STS-119: NASA Discovery to ISS - Launch 11th March 2009

[MarkS]

There's an opportunity to see some very bright fly pasts every evening for the next 7 evenings ...

As usual, see http://www.heavens-above.com

[Rick]

Ten years after its construction began, the International Space Station now has full power capability.

Mission controllers commanded the unfurling on Friday of the platform's fourth and final pair of solar arrays.

The huge solar wings had been delivered to the ISS by the Discovery shuttle and installed by its astronauts with the help of the station's robotic arm.

When taken up to full capacity, the station's arrays should now generate as much as 120 kilowatts of electricity.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7956332.stm

[Rick]

 The seven crew members on space shuttle Discovery are spending their last day in orbit, packing away equipment and making final preparations to come home.

The crew will also speak with students at a school in Hawaii on Friday, as two of the team are former teachers.

Discovery launched on 15 March, docking with the International Space Station to deliver a final set of solar arrays.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7967831.stm

[Rick]

Space shuttle Discovery will tomorrow undock from the International Space Station ahead of a scheduled return to Kennedy Space Center at 13:44 EDT (17:44 GMT) on Saturday.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/24/iss_update/

[Rick]

Space shuttle Discovery yesterday undocked from the International Space Station and its crew will today use the vehicle's robotic arm to do a final check on the "thermal protection system" prior to a sheduled Saturday touch-down at Kennedy Space Center.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/26/discovery_update/

[Rick]

(Bit late with this...)

Nasa's space shuttle Discovery has landed after a 13-day mission to the International Space Station.

The shuttle touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, hours after its return was postponed because of concerns about poor weather conditions.

Discovery's seven crew members installed an extra pair of solar wings on the International Space Station.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7967831.stm

[mickw]

Astronauts no longer need to find fridge space for both drinks and experiments, after a sample-filled freezer on the International Space Station made its return trip to Earth on the shuttle Discovery last week.

The cryogenic freezer can typically maintain a temperature of -160 degrees C (-256 degrees F) and support up to 22 pounds of research samples. And for the first time, it provides serious cooling for such samples during trips to and from the space station.

More:   http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/090401-tw-space-freezer.html