Science & Technology

Mars probe given green light

The launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is expected to go ahead as planned today.

The mission’s first launch opportunity window is 11:50 to 13:35 BST, Thursday. If the launch is postponed, additional launch windows open daily at different times each morning throughout August. For trips from Earth to Mars, the planets move into good position for only a short period every 26 months. The best launch position is when Earth is about to overtake Mars in their concentric racing lanes around the Sun.

The probe will investigate the history of water on Mars and hunt for landing sites for future manned missions.

The delay comes one day after Nasa celebrated the successful return to Earth of the space shuttle Discovery.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): mars, nasa, Space Shuttle, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, Space, Science]

Mars probe launch delayed

Todays launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has had to be postponed after the discovery of problems with the Atlas V launch rocket.

The launch is now scheduled for tomorrow morning at 1135 GMT from Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and is the first government launch of Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V launch vehicle. The orbiter will study Mars to understand the planet’s water riddles and to advance the exploration of the mysterious red planet.

The probe will investigate the history of water on Mars and hunt for landing sites for future manned missions.

The delay comes one day after Nasa celebrated the successful return to Earth of the space shuttle Discovery.

The new Mars orbiter cost over $500m (£280m) to build and is due to arrive in Mars’ orbit in March 2006, for a 25-month mission.

Matt

(Image Credit: Nasa/KSC)

[Technorati tag(s): mars, nasa, Space Shuttle, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, Space, Science]

Shuttle Fleet Facts!

[color=#6200aa]There have been six shuttles built:[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Enterprise (OV-101)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Challenger (OV-99)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Columbia (OV-102)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Discovery (OV-103)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Atlantis (OV-104)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Endeavour (OV-105)[/color]

[color=#6200aa]Enterprise was a test vehicle for the shuttle program and was not intended for space flight. It is on display at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C.[/color]

[color=#6200aa]Challenger was also originally built as a test vehicle, known as STA-099, for the shuttle program but in 1979 NASA decided to get her upgraded to become a space-rated orbiter known as OV-099. Her maiden space flight launched on 4th April 1983 on mission STS-6. She was the first shuttle to launch and land at night and the first to carry an American female astronaut. She flew only 9 successful mission before she was lost. On her 10th mission STS-51L an explosion 73 seconds into the flight meant the loss of her and her crew.[/color]

[color=#6200aa]Columbia was the first shuttle to go in to space. Her maiden flight was launched on 12th April 1981, mission STS-1. She was the heaviest shuttle in the fleet and because of this was unable to take part in the construction of the International Space Station. Columbia was also the carrier of the maiden flight for ‘Spacelab’. Columbia successful completed 27 mission before her last mission STS-107 ended in disaster on 1st February 2003 with the loss of her and her crew at re-entry due to damage to her wing which occurred during launch.[/color]

[color=#6200aa]Discovery was the third shuttle to join the fleet and is now the oldest shuttle left in service with her maiden flight on 30th August 1984, mission STS-41D. Discovery has completed the most missions of any of the shuttle at 31, including the successful landing today of mission STS-114. Discovery has twice been the chosen shuttle of NASA for their ‘Return to Flight’ programs, first time was STS-26 in 1988 after the loss of Challenger and again this time after the loss of Columbia with STS-114. [/color]

[color=#6200aa]Atlantis was the forth shuttle to join the fleet with her maiden flight on 3rd October 1985, mission STS-51J with carried a classified payload for the US Department of Defense. Atlantis weighs 151,315 pounds, which is 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia. Atlantis has successfully completed 26 missions and is due to launch on STS-121 later this year (subject to any delays as a result of findings from Discovery’s mission STS-114).[/color]

[color=#6200aa]Endeavour is the most recent shuttle to join the fleet. She was built as a replacement for Challenger and her maiden flight was STS-49, which launched on 7th May 1992. Endeavour has had her weight reduced to minimum to maximise her payload capacity. She has successfully completed 19 mission and was the last successful flight prior to the Columbia disaster with STS-113, which went to the International Space Station. Endeavour started a period of maintenance and modifications in December 2003 to return her to ‘as new’ condition for a safe return to flight.[/color]

[color=#6200aa]Tracy[/color]

(Image: Nasa)

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, Enterprise, Challenger, Columbia, Atlantis, Endeavour]

Discovery and crew home safely!

