STS-120: NASA and ESA Press Releases

[jacqmans]

2 a.m. CDT, Nov. 2, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #21

HOUSTON – The space shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crews today will focus on reviewing spacewalk procedures and unberthing the shuttle’s Orbiter Boom Sensor System for Saturday’s spacewalk to repair a torn solar array.

The crews were awakened this morning at 12:08 with the song “World” by Five for Fighting for Mission Specialist Doug Wheelock, who will be performing his third spacewalk on Saturday. Wheelock dedicated the song to the ground support team.

Mission managers decided Wednesday it was important that the station’s P6 solar array be stabilized to prevent further tearing. Engineers have been working around the clock to prepare procedures for the robotic operations, tool configuration and the spacewalk.

During the early hours, ground controllers will move the station’s mobile transporter from the end of the port truss to the truss’ center. From there, Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Dan Tani will then use the station’s robotic arm to grapple the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The boom will be handed to the shuttle robotic arm for the night and the mobile transporter will then return to the end of the port truss.

On Saturday, the boom will be transferred back to the station’s arm to allow Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski to reach the torn 4B solar array panel. Parazynski will install five solar array hinge stabilizers, also known as cufflinks, to steady the array. Wheelock will assist from the station’s truss.

Inside the Harmony node, Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Mission Specialist Clay Anderson will install a computer router that will be used once the module is moved to its permanent location at the end of the Destiny laboratory. Yesterday, the crew completed the initial outfitting of Harmony.

The STS-120 crew has completed all of the major objectives for this mission, including installing Harmony in a temporary location at the end of the Unity node, relocating the P6 truss from the zenith side of the station to the end of the port truss, and installing a spare main bus switching unit on a storage platform for later use.

[jacqmans]

Mission: STS-120 - 23rd International Space Station Flight - U.S. Node
2 (Harmony)
Vehicle: Discovery (OV-103)
Location: International Space Station
Launch Date: Oct. 23, 2007
Expected KSC Landing Date: Nov. 7, 2007
Crew: Melroy, Zamka, Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Nespoli and Tani
Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles

On orbit, Flight Day 10 for mission STS-120 has been completed.
Planned activities for Flight Day 11 on Saturday involve configuring
Discovery and the International Space Station for the mission's
fourth spacewalk, on which the astronauts will perform solar array
repair activities.

Landing of Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center is currently planned
for Wednesday, Nov. 7. Available landing times are 1:02 p.m. EST on
orbit 238 and 2:35 p.m. EST on orbit 239.

[jacqmans]

5 p.m. CDT, Nov. 2, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #22

HOUSTON – Space shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crew members today finished preparations for Saturday’s spacewalk to repair a torn solar array. The mission’s fourth spacewalk is set to begin about 5:30 a.m.

The astronauts spent the day positioning the station’s mobile transporter and robotic arm at the end of the truss where it will serve as a base and “cherry picker” providing ample reach for the work to free a snag in a solar array panel.

As Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock studied detailed plans for the spacewalk, other crew members assisted by insulating tools with Kapton tape to protect against any electrical currents.

Late in the crew day, the crew reviewed the procedures with Mission Control prior to going to bed. Parazynski and Wheelock will spend the night in the Quest airlock to prepare for the spacewalk focusing on the solar array repair.

As with other spacewalks during the mission, Saturday’s could begin early depending entirely on the crew’s final preparations that begin shortly after waking up at 12:38 a.m. Saturday.

The 6½ -hour spacewalk begins with Parazynski riding the robotic arm up to the damaged area of the array. He will be secured in a foot restraint on the end of the Orbiter Boom and Sensor System – the extension to the shuttle robot arm used for inspection of the orbiter’s thermal protection system.

Though this will be the first operational use of the OBSS to reach a worksite, the task was demonstrated during a spacewalk on the STS-121 mission in July 2006 to prove the boom could provide a stable environment for this type of work.

