Six NASA Astronauts - Including D.C. Native - Available For Interviews

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington     

 

WASHINGTON -- The astronauts who flew aboard space shuttle Discovery's last flight will visit NASA Headquarters in Washington on Tuesday, May 10. They will give a presentation about their 13-day mission at 11 a.m. EDT and will be available for media interviews from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The STS-133 crew consists of Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, mission specialists Alvin Drew, Nicole Stott, Steve Bowen and Michael Barratt. Drew was born in the District of Columbia and graduated from the city's Gonzaga College High School.

The crew will share mission highlights with agency employees, their families and reporters in the NASA Headquarters' James E. Webb Auditorium, located at 300 E Street SW. The presentation will air live on NASA Television. Reporters must call 202-358-1100 to attend the presentation or to schedule an interview.

STS-133 was the last mission for the longest-serving veteran of NASA's space shuttle fleet. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles.

Discovery and its crew delivered to the International Space Station the Permanent Multipurpose Module, or PMM, which was converted from the multipurpose logistics module Leonardo. The PMM can host experiments in fluid physics, materials science, biology, biotechnology and other areas.

STS-133 also brought critical spare components and the Express Logistics Carrier 4 to the International Space Station. Robonaut 2, or R2, became the first human-like robot in space and a permanent resident of the station. The mission's two spacewalks assisted in outfitting the station and completed a variety of other tasks designed to upgrade station systems.

For more information about the STS-133 crew members and their mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/main.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

For NASA TV schedule information and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

- end -

Welcome Home

STS-133 mission crew members, from left, Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, pilot Eric Boe, Commander Steve Lindsey, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen, pose for a photograph in front of the space shuttle Discovery after landing, Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., completing Discovery's 39th and final flight. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles.

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Discovery Comes Home

With its drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Discovery rolls down Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landing was at 11:57 a.m. EST, completing the 13-day STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 11:57:17 a.m., followed by nose gear touchdown at 11:57:28, and wheelstop at 11:58:14 a.m. On board were Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Alvin Drew and Steve Bowen.

Discovery and its six-member crew delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the orbiting outpost. STS-133 was Discovery's 39th and final mission. This was the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station.

Image Credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Taking a Break

Inside the newly installed Permanent Multipurpose Module on the International Space Station are the six crew members of the STS-133 crew who've been spending busy days with the six astronauts and cosmonauts of Expedition 26. On the bottom row, from the left, are astronauts Eric Boe, Steve Lindsey and Michael Barratt. On the top row are astronauts Alvin Drew, Nicole Stott and Steve Bowen.

Image Credit: NASA

William Shatner Provides Message to Shuttle Before Undocking

William Shatner, celebrity actor 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 3:23 a.m. EST wakeup call.

As Alexander Courage’s theme song played underneath, Shatner replaced the original television introduction with, “Space, the final frontier. These have been the voyages of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Her 30 year mission: To seek out new science. To build new outposts. To bring nations together on the final frontier. To boldly go, and do, what no spacecraft has done before.”

The “Theme from Star Trek” received the second most votes in a public contest from a Top 40 list for NASA’s Song Contest. The top two songs with the most votes from that list earned a slot on the list to wake Discovery’s crew during its final mission. The total number of votes cast during the four-month contest for STS-133 was 2,463,774. Of that, Star Trek received 671,134 votes (27.2 percent). Shatner recorded the new, special introduction for Discovery’s final voyage – its 39th flight and 13th to the International Space Station.

Within a few hours, the song will be posted at: archive.org/details/STS-133

Pilot Eric Boe will undock Discovery from the space station at 7 a.m. and conduct a full-lap fly around of the complex at 7:30 a.m., before separating from station at 8:43 a.m. Later in the day, the crew will use the Orbiter Boom Sensor System to conduct a “late inspection” of the shuttle’s heat shield.

Second Spacewalk Begins Today at 10:18 a.m. EST

Mission Control woke up the space shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crews at 5:24 a.m. EST to begin Flight Day 7. “Speed of Sound” by Coldplay was played for shuttle Pilot Eric Boe.

Spacewalk preparations begin at 7:13 a.m. Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew spent Tuesday “camping out” in the Quest airlock with the air pressure lowered to 10.2 psi to help prevent the “bends” when they begin the mission’s second spacewalk at 10:18 a.m. During a 6 hour, 30 minute excursion, Bowen and Drew will tackle a variety of tasks, including venting into space some remaining ammonia from a failed pump module they moved on Monday.

