Archive for the ‘Manned Spacecraft’ Category

Highlights of the STS-132 mission from beginning to end.

Today is the last scheduled launch for space Shuttle Atlantis, with liftoff expected at 2:20 p.m. EST/18:20 GMT. Live coverage of the STS-132 mission has already begun. An alternative feed if needed, can be viewed here.

Below is video of earlier coverage, giving some details into the mission.

Video overview of the next planned shuttle mission. Set to launch on May 14th, STS-132 will be the last scheduled flight for Atlantis.

Atlantis 12-day mission will deliver the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 that will provide additional storage space and a new docking port for Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. MRM-1, also known as Rassvet, which means dawn in Russian, will be permanently attached to the bottom port of the stations Zarya module. MRM-1 will carry important hardware on its exterior including a radiator, airlock and a European robotic arm. Atlantis also will deliver additional station hardware stored inside a cargo carrier. Three spacewalks are planned to stage spare components outside the station, including six spare batteries, a Ku-band antenna and spare parts for the Canadian Dextre robotic arm. Shuttle mission STS-132 is the final scheduled
flight for Atlantis.

The last scheduled flight for Space Shuttle Atlantis is coming up next month and NASA finished rolling out Atlantis to pad 39A at 6:03 a.m. EST yesterday morning. So enjoy video highlights of the six and a half hour rollout.

Pictures of the landing of Space Shuttle Discovery on 4/20/2010 at 9:08 a.m. EST at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Remember, this is the last scheduled landing in which the vehicle will go right back into processing for another mission. After this, we start retiring them for good.

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After being delayed in landing due to weather, space Shuttle Discovery successfully landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:08 a.m. EST, completing a 5.7 million mile journey.

Space shuttle Discovery is set to land Monday at 8:48 a.m. EST, but JAXA Soichi Noguchi has taken another great picture from the International Space Station. If you aren’t following him on twitter yet (or you could follow his tweets via RSS), maybe this will convince you.

Can’t say I like that the image isn’t much bigger when you click for the higher resolution, but its still a beauty, enjoy!

Update: First landing attempt at Kennedy Space Center has been waved off, new landing opportunity is now 10:23 a.m. EST. Deorbit burn set for 9:17 EST, stay tuned. Weather is the only factor at the moment, low cloud cover and rain showers.

Another Update: No landing today, NASA will try again tomorrow at 7:34 a.m. EST for a landing at Kennedy Space Center.

Video of the flyaround of the International Space Station, and Discovery making its homeward bound journey.

Highlight video of Flight Day 12, which for those of you who don’t know was yesterday. To watch the action as it’s happening now though, you can visit this link to see the live feed. Schedule for today, flight day 13, below.

Flight Day 13 Schedule – 4/17/2010

4:21 GMT (12:21 am EDT) – Discovery / ISS Crew Wakeup

9:56 GMT (5:56 am EDT) – Farewell And Hatch Closure

12:52 GMT (8:52 am EDT) – Discovery Undocks From ISS

13:21 GMT (9:21 am EDT) – Discovery Flyaround Of ISS Begins14:35 GMT (10:35 am EDT) – Discovery Final Separation From ISS

16:41 GMT (12:41 pm EDT) – OBSS Berth

17:51 GMT (1:51 pm EDT) – Ku Antenna Stow

20:21 GMT (4:21 pm EDT) – Discovery Crew Sleep Begins

Flight day 11 highlights of the STS-131 mission.