Shuttle Discovery a look back...

Discovery

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I had a friend of mine send me some cool pics of the Shuttle Discovery he thought I would appreciate (they are also on NASA's site) and he was right I did and do! It inspired me to make a thread which I don't do often because I am not very good at it. So I figured why not do one on Discovery since it's last mission is coming up and well it has an interesting history and is probably my favorite shuttle. Yes I have a favorite

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The Shuttle Discovery came to the Kennedy Space Center for the first time in November 1983. Discovery was launched on Aug. 30, 1984, for its first mission, 41-D, to deploy three communications satellites. It was the third orbiter of the bunch and it is also now the oldest.

Discovery will have her last mission on November 1, 2010.

During space shuttle Discovery's final spaceflight, the STS-133 crew members will take important spare parts to the International Space Station along with the Express Logistics Carrier-4. Discovery has been moved to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Shuttle Discovery

Discovery will deliver and install the Permanent Multipurpose Module, the Express Logistics Carrier 4 and provide critical spare components to the International Space Station. This will be the 35th shuttle mission to the station

35th mission! Wow that is a lot of space time and they never offered me a ride?! I live close!
STS 133 last mission


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Shuttle Discovery History Highlights

*Discovery's Name...where did it come from?
Ever wonder where they get the names for the shuttles? I know I have. Well here is what NASA's site says:

The choice of the name "Discovery" carried on a tradition drawn from some historic, Earth-bound exploring ships of the past.

The site mentions examples of the Earth-bound exploring ships of the past. One is:

Another such ship was used by British explorer James Cook in the 1770s during his voyages in the South Pacific, leading to the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands.

Sounds pretty fitting to me for a shuttle name.
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*Since Discovery’s first flight she (I call the shuttles she) has completed over 30 successful missions, more than any another orbiter. Discovery also delivered the Hubble Telecsope, my favorite. I can stare at the pics from there for hours……and I have.

STS-31 was the 35th American Space Program mission that helped launch the Hubble Telescope into Earth's orbit on April 24, 1990 from The Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Discovery was also responsible for the second and third Hubble servicing missions, one in February 1997 and one in December 1999.

Discovery's crew deployed the telescope on April 25, and spent the rest of the mission tending to various scientific experiments in the shuttle's payload bay and operating a set of IMAX cameras to record the mission. Discovery's launch marked the first time since January 1986 that two Space Shuttles had been on the launch pad at the same time - Discovery on 39B and Columbia on 39A.

source

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courtesty of Hubble Telescope
Thanks Discovery


* Discovery also flew all the "return to flight" missions after the two shuttle disasters of Columbia, Challenger.
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Everyone has heard of these horrible incidents in the shuttle history. I remember seeing Challenger when I was in Elementary School, it was the first shuttle launch I ever saw. I didn't understand at the time what had just happened but I knew it wasn't good since all my teachers were crying. It was really sad what happened on those days. Discovery was the shuttle that was used to return to space flight after each incident.

Discovery has the distinction of being chosen as the Return to Flight orbiter twice. The first was for STS-26 in 1988, and the second when it carried the STS-114 crew on NASA's Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station in July 2005.

source

* Well the first mission is always memorable as it's the first!
The launch from KSC FL was on August 30, 1984. This was the 12th shuttle mission at the time. Here is a little info or highlight from the launch..

The orbiter Discovery was launched on its maiden flight, the 12th in the program, on 30 August 1984. It was the third orbiter built and the lightest one thus far because of its lightweight thermal blanket material.
The mission was originally planned for 25 June 1984, but because of a variety of technical problems, including rollback to the VAB to replace a main engine, the launch did not take place until 8:41 a.m. EDT, 30 August 1984, after a 6-minute, 50-second delay when a private aircraft flew into the restricted air space near the launch pad. It was the fourth launch attempt for Discovery. The June launch attempt marked the first time since Gemini 6A that a Manned Spacecraft experienced a shutdown of its engines just prior to launch.

More found here STS-41-D

And if you want to watch it cause you missed it then, well here you go



* 100th Space Shuttle Mission!
STS-92 was a Space Shuttle mission to ISS. STS-92 marked a milestone imo, the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle..yay! This was done from KSC on October 11, 2000. It was a night launch which in my opinion are best. I did watch this launch. I love the night launches, they really lightup the sky and the ocean. It's awesome! This launch was delayed from a few days before. That is something you get use to when you live this close, the delays.
Here is a short explanation on what the mission was for, visit the link for more and information on the delays.