Orbiter Boom Sensor System Moved

Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott used the space station robotic arm to lift the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) from the right hand edge of the shuttle’s cargo bay and hand it to the shuttle robotic arm.

The OBSS will be available to perform a focused inspection of Discovery’s heat shield if required. Earlier this morning, Capcom Steve Robinson told Lindsey the Debris Assessment Team (DAT) believes the focused inspection will not be necessary. The space shuttle Mission Management Team will meet at 2 p.m. EST to evaluate the DAT findings and make the final decision.

Clearing the OBSS from Discovery clears a pathway to transfer the Permanent Multipurpose Module from the shuttle cargo bay to the space station on Tuesday.

At 12:30 p.m., NASA Television will air today’s Mission Status Briefing with International Space Station Orbit 1 Flight Director David Korth.

Shuttle and Station Crews Go to Work

Space shuttle Discovery docked to the International Space Station at 2:14 p.m. EST Saturday with its cargo of a new station module, equipment and supplies for the orbiting laboratory.

After a delay to let the relative motion between the two spacecraft, with a combined mass of 1.2 million pounds, dampen out, hatches separating crews were opened at 4:16 p.m. Shuttle astronauts, Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott moved into the station.

Following handshakes, hugs and a welcoming ceremony by the station crew, Expedition 26 Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka, Alexander Kaleri, Dmitry Kondratyev, Paolo Nespoli and Catherine Coleman, Discovery astronauts received the standard station safety briefing.

The crews promptly went to work, with Barratt and Stott preparing to use the station’s robotic arm to pluck Express Logistic Carrier 4 from the shuttle cargo bay and hand it off to the shuttle’s arm, operated by Drew and Boe. After moving the base of Canadarm2, the shuttle arm was to hand ELC4 back for installation on the Earth-facing side of the station’s starboard truss. There it will be used for stowage of spare parts, including a spare radiator launched aboard Discovery.

STS-133: Discovery Launches Into History

Mike Curie/STS-133 Launch Commentator: Go for main engine start. We have main engine start. 2 . . . 1 . . . booster ignition.

And the final liftoff of Discovery! A tribute to the dedication, hard work and pride of America's space shuttle team.

The shuttle has cleared the tower.

Josh Byerly/STS-133 Ascent Commentator: Discovery now making one last reach for the stars.

Discovery's engines are now throttling down as the orbiter passes through the area of maximum pressure reducing the stress on the shuttle as it goes supersonic.

Charlie Hobaugh/STS-133 CAPCOM: Discovery, Houston, you are go at throttle up.

Steve Lindsey/STS-133 Commander: (Inaudible)

Josh Byerly/STS-133 Ascent Commentator: Commander Steve Lindsey acknowledging the call from CAPCOM Charlie Hobaugh as Discovery's three main engines throttle back up.

Lindsey is joined on the flight deck by Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialist Al Drew and Nicole Stott. Mission Specialist Mike Barratt and Steve Bowen.

Discovery's three main engines are burning fuel at a rate that would drain an average swimming pool in about 25 seconds. The engines, combined with the solid rocket boosters, produce more than 7 million pounds of thrust.

One minute, 50 seconds into the flight, we're standing by for separation of the twin solid rocket boosters. Discovery now traveling 2,695 miles an hour. It's altitude 24 miles. Downrange from the Kennedy Space Center 29 miles.

Booster separation confirmed. Discovery's guidance is now converging as the shuttle's onboard computers fine tune the flight.

NASA Ames to Host Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Event

Rachel Hoover

Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- News media and the public are invited to observe the live televised broadcast of the launch of STS-133 space shuttle Discovery at 1:50 p.m. PST on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 in the Exploration Center at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. STS-133 is Discovery's 39th and final scheduled flight, and the 35th shuttle mission to the station.

The six astronauts for Discovery's 11-day mission will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to the International Space Station. The PMM can hold microgravity experiments in areas such as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology. Inside the PMM is Robonaut 2 (R2), which will become a permanent resident of the station. R2 will be used to test how dexterous robots behave in space. STS-133 also is carrying critical spare components to the space station and the Express Logistics Carrier 4, an external platform that holds large equipment. The mission will feature two spacewalks to perform maintenance and install new components on the station.