As Parazynski installs homemade stabilizers and releases the snag suspected of causing the tear in the array panel, Wheelock will assist from the base of the solar array. The distance from the station’s center is about 165 feet out on the truss and approximately 90 feet up to the damaged site.

If all goes as planned, the crew inside will then deploy the array half a bay at a time while Parazynski watches for any new complications. The spacewalk is scheduled to wrap up about noon.

The astronauts should then be able to spend Sunday preparing to leave the station with Discovery’s undocking scheduled early Monday morning. Landing is set for just after noon on Wednesday.

[jacqmans]

2 a.m. CDT, Nov. 3, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #23

HOUSTON – Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock today will work to repair a torn solar array on the farthest end of the International Space Station’s port truss in the fourth spacewalk of the STS-120 mission.

That spacewalk is slated to begin about 5:30 a.m., but could begin as early as 5 a.m. if the crew’s final preparations move quickly as they have for the rest of the mission’s spacewalks.

The crews of Space Shuttle Discovery and the station were awakened this morning at 12:38 with composer John Williams’ theme song from the original “Star Wars“ movie trilogy. The song was played for Parazynski.

Parazynski and Wheelock spent the evening in the Quest airlock at a lower air pressure to get ready for the 6.5-hour spacewalk. Yesterday, the two reviewed the detailed plans for the spacewalk with flight controllers and engineers who have been working around the clock to prepare the plan.

The day will begin with a hand-off of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) from the shuttle’s robotic arm to the station arm. The OBSS is an extension to the shuttle arm used for inspection of the orbiter’s thermal protection system. This will be the first time the OBSS will be used to reach a worksite, which was simulated on STS-121 in July 2006.

Parazynski will take a 45-minute ride on the mated OBSS to the damaged area of the array, estimated to be about 90 feet up from the P6 truss, to repair the tear in the 4B panel of the array. One of his first tasks will be to test the dynamics of the work platform to better understand how it will move as he moves. Once he arrives at the worksite, Parazynski will install homemade stabilizers and release the snag suspected of causing the tear in the array panel. Wheelock will assist from the base of the solar array.

If all goes as planned, the crew inside will then deploy the array half a bay at a time while Parazynski watches for any new complications. The spacewalk is scheduled to wrap up about Noon.

The astronauts should then be able to spend Sunday preparing to leave the station with Discovery’s undocking scheduled early Monday morning. Landing is set for just after Noon on Wednesday.

[jacqmans]

4 p.m. CDT, Nov. 3, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #24

HOUSTON – With a few pieces of aluminum and a little bit of wire, Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski today repaired a damaged solar array during a spacewalk that lasted 7 hours, 19 minutes.

Parazynski and fellow spacewalker Doug Wheelock left the International Space Station at 5:03 a.m., and spent about an hour and a half riding the station’s robotic arm out to the torn array – about 165 feet down the station’s truss and 90 feet up to the damage.

Once there, Parazynski cut a snagged wire and installed homemade stabilizers designed to strengthen the array’s structure and stability in the vicinity of the damage. Wheelock helped from the truss by keeping an eye on the distance between Parazynski and the array.

They completed the repair just after 10 a.m., and then stood back to watch for complications as flight controllers on the ground finished the deploy, which began on Tuesday. The delicate deploy sequence called for the array mast to be deployed one half bay at a time. Fifteen minutes and 13 computer commands later, the array was fully extended.

“One of the most satisfying days that I’ve ever had in Mission Control,” Derek Hassman, lead station flight director, said of the operation.

Parazynski and Wheelock then made their way back to the station’s airlock, to end the spacewalk at 12:22 p.m.

The array repair became the priority of space shuttle Discovery’s mission on Tuesday, after two tears were noticed during the array’s unfurling. Teams on the ground worked around the clock to develop a plan for the repair, and the crew spent much of the past two days studying and making tools.

With that task behind them, the shuttle’s crew will prepare to leave the station. They’ll complete final transfer work, say their farewells, and close the hatch between the shuttle and the station at 12:43 p.m. CST Sunday.

