special experiments. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 8, 1993....
 Atmospheric Laboratory (ATLAS-2). 9 days, 06 hours,
08 minutes, 24 seconds
17 1993 September 12 STS-51
STS-51

STS-51 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission to insert the ACTS satellite into earth orbit. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 12, 1993....
 Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). 9 days, 20 hours,
11 minutes, 11 seconds
18 1994 February 3 STS-60
STS-60

STS-60 was the first mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried the first Russian cosmonaut, Sergei K. Krikalev, to fly aboard a Space Shuttle....
 Wake Shield Facility (WSF). 7 days, 06 hours,
08 minutes, 36 seconds
19 1994 September 9 STS-64
STS-64

STS-64 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission to perform multiple experiment packages. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on September 9, 1994....
 LIDAR In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE). 10 days, 22 hours,
49 minutes, 57 seconds
20 1995 February 3 STS-63
STS-63

STS-63 was the second mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried out the first rendezvous of the American Space Shuttle with Russia's space station Mir....
 Rendezvous with Mir
Mir

Mir was a Soviet Union orbital station. Mir was the world's first consistently inhabited long-term research station in space, and the first 'third generation' type space station, constructed over a number of years with a Space station#Modular....
 space station.		 8 days, 06 hours,
29 minutes, 36 seconds
21 1995 July 13 STS-70
STS-70

STS-70 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission to insert a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite into earth orbit. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 13, 1995....
 7th Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). 8 days, 22 hours,
20 minutes, 05 seconds
22 1997 February 11 STS-82
STS-82

STS-82 was a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission by Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 11, 1997 and returned to earth on February 21, 1997 at Kennedy Space Center....
 Servicing Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope is a Space observatory that was carried into Low Earth orbit STS-31 in April 1990. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble....
 (HST) (HSM-2).		 9 days, 23 hours,
38 minutes, 09 seconds
23 1997 August 7 STS-85
STS-85

STS-85 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission to perform multiple space science packages. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 7, 1997....
 Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes. 11 days, 20 hours,
28 minutes, 07 seconds
24 1998 June 2 STS-91
STS-91

STS-91 was the final Space Shuttle mission to the Mir space station. It was flown by Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on June 2, 1998....
 Final Shuttle/Mir Docking Mission. 9 days, 19 hours,
55 minutes, 01 seconds
25 1998 October 29 STS-95
STS-95

STS-95 was a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on October 29, 1998. It was the 25th flight of Discovery and the 92nd mission flown since the start of the Space Shuttle program in April 1981....
 SPACEHAB
SPACEHAB

Spacehab, Inc. is an aerospace company headquartered in Webster, Texas, Texas near the Johnson Space Center.SpaceHab provides commercial space products and services to NASA, the U.S....
, second flight of John Glenn
John Glenn

John Herschel Glenn Jr. is a former astronaut who became the third person and first American to orbit the Earth, and later, United States Senate....
, Pedro Duque
Pedro Duque

Pedro Duque Duque is a Spain astronaut and a veteran of two space missions.Duque earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Universidad Polit?cnica de Madrid in 1986....
 becomes first Spaniard in space.		 8 days, 21 hours,
44 minutes, 56 seconds
26 1999 May 27 STS-96
STS-96

STS-96 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery, and the first shuttle flight to dock with the International Space Station....
 Resupply mission for the International Space Station. 9 days, 19 hours,
13 minutes, 57 seconds
27 1999 December 19 STS-103
STS-103

STS-103 was a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission by Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 19, 1999....
 Servicing Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope is a Space observatory that was carried into Low Earth orbit STS-31 in April 1990. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble....
 (HST) (HSM-3A).		 7 days, 23 hours,
11 minutes, 34 seconds
28 2000 October 11 STS-92
STS-92

STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle....
 International Space Station Assembly Flight (carried and assembled the Z1 truss); 100th Shuttle mission. 12 days, 21 hours,
43 minutes, 47 seconds
29 2001 March 8 STS-102
STS-102

STS-102 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida....
 International Space Station crew rotation flight (Expedition 1
Expedition 1

Expedition 1 was the first expedition to the International Space Station....
 and Expedition 2
Expedition 2

Expedition 2 was the second expedition to the International Space Station....
)		 12 days, 19 hours,
51 minutes, 57 seconds
30 2001 August 10 STS-105
STS-105

STS-105 was a mission of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station; launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, August 10, 2001....
 International Space Station crew and supplies delivery (Expedition 2
Expedition 2

Expedition 2 was the second expedition to the International Space Station....
 and Expedition 3
Expedition 3

Expedition 3 was the third expedition to the International Space Station....
)		 11 days 21 hours,
13 minutes, 52 seconds
31 2005 July 26 STS-114
STS-114

STS-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....
 Return to flight since Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

The 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....
; International Space Station
International Space Station

The International Space Station is a research facility Assembly of the International Space Station in outer space. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998, and is scheduled to be complete by 2011, with operations continuing until around 2015....
 (ISS) supplies delivery, new safety procedures testing and evaluation, Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Rafaello.		 13 days, 21 hours,
33 minutes, 00 seconds
32 2006 July 4 STS-121
STS-121

STS-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 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and European Space Agency astronaut Thoma...
 ISS Flight ULF1.1, ISS supply delivery/crew rotation, Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Leonardo 12 days, 18 hours,
37 minutes, 54 seconds
33 2006 December 9 STS-116
STS-116