Commander Steve Lindsey leads the veteran crew, which includes Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, Steve Bowen and Nicole Stott. Bowen replaced astronaut Tim Kopra, who was injured in a bicycle accident last month.

WHAT: An opportunity to watch the live televised broadcast of the launch of STS-133 space shuttle Discovery. The launch is scheduled at 1:50 p.m. PST on Feb. 24 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., and will be televised live on NASA TV. In addition to seeing the broadcast, attendees will hear remarks from former NASA astronaut Karol "Bo" Bobko. Matt Deans, computer scientist at Ames, will discuss Ames' role in developing next-generation robotic systems like R2; Sidney Sun, manager of the Ames' International Space Station Research Project, will explain the Mouse Immunology-2 experiment that will launch aboard Discovery. Following the launch, students will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of hands-on educational activities.

WHERE: NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Exploration Center. The Exploration Center is located in the large white dome at the main gate. To reach Ames, take U.S. Highway 101 to the Moffett Field, NASA Parkway exit and drive east on Moffett Boulevard towards the main gate.

A NASA blog will provide countdown updates beginning at 8:30 a.m. PST Feb. 24. Originating from Kennedy's Launch Control Center, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to lift off. During the mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle website may read about the crew's progress and watch the mission's two spacewalks live.

For more information about the STS-133 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

Mission Specialist Nicole Stott will tweet mission updates to her Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/astro_nicole.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

- end -

Technicians Load Discovery's PRSD for Flight

Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen will be loaded into Discovery's Power Reactant Storage and Distribution system today as the countdown for the STS-133 mission continues. Discovery is to lift off Thursday, Feb. 24, at 4:50 p.m. EST.

The system, known by its initials PRSD, holds the chemicals for use in the shuttle's three fuel cells to produce electricity in space. The oxygen is also used to pressurize the shuttle's crew cabin. The combination of hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cells produces a beneficial byproduct for the shuttle: water. Shuttle crews visiting the International Space Station routinely fill up bags with the water for use by station residents.

The same two chemicals, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, are used by the space shuttle main engines at liftoff, but the propellants for that job go into the 15-story-tall external fuel tank and are not loaded until launch day.

STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe will practice landing approaches at the Shuttle Landing Facility in shuttle training aircraft, a Gulfstream II jet modified to simulate a shuttle's cockpit, motion and handling qualities. The rest of the crew will conduct a review of orbiter ingress procedures. A countdown status briefing will air on NASA TV at 10 a.m.

This article was sponsored by Forensic Science Books.

STS-133 Crew Arrives at Kennedy

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 Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew, pilot Eric Boe and Commander Steve Lindsey.

Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

This image was sponsored by Police Technology.

Launch Week Begins at Kennedy for STS-133

Technicians at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A have completed pressurizing the tanks on space shuttle Discovery’s Orbital Maneuvering and Main Propulsion Systems. Crews now are removing quick disconnects used during the process and reinstalling flight caps in preparation for launch on Thursday, Feb. 24.

All six astronauts for Discovery's final mission, STS-133, are at Kennedy for prelaunch preparations. STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe will practice landing approaches at the Shuttle Landing Facility in shuttle training aircraft, a Gulfstream II jet modified to simulate a shuttle's cockpit, motion and handling qualities

The countdown for Thursday's 4:50 p.m. EST launch officially begins today at 3 p.m. A precountdown status briefing will air on NASA TV at 10 a.m.

This article was sponsored by Police Technology.

NASA Sets Launch Date for Space Shuttle Discovery Mission

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington                                   

 

Candrea Thomas

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

 

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.

Discovery's launch date was announced Friday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

The six astronauts for the mission will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to the station. The PMM was converted from the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo and will provide additional storage for the station crew. Experiments in such fields as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology may be conducted inside the module.

The PMM also carries Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space, which will become a permanent resident of the station. In addition, the flight will deliver critical spare parts and the Express Logistics Carrier 4, an external platform that holds large equipment.

STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and his crew are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy on Sunday, Feb. 20, for final launch preparations. Joining Lindsey are Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. Bowen and Drew will conduct two spacewalks to install new components and perform maintenance.

Discovery's launch will occur six hours after the planned docking of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle-2 "Johannes Kepler" to the space station.

