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Welcome to my Shuttle launch website! A few of my web-savvy friends helped to created these pages to help me get out updates and to provide you with tips and information to negotiate your trip to Kennedy Space Center for the STS-133 launch on Feb 24, 2011. I hope you find it useful and interesting. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along to me at liftoff@alvinspace.net - Alvin |
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April 21, 2011 Amazing Recap of Discovery's Final Flight
A retrospective of STS-133, the final mission of space shuttle Discovery. Fly along with the crew and experience the mission highlights during this 17+ minute video - well worth taking a look! Drew Crew Photo Album! Check out some of the amazing memories from the STS-133 launch days. Thanks to all the Drew Crew that submitted photos. If you would still like to add your own, send them to jack.b.moore(a)gmail.com! Enjoy! March 10, 2011 DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO CELEBRATE WITH THE STS-133 CREW AT ELLINGTON FIELD - Via the Marvelous Suzanne Singleton! Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m. March 9, 2011 WELCOME HOME DISCOVERY! KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL--Enduring the heat of re-entry one last time, the shuttle Discovery dropped out of orbit and returned to Earth Wednesday to wrap up a near-flawless 39th and final mission, a milestone marking the beginning of the end for NASA's winged rocketships.
After firing its twin braking rockets for a computer-controlled descent halfway around the planet, commander Steven Lindsey took over manual control and guided Discovery through a 250-degree left turn to line up on runway 15.
LANDING DAY! The space shuttle Discovery has fired her braking rockets to drop out of orbit and begin the hour-long glide toward the Kennedy Space Center for touchdown at 11:57 a.m. EST. See our status center for live coverage as Discovery completes her final spaceflight. Follow the landing live at: NASA TV March 8, 2011 Landing Day Schedule
Forecasters are predicting windy but acceptable Florida weather for the shuttle Discovery's return to Earth Wednesday and with virtually no technical problems of any significance, entry Flight Director Tony Ceccacci said "we feel pretty comfortable" about getting the orbiter home on time from its 39th and final flight. Discovery has enough on-board supplies to remain in orbit until Friday at the latest, but with a favorable forecast Ceccacci said NASA only planned to staff the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday. If the weather takes a turn for the worse and Discovery fails to make it home on one of two landing opportunities, the astronauts will remain in orbit one more day and land Thursday, on one coast or the other. Read full article at Spaceflight Now... Reflections on Discovery On the eve of returning to Earth Wednesday to close out the shuttle Discovery's 39th and final flight, the ship's crew said the nation should be proud of the shuttle program's accomplishments, but expressed concern that a replacement vehicle is not waiting in the wings to replace it.
Here is a transcript of a CBS News interview with shuttle commander Steven Lindsey, pilot Eric Boe, Michael Barratt, Nicole Stott and spacewalkers Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew. Read full transcript at Spaceflight Now... Final Flight Day Activities Today marks Discovery's final day on orbit. As the crew transforms their spaceship into glider for landing, they will take a few moments to mark Discovery’s historic flight. Below is a schedule of crew activities throughout the day and a few key events that you will want to catch on NASA TV. You can watch NASA TV online via this link – NASA TV 03/08 - All times are EST 03:23 AM...11...10...30...STS crew wakeup 06:28 AM...11...13...35...Flight control system checkout 06:28 AM...11...13...35...Cabin stow begins 07:38 AM...11...14...45...Reaction control system hotfire 07:48 AM...11...14...55...PILOT landing practice 10:23 AM...11...17...30...Crew meal 09:53 AM...11...17...00...Deorbit review 11:23 AM...11...18...30...CBS News/ABC News/AP interviews 11:58 AM...11...19...05...Cabin stow resumes 12:08 PM...11...19...15...Crew tribute to Discovery 12:30 PM...11...19...37...MMT briefing on NTV - A look at landing opprotunities for 3/9 02:00 PM...11...21...07...Mission status briefing on NTV 02:13 PM...11...21...20...L-1 comm check 02:43 PM...11...21...50...Ergometer stow 03:53 PM...11...23...00...Wing leading edge sensor deactivation 04:13 PM...11...23...20...Laptop computer stow (part 1) 04:13 PM...11...23...20...Ku-band antenna stow - No more e-mails :( 07:23 PM...12...02...30...Crew sleep begins Crew of STS-133 gets a LIVE Wake up Call! In a first for mission control and a shuttle crew, the Discovery astronauts were awakened Tuesday with a live performance of "Blue Sky" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, a tune inspired by the first post-Columbia mission. The song won the most votes in a NASA "Top 40" competition giving the public an opportunity to select the crew's wake up music.