Monday will be another busy day with undocking scheduled for 4:32 a.m. followed by a fly around of the station and an inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield.

[jacqmans]

2 a.m. CDT, Nov. 4, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #25

HOUSTON – The astronauts on space shuttle Discovery got up this morning prepared to complete the final cargo transfers between the two vehicles and bid farewell to the Expedition 16 crew.

Farewells are scheduled to begin at 12:28 p.m. CST, followed by hatch closing at 12:43 p.m. CST.

The crews of Discovery and the International Space Station were awakened before the change from daylight to standard time. The crew was roused at 1:08 a.m. CDT with the song “The Presence of the Lord,” written by gospel musician Kurt Carr, originally recorded by Byron Cage. Cage’s rendition was played for Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson.

After the transfers are complete the two crews will enjoy some well-deserved time off before they bid farewell. The most important transfer from station to shuttle is the return of astronaut Clay Anderson. Anderson, who joined the station’s Expedition 15 crew in June, is being replaced by Dan Tani, who arrived at the station with the STS-120 crew.

Yesterday, Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski repaired a damaged solar array during a spacewalk that lasted 7 hours, 19 minutes. Fellow spacewalker Doug Wheelock helped from the truss by keeping an eye on the distance between Parazynski and the array.

The repair was completed at just after 10 a.m. Friday and then the crew deployed the P6 array to its full extension. The array repair became the priority of space shuttle Discovery’s mission on Tuesday after two tears were noticed during the array’s unfurling.

The spacewalk was the 4th of the STS-120 mission and the 96th in support of station assembly and maintenance.

Monday will be another busy day with undocking scheduled for 4:32 a.m. CST followed by a fly around of the station and an inspection of the shuttle’s heat shield. Landing is set for just after noon on Wednesday.

[jacqmans]

2:15 p.m. CST, Nov. 4, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #26

HOUSTON –Spacefarers aboard Discovery and the International Space Station congratulated one another on a successful docked mission, shared hugs and farewells and closed the hatches 210 miles above the Pacific Northwest at 2:03 p.m. CST.

With Dan Tani now a member of the station’s Expedition 16 crew and Clay Anderson now a member of the STS-120 crew, the two teams then began getting ready for Monday’s 4:32 a.m. CST undocking.

Before closing the hatches, Commander Pam Melroy and her STS-120 crew – Pilot George Zamka, Mission Specialists Paolo Nespoli, Scott Parazynski, Doug Wheelock, Stephanie Wilson and Anderson – transferred final items to the shuttle. A total of 2,020 pounds of equipment and scientific samples is being returned to Earth. Included among the cargo are metal filings that may help engineers narrow down the cause of resistance in the starboard solar arrays rotary joint.

Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson, and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Tani made sure that all 33,834 pounds of items delivered by Discovery – including the 31,648-pound Harmony module and 2,186 pounds of supplies and equipment – were accounted for on the station.

The port solar array repaired by Parazynski and Wheelock during a Saturday spacewalk is generating electricity but flight controllers are continuing tests before they begin using power from the relocated, repaired and redeployed 4B array to the station’s systems. The station already is using power from the other relocated and redeployed array, 2B.

Whitson and Malenchenko will have a day-and-a-half of rest wrapped around a day of preparations for their first of three spacewalks on Friday. That spacewalk will be devoted to preparing Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 for its move from the end of the Destiny module to the Harmony module. Whitson and Malenchenko were scheduled to do the work while Discovery was docked, but schedule adjustments due to the solar array repair spacewalk moved it later.

[jacqmans]

2:45 a.m. CST, Nov. 5, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #27

HOUSTON – All systems are go for this morning’s undocking of space shuttle Discovery from the International Space Station, completing 11 days of joint docked operations that saw the successful delivery of a new pressurized module and the repair of a damaged solar array wing.

The shuttle crew members got their wakeup call at 1:08 a.m. CST with “Roll Me Away” by Bob Seger, played for Pilot George Zamka, who will be at the controls of Discovery when it undocks from the station at 4:32 a.m.