STS-133 is the first mission planned for 2011. It is Discovery's 39th flight and 35th shuttle mission to the station. There are two other flights planned before the shuttle retires this year. For the schedule of upcoming missions to the International Space Station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/stationflights.

For more information about the space station, visit http://www.nasa.gov/station.

Stott will send mission updates to her Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Nicole.

For more information about the STS-133 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

- end -

This article was sponsored by Police Technology.

Technicians Connecting GUCP to Discovery at Pad

Shuttle Discovery reached Launch Pad 39A at 2:55 a.m. EST following its 3.4 mile trek on the crawler-transporter from the Vehicle Assembly Building. First motion began at 7:58 p.m. EST Monday.

The rotating service structure was closed around Discovery a little before 6 a.m. EST. Technicians now are working on connecting the ground umbilical carrier plate or GUCP. Leak checks are scheduled for Friday. The shuttle was powered up this morning as part of the initial check out of systems.

At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Discovery’s STS-133 astronauts are reviewing photo/TV operations today before Commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe conduct Shuttle Training Aircraft training runs around the White Sands Space Harbor, N.M.

This article was sponsored by Forensic Science Books.

Foam Spraying and Trimming Under Way

Technicians in NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building are expected to wrap up all modification work on space shuttle Discovery’s external fuel tank stringers this week. Teams are working on foam spraying and trimming operations. This will support Discovery’s scheduled rollout back to Launch Pad 39A on Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. EST.

‪STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe will conduct Shuttle Training Aircraft runs around White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., while the other crewmembers brush up on tasks for the mission's first spacewalk at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

This article was sponsored by Forensic Science Books.

Astronaut Steve Bowen Named To STS-133 Space Shuttle Crew; Media Teleconference scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CST

Joshua Buck

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters

Johnson Space Center, Houston

 

HOUSTON -- NASA selected astronaut Steve Bowen as a mission specialist on STS-133, the next space shuttle mission planned for launch on Feb. 24. Bowen replaces astronaut Tim Kopra, who was injured in a bicycle accident over the weekend. The agency will hold a media teleconference at 3:30 p.m. CST on Wednesday, Jan. 19, to discuss the change in crew personnel.

The teleconference panelists are:

-- Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations

-- Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office

To participate in the teleconference, reporters must contact the NASA Space Operations Public Affairs office at 202-358-1100 or the Johnson Space Center's newsroom at 281-483-5111 for dial-in instructions. Requests must include reporters' media affiliation and telephone number.

"Tim is doing fine and expects a full recovery, however, he will not be able to support the launch window next month," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "If for some unanticipated reason STS-133 slips significantly, it is possible that Tim could rejoin the crew."

The crew change should not affect the mission's target launch date.

"Steve is an ideal candidate, and we have complete confidence he'll contribute to a fully successful STS-133 mission," Whitson said. "He has performed five prior spacewalks. That extensive experience, coupled with some adjustments to the spread of duties among the crew, will allow for all mission objectives to be accomplished as originally planned in the current launch window."

Bowen will begin training this week with the STS-133 crew, which includes Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. Bowen also will train to perform the two planned spacewalks of the mission. He will join Alvin Drew to move a failed ammonia pump and perform other external configurations to the station.

The STS-133 mission to the International Space Station will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, an external platform that holds large equipment and critical spare components for the station. The mission also will deliver Robonaut 2, or R2, the first human-like robot in space.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio.

For Bowen's complete astronaut biographical information, visit http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/bowen-sg.html.

For Kopra's complete astronaut biographical information, visit http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kopra-tl.html.

For information on the STS-133 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

- end -

Astronaut Steve Bowen Joins STS-133 Crew

NASA selected astronaut Steve Bowen as a mission specialist on STS-133, the next space shuttle mission targeted for launch on Feb. 24. Bowen replaces astronaut Tim Kopra, who was injured in a bicycle accident over the weekend. The agency will hold a media teleconference at 4:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 19, to discuss the change in crew personnel. Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

"Tim is doing fine and expects a full recovery, however, he will not be able to support the launch window next month," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "If for some unanticipated reason STS-133 slips significantly, it is possible that Tim could rejoin the crew."

The crew change should not affect the mission's target launch date.

Bowen will begin training this week with the STS-133 crew, which includes Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. Bowen also will train to perform the two planned spacewalks of the mission. He will join Alvin Drew to move a failed ammonia pump and perform other external configurations to the station.