KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-92 crew gather outside the gate to Launch Pad 39A where the sign on the gate identifies Space Shuttle Discovery in the background. From left to right are Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy, and Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, William S. McArthur Jr., Peter J.K. “Jeff” Wisoff, Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and Koichi Wakata of Japan. The mission payload includes Integrated Truss Structure Z-1, an early exterior framework to allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power; Ku-band communication to support early science capability and U.S. television; and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter to provide a Shuttle docking port for solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. The 11-day mission will include four spacewalks. Liftoff is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT KSC-00pp1485

Similar

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the white room on Launch Pad 39A, an STS-120 crew member crawls through the hatch after the simulated launch countdown, culmination of the prelaunch terminal countdown demonstration test, or TCDT. The crew will also practice emergency egress from the pad. The TCDT at NASA's Kennedy Space Center provides astronauts and ground crews an opportunity to participate in various launch preparation activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. The STS-120 mission will deliver the U.S. Node 2 module, named Harmony, aboard space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery is targeted to launch on its 14-day mission at 11:38 a.m. EDT on Oct. 23. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-07pd2797

STS095-S-001 (June 1998) --- The STS-95 patch, designed by the crew, is intended to reflect the scientific, engineering, and historic elements of the mission. The space shuttle Discovery is shown rising over the sunlit Earth limb, representing the global benefits of the mission science and the solar science objectives of the Spartan Satellite. The bold number "7" signifies the seven members of Discovery's crew and also represents a historical link to the original seven Mercury astronauts. The STS-95 crew member John Glenn's first orbital flight is represnted by the Friendship 7 capsule. The rocket plumes symbolize the three major fields of science represented by the mission payloads: microgravity material science, medical research for humans on Earth and in space, and astronomy. The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the forms of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, the change will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA STS095-s-001

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- This is a printable version of space shuttle Discovery's orbiter tribute, or OV-103, which hangs in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In 2011, the tribute was updated to reflect the crew member change on Discovery's final mission -- STS-133. Steve Bowen replaced Tim Kopra as a mission specialist on STS-133, after Kopra was injured in a bicycle accident that prevented him from flying into space. Discovery’s accomplishments include the first female shuttle pilot, Eileen Collins, on STS-63, John Glenn’s legendary return to space on STS-95, and the celebration of the 100th shuttle mission with STS-92. In addition, Discovery supported a number of Department of Defense programs, satellite deploy and repair missions and 13 International Space Station construction and operation flights. The tribute features Discovery demonstrating the rendezvous pitch maneuver on approach to the International Space Station during STS-114. Having accumulated the most space shuttle flights, Discovery’s 39 mission patches are shown circling the spacecraft. The background image was taken from the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched aboard Discovery on STS-31 and serviced by Discovery on STS-82 and STS-103. The American Flag and Bald Eagle represent Discovery’s two Return-to-Flight missions -- STS-26 and STS-114 -- and symbolize Discovery’s role in returning American astronauts to space. Five orbiter tributes are on display in the firing room, representing Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Endeavour and Discovery. Graphic design credit: NASA/Amy Lombardo. NASA publication number: SP-2010-08-164-KSC KSC-2010-4453E

Discovery Tribute. NASA public domain image colelction.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-92 crew gather outside the gate to Launch Pad 39A where the sign on the gate identifies Space Shuttle Discovery in the background. From left to right are Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy, and Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, William S. McArthur Jr., Peter J.K. “Jeff” Wisoff, Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and Koichi Wakata of Japan. The mission payload includes Integrated Truss Structure Z-1, an early exterior framework to allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power; Ku-band communication to support early science capability and U.S. television; and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter to provide a Shuttle docking port for solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. The 11-day mission will include four spacewalks. Liftoff is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT KSC-00pp1485

description

Summary

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The STS-92 crew gather outside the gate to Launch Pad 39A where the sign on the gate identifies Space Shuttle Discovery in the background. From left to right are Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy, and Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, William S. McArthur Jr., Peter J.K. “Jeff” Wisoff, Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and Koichi Wakata of Japan. The mission payload includes Integrated Truss Structure Z-1, an early exterior framework to allow the first U.S. solar arrays on a future flight to be temporarily installed on Unity for early power; Ku-band communication to support early science capability and U.S. television; and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter to provide a Shuttle docking port for solar array installation on the sixth ISS flight and Lab installation on the seventh ISS flight. The 11-day mission will include four spacewalks. Liftoff is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT

Space Shuttle Program

The Space Shuttle program was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. The Space Shuttle system—composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank— carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). When its mission was complete, the orbiter would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and lands as a glider. Although the concept had been explored since the late 1960s, the program formally commenced in 1972 and was the focus of NASA's manned operations after the final Apollo and Skylab flights in the mid-1970s. It started with the launch of the first shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981, on STS-1. and finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis, in July 2011.