Discovery will move in front of the station to a range of 400 feet, and then Zamka will begin a full one lap fly-around so his crewmates can get video and digital still imagery of the newly-configured station. The new features include the Harmony module docked to the Unity node, and the P6 Truss element, with both solar array wings fully deployed, at its permanent location on the port end of the truss.

When the shuttle again crosses directly in front of the station, Zamka will fire the reaction control system jets to begin Discovery’s separation. He’ll make the final separation jet firing at 6:15 a.m. to start Discovery’s trip home.

Late this morning Zamka will join Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson and Paolo Nespoli and Commander Pam Melroy at the controls of the shuttle robot arm to conduct a late inspection of the shuttle’s thermal protection system using the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The crew will re-examine the reinforced carbon-carbon panels on both wings and the nose cap for any evidence of damage from orbital debris.

Mission Specialist Clay Anderson, who has been in space since his launch to the International Space Station in June, is scheduled for exercise today and tomorrow to help prepare his body to feel the pull of gravity again. Discovery is targeted to land at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday at 12:02 p.m. CST.

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M07-153

NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SET TO LAND WEDNESDAY

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery crew is scheduled
to complete a 15-day mission to the International Space Station with
a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Wednesday,
Nov. 7.

The STS-120 mission began Oct. 23 and delivered the Harmony module to
the station, relocated the P6 truss and featured four spacewalks.

During the fourth spacewalk, the crew repaired a torn solar array on
the P6 truss, enabling them to fully deploy the array.

NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before
permitting Discovery to return to Earth. Wednesday landing
opportunities are at 1:01 p.m. and 2:36 p.m. EST. The backup landing
sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space
Harbor, N.M., will not be activated on Wednesday

Two hours after landing, NASA officials will hold a briefing to
discuss the mission. The tentative participants will be:

- NASA Administrator Michael Griffin
- NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier
- NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach

After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and
meet with their families. Some crew members are scheduled to hold a
news conference six hours after returning to Earth.

The Kennedy press site will open for landing activities at 8 a.m.
Wednesday and close one hour after the crew news conference. The
STS-120 accreditation badges are in effect through landing. The press
accreditation building on State Road 3 will be open on Wednesday from
8 to 11 a.m. The last bus will depart from the press site for the
Shuttle Landing Facility one hour before landing. For updated
information about the landing, call 321-867-2525.

If weather prevents a Kennedy landing Wednesday, NASA will activate
backup landing sites for attempts on Thursday. Dryden has limited
facilities available to previously accredited journalists. For
further information, journalists should call the Dryden Public
Affairs Office at 661-276-3449.

If White Sands Space Harbor is called up for strong consideration as a
shuttle landing site, media desiring credentials there should contact
the White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs Office at 505-678-1134.
Journalists with STS-120 mission badges from NASA will be issued
credentials.

[jacqmans]

5 p.m. CST, Nov. 5, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

 
STS-120 MCC Status Report #28

HOUSTON – Space shuttle Discovery’s crew left the International Space Station this morning after almost 11 days of joint operations with the Expedition 16 crew. After inspecting the orbiter’s heat shield for any micrometeoroid damage, the astronauts turned their attention to returning home on Wednesday.

Tuesday the shuttle crew will spend its last full day on orbit testing Discovery’s flight control systems and maneuvering thrusters while final packing winds up a memorable assembly flight to the station.

With all systems checked out, the STS-120 crew will bring Clay Anderson home after 152 days in space on Wednesday to one of two landing opportunities available at the Kennedy Space Center at 12:02 p.m. and 1:36 p.m. CST. Weather forecasters predict favorable landing conditions once a cold front passes through late Tuesday night. The backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be considered Wednesday.

