STS-114

STS-114 Return to Flight is a mission of the Space shuttle '' Discovery '' which inaugurates the return in the space of the American in July 2005 more than two years after the accidental loss of the Space shuttle Columbia.

Crew

Le figure between brackets indicates the number of space flights accomplished by the astronaut, STS-114 inclus.

Objectives

In order to ensure the return of American in space, the mission especially consists in intensifying the audit processes of safety of the shuttle, which include inspections vidéos by camera since Cap Canaveral and ISS, as well as direct inspections by the astronauts at space exit. They are thermal protections of the lower part of the aircraft which is the subject of increased controls, those having been lacking at the time of the preceding mission.

The objective " alimentaire" mission consists in supplying the International space station and transporting new modules for the space station.

It is the second space flight whose commander of the mission is a woman.

Mission

The July 13rd 2005, date envisaged at the origin for launching, the countdown is stopped a few minutes before takeoff for a defect of sensor in the central tank supplying the engines of the shuttle in Hydrogène liquid. Launching is deferred to the 17 then at July 26th.

July 26th: Takeoff successful with 14:39 (GMT), the shuttle is on mission for 12 days. On takeoff, a piece of insulator recovering the principal tank is detached. The impact of such remains is held for person in charge of the destruction of Columbia . Moreover the tank a bird runs up against the beginning of the phase of rise, without causing damage with the launcher nor with the shuttle.

July 28th: Stowing with the International space station.

July 30th: First exit in the space of the Spationaut S Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson to test the material and the procedures of repair of the tiles of thermal protection of the shuttle. The exit lasts 6 hours 30 minutes.

: Second exit in space, duration 6 hours 30 minutes, same astronauts.

August 3rd: A third exit is programmed after the inspection of the lower face of the shuttle revealed two outgrowths on the ceramics joints of the heatshield. To avoid any risk related to the Turbulence S which they could create at the time of the entry in the atmosphere, Robinson withdraws them. It is the first intervention of this kind at the time of a mission of a Space shuttle. 6 hours exit for Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson.

August 6th: Separation of with ISS.

August 8th: Cancellation of the two windows of landing due to weather unfavourable.

August 9th: Cancellation of two opportunities for the return on the basis of Kennedy Space Center (Cap Canaveral) because of storms on the Florida, decision to make land Discovery on the bases of Edwards, in California. The landing takes place with 14:11 GMT.

The mission will have been a success, marked by the first repair in orbit of a space vehicle by outside. However, the incident of insulator at the time it takeoff makes plane a shade on the continuation of the programme of flight of the shuttles because after all the work carried out since the accident of Columbia (a budget of 1,4 billion dollar was necessary to the handing-over to the new standards of the existing shuttles), this problem apparently could not be solved.


External bonds

  • NASA mission summary
  • Launch Schedule
  • Return to flight website
  • Site of NASA for this mission:

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