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Discovery STS-133
The Discovery space shuttleSTS-133 mission took off successfully from the Kennedy Space Center on her last mission in space, headed for the International Space Station to deliver the Leonardo multipurpose module and an ExPress Logistic Carrier.
The crew of the Discovery STS-133 mission are Steven W. Lindsey, commander, Eric A. Boe, pilot, and mission specialists Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr., Stephen B. Bowen, Michael R. Barratt, Nicole P. Stott. Also Robonaut 2, a multipurpose robot that will be used to conduct repairs to the space station and other tasks, will be carried to the ISS by the Discovery.
The Discovery will also conduct a test of SpaceX's DragonEye flash sensor which is slated to be used by commercial Dragon space craft to approach and dock with the ISS during their missions to the space station, hopefully later this decade.
Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew will conduct two space walks to install enhancements to the ISS.
Discovery STS-133 was originally slated for launch last September. But numerous technical glitches pushed back the last flight of the space shuttle Discovery to late February.
The Discovery orbiter was the third of NASA's space shuttle fleet, having been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in November of 1983. Discovery's first flight, STS 41-D, was launched on August 30th, 1984, and deployed three communications satellites from the shuttle payload bay.
Discovery was also the space shuttle that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope during the flight of STS-31 in April, 1990, and performed the second and third Hubble servicing missions, on STS-82 in February, 1997 and on STS-103 in December, 1999 respectively. Discovery also launched the Ulysses solar polar orbiter on the mission of STS-41 in October, 1990.
Discovery has carried numerous satellites beyond the Earth, carried experiments, and has made supply and module runs to the International Space Station during her long career.
Discovery also had the honor of being the first space shuttle to fly after disaster struck her sister space shuttle orbiters, STS-26 in 1988 after the Challenger disaster and STS 114 in July, 2005 after the destruction of the Columbia.
Discovery was named after two sailing ships, one piloted by Henry Hudson in his search for the Northwest Passage in the 16th Century then other by James Cook in his exploration of the Pacific in the 18th Century.
After her mission, Discovery will be placed on permanent display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center just outside Washington DC, replacing the Enterprise drop test article.
Discovery STS-133
The Discovery space shuttleSTS-133 mission took off successfully from the Kennedy Space Center on her last mission in space, headed for the International Space Station to deliver the Leonardo multipurpose module and an ExPress Logistic Carrier.
The crew of the Discovery STS-133 mission are Steven W. Lindsey, commander, Eric A. Boe, pilot, and mission specialists Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr., Stephen B. Bowen, Michael R. Barratt, Nicole P. Stott. Also Robonaut 2, a multipurpose robot that will be used to conduct repairs to the space station and other tasks, will be carried to the ISS by the Discovery.
The Discovery will also conduct a test of SpaceX's DragonEye flash sensor which is slated to be used by commercial Dragon space craft to approach and dock with the ISS during their missions to the space station, hopefully later this decade.
Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew will conduct two space walks to install enhancements to the ISS.
Discovery STS-133 was originally slated for launch last September. But numerous technical glitches pushed back the last flight of the space shuttle Discovery to late February.
The Discovery orbiter was the third of NASA's space shuttle fleet, having been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in November of 1983. Discovery's first flight, STS 41-D, was launched on August 30th, 1984, and deployed three communications satellites from the shuttle payload bay.
Discovery was also the space shuttle that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope during the flight of STS-31 in April, 1990, and performed the second and third Hubble servicing missions, on STS-82 in February, 1997 and on STS-103 in December, 1999 respectively. Discovery also launched the Ulysses solar polar orbiter on the mission of STS-41 in October, 1990.
Discovery has carried numerous satellites beyond the Earth, carried experiments, and has made supply and module runs to the International Space Station during her long career.
Discovery also had the honor of being the first space shuttle to fly after disaster struck her sister space shuttle orbiters, STS-26 in 1988 after the Challenger disaster and STS 114 in July, 2005 after the destruction of the Columbia.
Discovery was named after two sailing ships, one piloted by Henry Hudson in his search for the Northwest Passage in the 16th Century then other by James Cook in his exploration of the Pacific in the 18th Century.
After her mission, Discovery will be placed on permanent display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center just outside Washington DC, replacing the Enterprise drop test article.