Under the control of Pilot George Zamka, Discovery backed away from the station at 4:32 a.m., completing 10 days, 21 hours and 52 minutes of docked operations. The historic flight saw Discovery’s crew deliver the Harmony Node and relocate a solar array to increase power generation. Unforeseen damage to the array was repaired during a dramatic spacewalk following three days of engineering analysis, testing and plan preparation on the ground.

The mission sets the stage for the next component of the station to be delivered. Space shuttle Atlantis is prepared to roll to the launch pad this weekend for final processing toward launch of the European Space Agency science laboratory “Columbus.” The STS-122 launch remains targeted for early December.

[jacqmans]

4 a.m. CST, Nov. 6, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

 
STS-120 MCC Status Report #29

HOUSTON – Landing preparations are the order of the day for the seven astronauts on space shuttle Discovery, who are planning to conclude a two-week mission with a Wednesday landing at the Kennedy Space Center.

The crew’s 1:38 a.m. CST wakeup call was “Space Truckin’” by Deep Purple, played for Mission Specialist Clay Anderson, who will wrap up a five-month mission to the International Space Station when Discovery lands. The crew will start routine deorbit preparations and cabin stowage three hours later.

At 4:23 a.m. Commander Pam Melroy, Pilot George Zamka and Mission Specialist and Flight Engineer Stephanie Wilson will power up an auxiliary power unit to conduct a checkout of the orbiter’s flight control surfaces. At 5:33 a.m. they start a test firing of each of the shuttle’s reaction control system jets.

The shuttle astronauts take a break from packing at 8:43 a.m. to talk about the flight with the Associated Press, Space.com, and the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, before they return to packing. At 1:18 p.m. mission specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will set up a recumbent seat on the middeck for Anderson to use during entry and landing. Zamka is scheduled to stow the Ku-band communications antenna at 3:03 p.m.

The International Space Station’s crew is enjoying a day off duty before starting a heavy schedule of spacewalks and robotics activities which kick off with a spacewalk by Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko Friday morning. NASA-TV will host an Expedition 16 Mission Status Briefing at 11 a.m. today featuring the lead flight director, increment manager and lead spacewalk officer to preview the activities. The goal of the work is the relocation of the Harmony module so the station will be ready to receive the European laboratory module on the next shuttle flight, targeted to launch in early December.

[jacqmans]

3 p.m. CST, Nov. 6, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

 
STS-120 MCC Status Report #30

HOUSTON – The seven astronauts on board space shuttle Discovery completed final preparations today for their return home with landing planned for the first of two opportunities to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, at 12:02 p.m. Wednesday.

In preparation for the return home, the crew tested flight control systems and thruster jets, stowed equipment and installed a special reclining seat for Clay Anderson, who is returning after more than five months on board the International Space Station. Later, the crew oversaw an orbit adjust maneuver to optimize landing opportunities with weather forecasts indicating favorable conditions for Wednesday’s landing.

Early Wednesday morning, Entry Team Flight Director Bryan Lunney and his team will oversee Discovery’s reentry and landing with the deorbit burn set for 10:59 a.m. The 1 minute, 58 second burn will slow Discovery by 148 miles per hour (217 feet per second) for the reentry across the heartland of the United States traveling from the northwest to southeast.

A second landing opportunity also is available about 90 minutes later. Lunney will consider Florida only for Wednesday’s landing attempts with plenty of consumables on board to stay in space through Saturday, if necessary.

After its final on-orbit wakeup call from Mission Control at 1:38 a.m. Wednesday, the crew will begin landing preparations at 7:03 a.m. and close Discovery’s payload bay doors at 11:42 a.m. for reentry.

Aboard the space station, Commander Peggy Whitson, and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Dan Tani had some off duty time before their full-court press toward Friday’s spacewalk by Whitson and Malenchenko to prepare Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 for its relocation Nov. 12.

[jacqmans]

4 a.m. CST, Nov. 7, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

STS-120 MCC Status Report #31

HOUSTON – The astronauts on space shuttle Discovery are only hours away from a landing in Florida that will conclude a successful 15-day mission that delivered a new module and repaired a damaged solar array on the International Space Station.