Shuttle lands safely.

Despite the problems experienced with the launch, heat shield damage, thermal blanket damage and delays due to bad weather, the American Space Shuttle Discovery has landed safely at Edwards Airforce Base in California.

The re-entry and landing was televised live by most of the world’s media channels. It has been a long time since a shuttle landing has attracted so much attention.

I hope that the problems with the foam lagging on the External Tank can be quickly resolved so that Nasa’s shuttle programme can resume normal service.

I would like to congratulate the crew of Discovery, STS-114 astronauts Steve Robinson, Jim Kelly, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda, Eileen Collins and Soichi Noguchi as well as the vast numbers of people behind the scenes that make manned space flight possible.

Matt

(Images: Nasa)

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]

Nasa hopes for good weather

The crew of the shuttle Discovery are preparing to return to Earth after bad visibility in Florida forced a delay on Monday.

Nasa hopes to bring the shuttle down at 1007 BST (0507 EST; 0907 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If the weather remains a problem in Florida, the shuttle could land at air bases in California or New Mexico.

UPDATE: Nasa has been forced to delay the return of the shuttle due to bad weather in Florida. The new estimated return time is 11:43 BST.

UPDATE: The landing site has now been moved to Edwards Airforce Base in California at an expected time of 13:12 BST.

UPDATE: Discovery has fired her engines for a de-orbital burn that slows the Shuttle down enough to begin re-entry. There is no going back now!

Watch for updates throughout the morning.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]

Shuttle not coming home today

Due to bad weather and low lying cloud cover at Kenedy Space Center the Space Shuttle Discovery’s return to earth has been delayed by 24 hours.

Other landing opportunities are scheduled for Tuesday at Kennedy Space Center and the back-up strip at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]

Discovery ready to come home

Despite having to delay the re-entry due to bad weather, Nasa say they are extremely confident that there are will be no problems with Discovery’s return to earth.

The seven crew members aboard Discovery have been preparing for their re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

Low-lying cloud which could obscure the landing strip forced flight controllers to scrub the shuttle’s scheduled landing at around 0946 BST (0446 EDT).

Discovery will now attempt to land at 1121 BST (0621 EDT) at Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral.

Nasa has declared the shuttle safe to withstand the burning descent that shattered Columbia in February 2003.

Check out Brandan’s LIVEBLOG

(Source: BBC News)

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]

Shuttle bids farewell to ISS

The crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery have packed their bags and left the ISS to begin the long journey back home. After saying goodbye to the station’s two residents, the crew closed the hatches and sealed the shuttle before slowly separating early on Saturday.

Having undocked with the ISS, the shuttle will fly around the space station, taking photographs from every angle.

“We are doing it to take pictures of the space station, snap some pictures from some angles we haven’t seen since the last orbiter was there in 2002,” Paul Hill, lead shuttle flight director, told journalists.

(Souces: BBC, Nasa)

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]

No more Space Shuttle Discovery repairs

Following a series of wind tunnel tests and engineers reviews, Nasa has decided a further spacewalk to repair a torn thermal blanket on the shuttle Discovery is not necessary.
The US space agency told the seven crew members the shuttle would be safe for re-entry, due on Monday, despite the torn blanket below the cockpit window.

A Nasa representative told journalists that “I think in the old days we would not have worried about this so much”. Presumably the fact that all eyes are on Nasa at the moment is forcing them to be rather more cautious that they may normally have been.

On Wednesday, astronauts removed protruding material from the orbiter’s underside which was threatening the heatshield’s integrity.

If Nasa had decided upon a further spacewalk, it would have been the fourth carried out by the Discovery crew.

(Image: Nasa)

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]

More shuttle fears?

There are fresh fears that there could be further problems with the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Apparantly there is some concern about a thermal blanket below the cockpit. Experts believe that this may have been damaged during lift off when the orbiter stuck a bird. It is feared that the thermal blanket could tear off during re-entry.

Flight director, Paul Hill, said a decision would be taken once engineers had finished studying images of the blanket.

What does that mean? If they don’t like the look of the blanket images they leave the orbiter up there and parachute home?! Could they possibly send another unmanned orbiter up to return the crew and return Discovery at a later date?

The shuttle has to be manned for re-entry doesn’t it?

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]