STS-92 was an ISS assembly flight that brought the Z1 truss, Control Moment Gyros, Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) (mounted on a Spacelab pallet) and two DDCU (Heat pipes) to the space station.

Here is the 100th launch. Night launches really are the best.


* First Russian launched in an American Space craft.

STS-60 was the first mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried Sergei K. Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Discovery, which lifted off from launch pad 39A on February 3, 1994 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The mission carried the Wake Shield Facility experiment and a SPACEHAB module into orbit, and carried out a live bi-directional audio and downlink link-up with the cosmonauts aboard the Russian space station Mir.

* STS-95 Second flight of John Glenn.

STS-95 was a 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. It was a highly publicized mission due to former Project Mercury astronaut and United States Senator John H. Glenn, Jr.'s return to space for his second space flight. At age 77, Glenn became the oldest person, to date, to go into space. This mission is also noted for inaugurating ATSC HDTV broadcasting in the U.S., with live coast-to-coast coverage of the launch. In another first, Spain's Pedro Duque became the first Spaniard in space.

STS-95
Again I actually remember this. A lot of people came to the area to see this launch.



Here is a link to the list of flights Discovery has had over the years.
Discovery missions

Here are some pics from last month when Discovery was making her way to the KSC for her final flight.
I would so love to be right next to it. I promise I wouldn't touch a thing!

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This pic, well the lights you could see for miles away. I have a pretty nice view of the assembly building and other parts out there and when Discovery got there the entire area at The KSC was lit up. It was awesome because I could sit outside and see it I had my binoculars and camera but you can't see anything but lights in the pics....I'm easily amused.
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I will be filming the final launch of Discovery on November 1st and posting it later on that day. I will plant my happy self out on my balcony until it launches

I hope you enjoyed, it took me forever to do this. I am not good with threads..I have too much OCD and they never seem to be up to par in my opinion but I have crazy writing issues

Thanks to those in ATS chat who helped when I popped in with a question and thanks hhcore for helping me with the pictures!!

VERY informative thread Blah S&F for you

reply to post by mblahnikluver


Mblah!

Awesome thread! Definitely shows the work you put into it!!!

I look forward to the launch footage!

Starred, flagged, and bookmarked!

~Heff

reply to post by mblahnikluver


very cool pics. You know how kids wanted to be in space someday? Well not everyone can grow up to be an astronaut but still its nice to have some goals.$&F

I have some awesome pics of Discovery arriving back home!

I won't post a direct link, because it keep's trying to open pop-up websites, so I saved the images, and need to upload to ATS - then will post!

Originally posted by Hefficide
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

Mblah!

Awesome thread! Definitely shows the work you put into it!!!

I look forward to the launch footage!

Starred, flagged, and bookmarked!

~Heff

Thanks Heff!

Yeah the last launch footage went haywire..lol I filmed it but everything that involved with it launching didnt film, only before and after. I was so mad! I don't know what happened. That has never happened before and it hasnt happened since.

I will make sure to have the sound off this time last time I sounded so silly with the whole "sweeeeeet," I didn't know the sound was recording... hehe

Thanks!

Originally posted by Stop-loss!
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

very cool pics. You know how kids wanted to be in space someday? Well not everyone can grow up to be an astronaut but still its nice to have some goals.$&F

I use to want to be an astronaut and a scientist. Always liked space and science. Hopefully when I am done with school in a few years and I can work on future space flight programs...which is my goal

Thanks!

Originally posted by TortoiseKweek
I have some awesome pics of Discovery arriving back home!

I won't post a direct link, because it keep's trying to open pop-up websites, so I saved the images, and need to upload to ATS - then will post!

Cool! Yeah I don't usually get to watch them returning. I don't work on launch dates only if it's a day I am not working and it's coming back I will watch. I have seen a few and it's pretty cool. I am going to try and get out to the KSC to see it up close.

S&F mblah.


I wish I could see a night launch. I saw a launch when I was down in florida in 2009...it may be the craziest thing I have ever seen...it is just amazing.

You are lucky you live so close and can watch them all the time.

Great pictures and videos, thanks for putting in the time to put this together.

Here we go guys

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Please note - these are not my images, I merely want to share on ATS

reply to post by TortoiseKweek


VERY COOL! I am very jealous of the person who was that close.

It's funny how the shuttle is so big and yet it doesn't look so big on the back of that beast!