This morning’s wakeup song, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” by Sherman and Sherman, was played at 1:38 a.m. CST for Commander Pam Melroy.

Deorbit preparations begin at 7:03 a.m. and the crew should get the okay to close the payload bay doors at 8:19 a.m. If systems are good and the weather cooperates, Melroy will conduct the deorbit burn at 10:59 a.m. That will slow Discovery enough to fall out of orbit to begin its descent toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 12:01 p.m. CST.

A landing on that opportunity will wrap up Mission Specialist Clay Anderson’s flight to the International Space Station after 152 days in space.

There is another landing opportunity on the following orbit, which would put touchdown at 1:36 p.m. CST.

Aboard the International Space Station today, Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Dan Tani will review the plan for Friday’s spacewalk. Whitson and Malenchenko will undo connections between the Destiny laboratory and Pressurized Mating Adapter 2, in advance of robotics operations next week. That work will relocate PMA-2 to the new Harmony module, then move both of them into place on the front of the lab.

[jacqmans]

RELEASE: 07-249

SHUTTLE DISCOVERY CREW RETURNS HOME AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery and its crew landed
at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Wednesday at 1:01 p.m. EST
after completing a 15-day journey of more than 6.2 million miles in
space. Discovery's STS-120 mission added a key component to the
International Space Station and featured an unprecedented spacewalk
to repair a damaged solar array.

"This mission demonstrates the value of having humans in space and our
ingenuity in solving problems," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate
administrator for space operations, NASA Headquarters, Washington.
"The teams on the ground worked around the clock, along with the
crews in space, to develop a plan to fix the array. Our high level of
preparedness gave us the edge necessary to make this a successful
mission."

Discovery's crew of Commander Pam Melroy, Pilot George Zamka and
mission specialists Scott Parazynski, Doug Wheelock, Stephanie
Wilson, Clayton Anderson and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo
Nespoli delivered the Node 2 module, known as Harmony. Harmony will
provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratories to
be added later this year and early in 2008.

In addition to Harmony's installation, Discovery's crew performed
three spacewalks and relocated the P6 truss and solar arrays to its
permanent position on the left side of the station. During the fourth
spacewalk, the crew repaired a torn solar array on the truss,
enabling the full deployment of the array.

The crew and ground teams also worked on a problem with one of the
station's Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allows the right side
arrays to track the sun. On the second spacewalk, the joint was
inspected, and metal shavings were discovered. Samples of the
shavings returned with Discovery for further analysis. In the
meantime, use of the joint will be limited to occasional adjustments
for optimal position in relation to the sun.

Melroy and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson made history on
Thursday, Oct. 25, when the hatch between the space shuttle and
orbiting outpost was opened. They became the first female spacecraft
commanders to lead space shuttle and space station missions
concurrently.

NASA astronaut and station Flight Engineer Daniel Tani, who launched
with the crew aboard Discovery, remained on the station. He is
scheduled to return home aboard space shuttle Atlantis on a mission
targeted to launch Dec. 6. Tani replaced Anderson, who spent almost
five months on the station, arriving in June 2007 aboard shuttle
Atlantis.

Several inspections in orbit revealed no critical damage to Discovery,
and the shuttle's thermal protection system was declared safe for
re-entry on Tuesday. Workers immediately will begin processing the
orbiter for its next flight, targeted for April 2008.

With Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the next
phase of station assembly. Before Atlantis' STS-122 mission delivers
the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory module to the
station, Harmony must be relocated to its permanent location at the
front of the complex. The station crew will conduct three spacewalks
and robotically move two components this month to complete that task,
allowing Atlantis to dock and Columbus to attach to Harmony.

For more about the STS-120 mission and the upcoming STS-122 mission,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

[jacqmans]

2 p.m. CST, Nov. 7, 2007
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas

 
STS-120 MCC Status Report #32

After 6.25 million miles and 15 days, space shuttle Discovery landed safely in Florida completing its 34th mission and circling the Earth 238 times.