Playing an acoustic guitar, band leader Todd Park Mohr, singing solo but flanked by his three fellow musicians, serenaded the astronauts at 3:23 a.m. EST (GMT-5) to kick start Discovery's final full day in space. March 7, 2011 SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY MAKES FINAL RETURN TO EARTH WEDNESDAY CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to return to Earth for the final time on Wednesday, March 9, completing a 13-day mission to outfit the International Space Station. If Discovery lands Wednesday, it will have spent a total of 365 days in space and traveled more than 148 million miles during 39 flights. It launched on its first mission on Aug. 30, 1984. Wednesday landing opportunities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are at 11:57 a.m. and 1:34 p.m. EST. NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Discovery to land. If Discovery is unable to land Wednesday, additional opportunities are available on Thursday at Kennedy and at backup landing site Edwards Air Force Base in California. For recorded updates about landing, call 321-867-2525. STS-133 "Star Trek" Wake up CallWilliam Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk on the original Star Trek television series, provided a special message to the crew of space shuttle Discovery during the Flight Day 12 wakeup call.
March 3, 2011 STS-133 Gets Call from White House!
President Obama talks with all twelve Discovery and International Space Station crew members about their missions and the importance of their work in space. Joining the president at the White House was NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. EVA 2! Yesterday, the STS-133 crew worked through their second and final spacewalk dedicated to several misc. tasks that will helped place the International Space Station in the best possible shape for future construction missions as well as the post-Shuttle era. Catch the recap for flight day 7 below!
Spacewalkers Steve Bowen and Al Drew spend their second EVA tending to and swapping out equipment outside the International Space Station. Among other tasks, Drew removed thermal insulation from a platform while Bowen exchanged an attachment bracket on the ISS's Columbus module. March 1, 2011 LIFT OFF! 2/24/11
(24 Feb. 2011) --- Space shuttle Discovery and its six-member STS-133 crew head toward Earth orbit and rendezvous with the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 4:53 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 24, 2011, from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(24 Feb. 2011) --- Astronaut Alvin Drew, STS-133 mission specialist, is seen on the middeck of the space shuttle Discovery soon after reaching Earth orbit on flight day one. Drew is still in his launch and entry escape suit. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(25 Feb. 2011) --- Astronaut Alvin Drew, STS-133 mission specialist, on the flight deck inside Discovery's cabin, surveys the work of the Remote Manipulator System/Orbiter Boom Sensor System (RMS/OBSS). Equipped with special cameras, the system was aiding the crew to conduct thorough inspections of the shuttle's thermal tile system on flight day 2. Astronaut Steve Lindsey, commander, is at controls just out of frame.
26 Feb. 2011) --- NASA astronaut Alvin Drew, STS-133 mission specialist, is pictured on the middeck of space shuttle Discovery during flight day three activities.
(26 Feb. 2011) --- The docked space shuttle Discovery and the Canadian-built Dextre, also known as the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (SPDM), are featured in this image photographed by an STS-133 crew member on the International Space Station. The blackness of space and Earth's horizon provide the backdrop for the scene.
(28 Feb. 2011) --- Partially inside, partially outside the Quest airlock on the International Space Station, astronaut Alvin Drew prepares to begin his shared spacewalking duties with astronaut Steve Bowen. The two STS-133 mission specialists are scheduled for one more session of extravehicular activity on March 2. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(28 Feb. 2011) --- NASA astronaut Alvin Drew, STS-133 mission specialist, participates in the mission's first session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk, Drew and NASA astronaut Steve Bowen (out of frame), mission specialist, installed the J612 power extension cable, move a failed ammonia pump module to the External Stowage Platform 2 on the Quest Airlock for return to Earth at a later date, installed a camera wedge on the right hand truss segment, installed extensions to the mobile transporter rail and exposed the Japanese "Message in a Bottle" experiment to space. Upcoming mission events:
February 22, 2011 Countdown Has Begun! On 2/21 at 3pmET, the countdown began for space shuttle Discovery’s launch on the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Lift off is scheduled for 4:50pmET/21:50 GMT on Thursday, Feb. 24. At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 pose for a photo on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway after arriving in T-38 jets. From left, are Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew, Pilot Eric Boe, and Commander Steve Lindsey. Learn about countdown and the built-in holds at: http://go.nasa.gov/ev02Ds February 18, 2011 Discovery Cleared for Feb 24th Launch CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin an 11-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at 4:50 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 24, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-133 mission is Discovery's final scheduled flight. February 7, 2011 Astronaut Mike Massimino, famous for his candid "NASA Behind the Scenes" series, catches up with the Crew of STS-133. Join Mike behind the scenes as he gets the inside scoop on the new crew assignments and the epic task Steve Bowen faces as prepares for the February 24th launch.
January 28, 2011
Veteran space flyer Steven Bowen is joining the STS-133 team while Tim Kopra recovers from a hip injury. On January 15th, Tim injured his hip as a result of a biking accident leaving a big seat to fill on the Discovery’s flight deck. While Tim is expected to make a full recovery, it doesn’t look like he will make the current launch window. “Steven B” brings an incredible set of space walking experience to the table, making for an excellent pinch hitter in Tim’s absence. If there is a significant slip in the upcoming launch date, Tim will rejoin the crew. In the meantime, the STS-133 team will be stepping up training efforts to prep for the Feb 24th launch window. Read More… January 13, 2011 *NEW LAUNCH DATE SET!* NASA UPDATES SHUTTLE TARGET LAUNCH DATES FOR TWO FLIGHTS WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting 4:50 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 24, for the launch of space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. The liftoff of shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 flight is planned for 7:48 p.m. EDT on April 19, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The target dates were selected Thursday during the Space Shuttle Program's weekly Program Requirements Control Board meeting. NASA sets official launch dates for each shuttle mission following agency Flight Readiness Reviews, which typically occur about two weeks prior to launches. All target launch dates are subject to change. January 6, 2011 STS-133 Delayed From Feb 3 Launch Date NASA has decided to work some breathing room into the launch schedule to more carefully analyze and understand the small cracks in the external tank. A new launch date has yet to be defined.