Thanks for sharing these


I will clean the shuttle if they let me come visit...I am very good at cleaning, you could eat off the floors

reply to post by TortoiseKweek


Could you please share the source of these photos then?

I always wondered how they could get a shuttle on a plane, and off the plane!? I guess I answered my own question, and many people out there. A nice structure that can accommodate a plane AND a shuttle, and allow for it to embark? Wow, this IS remarkable stuff! Really just mind blowing!

Awesome thread all the way down to the beautiful pics by all who contributed..

Thanks for taking the time all...

reply to post by DevolutionEvolvd


No Problem, but as I said before, it will send you pop-up's at any interval! The risk is in your hands - don't blame me for anything! I know you want to verify my source, but you do it at your own risk! I don't know what security you have, so you're on your own. Don't blame me!

The source is:
unitechblog.com...

Thanks for the memories!
Good thread.
My favorite shuttle is Atlantis. I went to Florida with some University buddies to witness my fellow Canadian Chris Hadfield launch on Atlantis back in 1995. And again saw Atlantis (STS-122) launch in February 2008, this time married with my wife and my 3 year old daughter riding on my shoulders as seen in this home movie SaganTool's STS-122 Experience. Its such a experience being there to see a shuttle launch, and I envy thoes whoi live near the coast and can witness them all! I am really going to miss the shuttle fleet, i'm in my mid 30's, and the shuttles are what I grew up on, and vicariously explored space with. I can still remember Marc Garneau's first flight for a Canadian, way back in 1984! I was 10, yikes! The entire flight was broadcast live on a special channel dedicated to his flight, I was in heaven! I'm going to miss each and every one of them! sigh...

reply to post by baddmove


It's my pleasure! The ATS community has given me so much, I deserve to give back We are all here for one simple reason... We Want the truth! Simple ... BUT ... complicated

Oh my, those are some lovely pictures. I've always loved the lights on the launch towers, it's just so very impressive and wondrous. Almost like we try to mimic the sky above us here on earth.

Then cities from orbit are much the same way, a true sight to behold.

Anyway, thanks for making the thread.

Originally posted by DevolutionEvolvd
reply to post by TortoiseKweek

 

Could you please share the source of these photos then?

Why? I don't see people sourcing every photo they submit. They are real pics, does it matter where they came from?

He had said someone sent them to him or something like that I believe, just like my photos. I have also seen some of those online while looking today for Discovery information.

I don't care who their source is, those pics are awesome!

Originally posted by SaganTool
Thanks for the memories!
Good thread.
My favorite shuttle is Atlantis. I went to Florida with some University buddies to witness my fellow Canadian Chris Hadfield launch on Atlantis back in 1995. And again saw Atlantis (STS-122) launch in February 2008, this time married with my wife and my 3 year old daughter riding on my shoulders as seen in this home movie SaganTool's STS-122 Experience. Its such a experience being there to see a shuttle launch, and I envy thoes whoi live near the coast and can witness them all! I am really going to miss the shuttle fleet, i'm in my mid 30's, and the shuttles are what I grew up on, and vicariously explored space with. I can still remember Marc Garneau's first flight for a Canadian, way back in 1984! I was 10, yikes! The entire flight was broadcast live on a special channel dedicated to his flight, I was in heaven! I'm going to miss each and every one of them! sigh...

Nice video! Yeah people really do plan vacations around launches. To some it's like going to Disney for the weekend. It's awesome if you ask me. I would rather have done that as a kid than see Mickey and have the crazy characters chase me around the park and take my hat

I like Atlantis too but that probably has more to do with the mysterious place of Atlantis.

Yeah I love the NASA channel. I watch it sometimes just for fun or have it on in the background. The day of a launch it's on all day. This time I shall call in and listen in on the launch. I will be happy as a clam all by myself and in my own little world most people I know here could never understand.

Living on the coast this close is great but everyone does take it for granted, just like the beach. You think "oh the shuttle, it will go again." Now everyone wishes they paid attention more now that it's gone and I ask them why it took it closing down for them to want to pay attention.

I remember going to the space center for field trips various times in school It was like going to the police station yearly lol.I always like it but was teased for it so I kept it to myself, but secretly I loved when we went there. I remember having dipping dots the first time and space food..which isn't all that bad.

I remember the huge display of the planets and picking Mars as my favorite. I don't know why, maybe cause it was the "red" planet but it was a place of interest to me. I like the shows we watched at the KSC. They had shows for field trips. It was great!

I hope to be able to go to a closer location for this launch.