Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Served with pride...retired too young: Space Shuttle Discovery

Its been too long since my last post! Sometimes real life just gets in the way. But, today I needed to post something out of pure excitement...my family and I are going to welcome Space Shuttle Discovery to her new home at the Smithsonian Air & Space Udvar-Hazy Center this Friday.

What makes this so special is, Discovery (STS-128) was the first Space Shuttle launch I took Robbie and Michael to (this was before Ali). We watched Discovery bring daylight to the night sky after multiple scrubs! We had the honor and privilege to see her rocket into orbit from the NASA Causeway.

STS-128
Credit: NASA
Here are a few photo's and videos of Discovery in action!

I have made every effort to properly credit each photo.
Please let me know if you find any errors.

Milestones (via NASA Overview):

Jan 29, 1979 Contract Award
Aug 27, 1979 Start long lead fabrication of Crew Module
Jun 20, 1980 Start fabrication lower fuselage
Nov 10, 1980 Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
Dec 8, 1980 Start initial system installation aft fuselage
Mar 2, 1981 Start fabrication/assembly of payload bay doors
Oct 26, 1981 Start initial system installation, crew module, Downey
Jan 4, 1982 Start initial system installation upper forward fuselage
Mar 16, 1982 Midfuselage on dock, Palmdale
Mar 30, 1982 Elevons on dock, Palmdale
Apr 30, 1982 Wings arrive at Palmdale from Grumman
Apr 30, 1982 Lower forward fuselage on dock, Palmdale
Jul 16, 1982 Upper forward fuselage on dock, Palmdale
Aug 5, 1982 Vertical stabilizer on dock, Palmdale
Sep 3, 1982 Start of Final Assembly
Oct 15, 1982 Body flap on dock, Palmdale
Jan 11, 1983 Aft fuselage on dock, Palmdale
Feb 25, 1983 Complete final assembly and closeout installation, Palmdale
Feb 28, 1983 Start initial subsystems test, power-on, Palmdale
May 13, 1983 Complete initial subsystems testing
Jul 26, 1983 Complete subsystems testing
Aug 12, 1983 Completed Final Acceptance
Oct 16, 1983 Rollout from Palmdale

Rollout - Palmdale, CA
Credit: NASA
Nov 5, 1983 Overland transport from Palmdale to Edwards
Nov 9, 1983 Delivery to Kennedy Space Center
Jun 2, 1984 Flight Readiness Firing
Aug 30, 1984 First Flight (41-D)

Collection of Construction Photos by Boeing
Via Space.com

Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
Flight Schedule and Notable Missions:

1 08/30/84 STS-41-D  First Flight! And first ever Pad Abort!
2 11/08/84 STS-51-A
3 01/24/85 STS-51-C
4 04/12/85 STS-51-D
5 06/17/85 STS-51-G
6 08/27/85 STS-51-I
7 09/29/88 STS-26  First Return to Flight after Challenger (STS-51L)
8 03/13/89 STS-29
9 11/22/89 STS-33
10 04/24/90 STS-31  Launch of Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
STS-31 Hubble Release
Credit: NASA
11 10/06/90 STS-41
12 04/28/91 STS-39
13 09/12/91 STS-48
14 01/22/92 STS-42
15 12/02/92 STS-53
16 04/08/93 STS-56
17 09/12/93 STS-51  Second Pad Abort by Discovery
18 02/03/94 STS-60  First Russian Launched on a US Spacecraft
19 09/09/94 STS-64
20 02/03/95 STS-63  First Female Shuttle Pilot
STS-63: Shuttle Pilot Eileen Collins
Credit: NASA
21 07/13/95 STS-70
22 02/11/97 STS-82  Hubble Servicing Mission (HSM 2)
23 08/07/97 STS-85
24 06/02/98 STS-91  Final Shuttle-MIR Flight
25 10/29/98 STS-95  John Glenn's return to space flight
Sen. John Glenn: Return to Space
Credit: NASA
26 05/27/99 STS-96  First Shuttle to dock with the ISS
27 12/19/99 STS-103  Hubble Servicing Mission (HSM 3A)
28 10/11/00 STS-92  100th Space Shuttle Mission
29 03/08/01 STS-102
30 08/10/01 STS-105
31 07/26/05 STS-114  Second Return to Flight after Columbia (STS-107)
32 07/04/06 STS-121
33 12/09/06 STS-116  First night launch since Columbia, last launch from LC-39B
34 10/23/07 STS-120
35 05/31/08 STS-124
36 03/15/09 STS-119
37 08/28/09 STS-128
38 04/05/10 STS-131  Longest OV-103 mission at15 days
39 02/24/11 STS-133  Final Launch of OV-103

Photos:
STS-41D
Credit: NASA
STS-41D
Credit: Unknown
STS-51A
Credit: NASA
STS-51D
Credit: NASA
STS-64
Credit: NASA
STS-70
Credit: NASA
STS-91
Credit: NASA
STS-92
Credit: NASA
STS-95
Credit: NASA
STS-95
Credit: NASA
STS-102
Credit: NASA
STS-103/Hubble Space Telescope
Credit: NASA
STS-105
Credit: NASA
STS-105
Credit: NASA
STS-105
Credit: NASA
STS-114
Credit: NASA
STS-114
Credit: NASA
STS-114
Credit: NASA
STS-114
Credit: NASA
STS-116
Credit: ESA
STS-119
Credit: NASA
STS-119
Credit: NASA
STS-120
Credit: NASA
STS-120
Credit: NASA
STS-121
Credit: NASA
STS-124
Credit: NASA
STS-124
Credit: NASA
STS-124
Credit: NASA
STS-128
Credit: NASA
STS-131
Credit: NASA
STS-131
Credit: NASA
STS-131
Credit: NASA

STS-133 Rollout
Credit: Ben Cooper / Launchphotography.com
STS-133
Credit: NASA
STS-133
Credit: NASA
STS-133
Credit: Ben Cooper / Launchphotography.com
One final view of Discovery's Flight Deck
Credit: Ben Cooper / Laucnphotography.com
The final moments...Discovery to be powered off for the final time
Credit: Unknown
Powered down...Godspeed Discovery!
Credit: Unknown
Discovery: One final flight
Credit: NASA
Discovery: Taking Flight...
Credit: NASA
Discovery: Leaving KSC for the final time...
Credit: NASA
Discovery: The final landing of a storied orbiter...
Credit: NASA
Discovery: Rolling out out for the last time...
Credit: NASA
Videos of Discovery:








THANK YOU DISCOVERY!!!


Links:


Ben Cooper's Photos at Launchphotography.com

NASA Link to Discovery Overview

Wikipedia Link to Discovery Page

Smithsonian Air & Space: Welcome Discovery

NASA

Thanks for reading!!!!

- Aaron