Under command of astronaut Pam Melroy, the shuttle touched down on runway 33 at 12:01 p.m., after the 23rd mission to the International Space Station.

Discovery’s crew – Melroy, Pilot George Zamka and mission specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug Wheelock, Paolo Nespoli and Clay Anderson – will return to Houston Thursday. A welcoming ceremony for the crew is planned for 4 p.m. at NASA’s Hangar 276 on the south end of Ellington Field.

During the record stay at the station, Discovery delivered the Harmony Node with its 2,600 cubic feet of pressurized volume. Left in a temporary location while the shuttle occupied its permanent home on the Destiny laboratory, Harmony will be prepared for relocation by the Expedition 16 crew over the next three weeks before the next shuttle mission arrives.

“We could not have done this mission without Discovery being as clean and wonderful as it was. The whole agency had to pull together for this mission,” Melroy said on the runway flanked by Discovery.

Station commander Peggy Whitson along with Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Dan Tani will oversee the work to configure station systems for the arrival of a new science laboratory supplied by the European Space Agency next month. Tani exchanged places with Anderson, who spent 152 days in space – 148 of which were onboard the station.

The STS-120 Discovery crew also moved the port 6 truss – or P6 –segment and its accompanying solar arrays to its permanent home at the end of the stations truss, and repaired damage done to the solar array as it was being redeployed.

Next up is Atlantis, which is scheduled to roll to the launch pad Saturday. It will carry ESA’s Columbus laboratory to the station in early December on the STS-122 mission. Discovery will be towed by to its processing hangar this afternoon to begin preparations for its STS-124 mission in April 2008.

[jacqmans]

Discovery's return marks completion of Esperia Mission

   
7 November 2007
 
Space Shuttle Discovery landed in Cape Canaveral, Florida this evening at 19:01 CET (18:01 UT), completing one of the most complex assembly missions to the International Space Station to date, bringing back seven crew members, including ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli.
 
Discovery's return marks the completion of the STS-120 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). During their stay the STS-120 crew continued construction of the Station with the delivery of the Italian-built Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss. For ESA the landing also marks the completion of Nespoli's Esperia Mission.
Node 2, also known as Harmony, was installed on the port facing side of Node 1 (Unity) on 26 October during the first of four spacewalks. The P6 truss was relocated from the top of the Station to the port end of the Station's backbone structure.
 

The tasks during the fourth spacewalk were changed so that the crew could repair the solar array on the P6 truss which tore during deployment. Following the successful repair work, the crew was able to fully deploy the solar array. A fifth spacewalk originally planned to take place during the STS-120 mission is now scheduled for the Expedition crew on 9 November.

ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli's main role as STS-120 Mission Specialist was to act as Intra Vehicular (IV) astronaut during the four spacewalks, coordinating activities from inside the International Space Station, as well as a major role in spacewalk preparations. He was also heavily involved in activities to reschedule the fourth spacewalk.

Nespoli’s mission, which was named Esperia from the ancient Greek name for the Italian peninsula, stems from six flight opportunities granted to the Italian Space Agency (ASI) for their provision of three pressurised cargo containers (Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, or MPLMs) to NASA under a bilateral agreement. The close cooperation between ESA and ASI led to the assignment of Nespoli, a member of the European Astronaut Corps, for this ASI flight opportunity.

[jacqmans]

Report #J07-018

NASA ASTRONAUT ANDERSON RETURNS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

HOUSTON - Home for the holidays has a whole new meaning when home is the planet you returned to just last week. But that is what astronaut Clay Anderson has done, landing Nov. 7 after five months in orbit aboard the International Space Station, just in time for a holiday season with his family.

"Seeing my family after several months aboard the station has taught me a new meaning of the word 'thanksgiving,'" Anderson said. "We had a tremendously successful expedition during my time aboard the station, and it is really heartwarming to be able to complete my mission, come back to Earth with a great crew and relax and enjoy the season with loved ones."