Here is the full release from NASA PAO this evening: "The Space Shuttle Program held its weekly Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) meeting today to review progress on the continuing engineering investigation, testing and analysis regarding shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank stringer crack issue. With the work remaining, the potential for additional modifications yet to be defined, and further reviews pending, the decision was made today to allow the teams additional time and delay the next launch opportunity out of the early February launch window, which opened Feb. 3. New potential launch dates for Discovery’s STS-133 mission and shuttle Endeavour’s STS-134 mission will be discussed at next Thursday’s meeting. Progress continues to be made in understanding the most probable cause of cracks discovered on Discovery’s external tank mid-section, known as the intertank, where small cracks developed during the Nov. 5, 2010, launch attempt. Four additional small cracks were found during thorough X-ray image scans of the backside of the tank after Discovery was returned from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 22. Plans are for the repair work to continue through the weekend. The shuttle program also reviewed the plan to modify as many as 32 additional stringers with radius blocks, which will provide added structural support in areas known to carry much of the structural load of the external tank. These radius blocks essentially fit over existing stringer edges through which the securing rivets are installed to provide additional structural support. The radius block modification is a known and practiced structural augmentation technique used extensively on the intertank. This work should begin as soon as the repairs to the three stringers with the four additional small cracks have been completed, likely in the next day or so, and the modification of the additional 32 stringers is expected to be complete next week. Senior NASA managers and Space Shuttle Program managers will meet Monday to review the progress to date and the forward plan. A determination of the need and viability for the installation of additional radius blocks on all remaining stringers will be made sometime next week." - NASA PAO To learn more about the delay check out this great article at space.com December 3, 2010 Launch of the shuttle Discovery on a space station resupply mission will be delayed until at least Feb. 3, NASA managers announced Friday, to give engineers more time to carry out tests to help figure out what caused cracks in the ship's external tank and what, if any, modifications might be needed before the ship can be cleared for flight. "It's time to pursue a different path, and that's to head out with some test data," Bill Gerstenmaier, chief of space operations at NASA headquarters, told reporters. "Basically what we're going to do with these tests is make sure we didn't overlook anything, we'll see if these tests can reveal any new information for us and it'll also help us sort out what the real problems are we need to be working on versus ones that we just think theoretically may be there." Assuming the upcoming work gives NASA the confidence to proceed, a launch on Feb. 3 would be targeted for 1:34:28 a.m. EST, roughly the moment Earth's rotation carries launch pad 39A into the plane of the International Space Station's orbit. Landing back at the Kennedy Space Center would be expected the evening of Feb. 13. Read the full article at Spaceflightnow.com November 11, 2010 Happy Veterans Day! The Drew Crew "backstage" team wants to extend a special thanks to all of our men and women in uniform that have served to protect our freedoms at home and to defend threats to freedom abroad. We also want to pay a special tribute to our service members on STS-133. Colonel Steve Lindsey USAF Colonel Eric A. Boe, USAF Colonel Timothy Lennart Kopra, USA and...
Colonel Benjamin Alvin Drew, USAF Thank you for all your service. Work Continues on External Tank
At pad 39A, a worker begins to remove the ground umbilical carrier plate's 7-inch quick disconnect. Credit: NASA A leaking hydrogen vent line attachment fitting on the side of the shuttle Discovery's external tank was removed and disassembled overnight, revealing an unevenly compressed internal seal. The quick-disconnect hardware also may have a less concentric fit than pre-fueling measurements indicated. An analysis is underway to determine if the defects are responsible for the gaseous hydrogen leak that grounded Discovery last Friday. Read More at Spaceflightnow.com November 5, 2010 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALVIN!!! What would be a better gift than rocketing into the heavens on your birthday? Spending a few weeks with friends and family! Is the anticipation killing you yet? Well you're in luck, NASA has granted us a month long break from the "GO, NO-GO, OH WAIT! GO! - UM NO" fervor. We were hoping to light two REALLY BIG CANDLES for Alvin today, but safety comes first. So get some rest and keep your fingers crossed for November 30th! Birth Control
Our favorite flyboy will be on birth control while on orbit… sort of. If you have followed Alvin’s blog, you’ve heard about these specs and how they can be adjusted while on orbit. As Alvin puts it, “These glasses are being tested by Mike and I. We have the ability to adjust the strength of the lenses which makes these glasses pretty big and well not too attractive.” According to Patricia, they aren’t that bad. She thinks they are “cute in a geeky way”. Read more about the glasses on Alvin’s blog post. |
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