STS-116 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. Liftoff was originally scheduled for December 7, 2006, but that attempt was canceled due to a low cloud ceiling....
 ISS crew rotation and assembly (carries and assembles the P5 truss segment); Last flight to launch on pad 39-B;
First night launch since Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.		 12 days, 20 hours,
44 minutes, 16 seconds
34 2007 October 23 STS-120
STS-120

STS-120 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , that launched on October 23, 2007 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida....
 ISS crew rotation and assembly (carries and assembles the Harmony module). 15 days, 02 hours,
23 minutes, 55 seconds‡
35 2008 May 31 STS-124
STS-124

STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission, flown by Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery launched on May 31, 2008 at 5:02 p.m....
 ISS crew rotation and assembly (carries and assembles the Kibo
KIBO

KIBO is an acronym for Knowledge In, Bullshit Out. It is a summary of what happens whenever valid data is passed through an organisation that, whether deliberately or accidentally, disregards or ignores its significance....
 JEM PM module).		 13 days, 18 hours,
13 minutes, 7 secs
36 2009 March 11+ STS-119
STS-119

STS-119 is the next planned Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , scheduled to be flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. It will deliver and assemble the fourth starboard Integrated Truss Structure#P6, S6 trusses, and the fourth set of solar arrays and batteries to the station....
 Planned International Space Station crew rotation and assembly of a fourth
starboard truss segment (ITS S6) and a fourth set of solar arrays and batteries.		 14 days
372009 August 6+STS-128
STS-128

STS-128 is a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , planned for August 6, 2009. It is expected to use Space Shuttle Discovery....
Planned International Space Station crew rotation and expansion of Expedition crews from 3 to 6 by the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module.
382010 April 8+STS-132
STS-132

STS-132 is a mission of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Atlantis to visit the International Space Station, planned for April 8, 2010. The mission is referred to by the ISS program as ULF4....
Planned International Space Station assembly of Russian Mini-Research Module 1
Mini-Research Module 1

The Mini-Research Module 1 , also known as the 'Docking Cargo Module', is the newest addition to the International Space Station manifest. It is currently scheduled to fly in 2010 onboard the STS-132 Shuttle mission....
.
392010 September 16+STS-134
STS-134

STS-134 is a potential Space Shuttle mission that would deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station. If the mission takes place, it is currently slated to be the final flight of the Space Shuttle program....
Planned International Space Station delivery of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer is a particle physics experiment that is to be mounted on the International Space Station designed to search for various types of unusual matter by measuring cosmic rays....
. Final mission for Discovery and last flight of the Space Shuttle program.
‡ Longest shuttle mission for Discovery
+ Targeted date as mission has yet to launch
* No Earlier Than (Tentative)
** To Be Determined


Decommissioning of Space Shuttle Discovery

According to the current schedule, Space Shuttle Discovery will be decommissioned
Ship decommissioning

To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
 in 2010. Discovery will be the last space shuttle to fly on mission STS-134
STS-134

STS-134 is a potential Space Shuttle mission that would deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station. If the mission takes place, it is currently slated to be the final flight of the Space Shuttle program....
. NASA expects to launch the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle
Orion (spacecraft)

Orion is a spacecraft design currently under development by the United States space agency NASA. Each Orion spacecraft will carry a crew of four to six astronauts, and will be launched by the Ares I, a launch vehicle also currently under development....
 on the new Ares I
Ares I

Ares I is the crew launch vehicle being developed by NASA as a component of Constellation program. NASA plans to use Ares I to launch Orion , the spacecraft being designed for NASA human spaceflight missions after the Space Shuttle is retired in 2010....
 rocket by 2014.

NASA has offered Space Shuttle Discovery to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine....
's National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., United States, and is the most popular of the Smithsonian museums....
 for public display and preservation as part of the national collection after the orbiter has been retired.

Gallery

The launch of STS-41-D
STS-41-D

STS-41-D was the first Space Shuttle mission for Space Shuttle Discovery. It was the 12th shuttle mission, and launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on August 30, 1984....
, Discovery’s first mission.		STS-121
STS-121

STS-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 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and European Space Agency astronaut Thoma...
 launched on Independence Day, the first shuttle to launch on July 4.		Discovery performing the Rendezvous pitch maneuver
Rendezvous pitch maneuver

The R-bar pitch maneuver , popularly called the rendezvous pitch maneuver, is a maneuver performed by the Space Shuttle orbiter as it Space rendezvous with the International Space Station prior to docking....
 prior to docking with the International Space Station
International Space Station

The International Space Station is a research facility Assembly of the International Space Station in outer space. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998, and is scheduled to be complete by 2011, with operations continuing until around 2015....
.		The Space Shuttle Discovery, and a Soyuz spacecraft.


See also

  • List of human spaceflights
    List of human spaceflights

    These chronological lists include all crewed spaceflights that reached an altitude of at least 100 km , or were launched with that intention but failed....
  • List of Space Shuttle crews
  • List of space shuttle missions
    List of space shuttle missions

    This is a list of missions flown by space shuttles. As of 2009, only the United States has flown human spaceflight Space Shuttle missions in the Space Shuttle program, while the Soviet Union flew one unmanned flight of the Buran ....
  • Timeline of Space Shuttle missions
    Timeline of Space Shuttle missions

    Timeline of space shuttle missionsPost-Columbia timeline Complete timeline See also...
  • List of human spaceflights chronologically


External links