Anderson is available for interviews about his experience. To schedule an interview, contact Gayle Frere at [email protected] or 281-483-5111.

Anderson served as part of the Expedition 15 crew aboard the station after launching on mission STS-117 aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on June 8, 2007. While aboard the station, Anderson conducted several spacewalks and helped relocate the shuttle's docking port using the station's robotic arm. His work has helped the station begin the first expansion of its living and working space in more than six years.

Anderson returned to Earth aboard the shuttle Discovery, which completed a challenging solar array repair and attached the Harmony connecting module to the complex. The additional power from the arrays and the new Harmony's berthing ports will allow international science labs from Europe and Japan to be launched during the next few months.

Anderson joined NASA's Johnson Space Center in 1983 in the mission planning and analysis division where he performed rendezvous and proximity operations trajectory designs for shuttle missions. In 1998, he was selected as an astronaut. For Anderson's full biography, including a profile, interview and personal logs he compiled while aboard the station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition15/index.html

[jacqmans]

Report #J07-020  

ASTRONAUTS TO RELIVE MISSION FOR THE PUBLIC DEC. 10

HOUSTON -  The astronauts of space shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission will relive their flight for the public, friends and coworkers in  a special post-flight presentation at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10 in the Mazda Theater at Space Center Houston.
 
Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the 580-seat theater fills, guests will be seated in an adjacent area to watch the program on closed-circuit television.  
 
During the program, the astronauts will give a first-hand account of their recent flight to the International Space Station. The crew presentation will include photos, video and a question and answer session. Following the presentation, there will be a brief autograph session.
 
STS-120 was a 6.2-million-mile mission to the International Space Station launched Oct. 23. During the mission, the crew delivered the Harmony module and repaired damage done to a solar array as it was being redeployed. After 15 days, space shuttle Discovery landed in Florida completing its 34th mission and circling the Earth 238 times.
 
Retired Air Force Col. Pam Melroy commanded STS-120. Melroy, a veteran shuttle pilot, was the second woman to command a shuttle. Marine Corps Col. George Zamka served as pilot. The flight's mission specialists were Scott Parazynski, Army Col. Doug Wheelock, Stephanie Wilson and Paolo Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut from Italy.  
 
 For more information, contact Brenda Cabaniss, publicist, Astronaut Appearances Office, at 281-244-8860.  
 
For more information about STS-120, visit:  
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120
 
For more information on NASA, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov

[jacqmans]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-041

SHUTTLE CREW TO VISIT NASA HEADQUARTERS, AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS

WASHINGTON - One week after the landing of space shuttle Atlantis and
its crew, NASA Headquarters in Washington is preparing to welcome the
astronauts of the STS-120 crew, which wrapped up a mission to the
International Space Station in November.

That 15-day mission added a key component to the station, the Harmony
module, and featured an unprecedented spacewalk to repair a damaged
solar array.

Six of the STS-120 crew members will share mission highlights with
NASA employees, their families and media at NASA Headquarters' James
E. Webb Auditorium, 300 E. Street, S.W., on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 10
a.m. EST. The crew's presentation will air live on NASA Television's
public and media channels. The astronauts will be available for news
media interviews. Interested reporters should contact Michael Curie
at 202-358-4715 by 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb.25.

The STS-120 crew members who will attend the event are: Commander Pam
Melroy, Pilot George Zamka and mission specialists Scott Parazynski,
Doug Wheelock, Stephanie Wilson and European Space Agency astronaut
Paolo Nespoli.

Zamka attended college in the Washington area. He received a
bachelor's degree in mathematics from the United States Naval
Academy, Annapolis, Md., in 1984. His biography is available at:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/zamka.html

The astronauts also will attend a reception in honor of crew member
Paolo Nespoli at the Embassy of Italy, 3000 Whitehaven St., N.W., on
Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Media are invited to attend, but must RSVP to
Simona Massobrio-Howe of the embassy at 202-612-4447.

For more information on NASA TV and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv