Mission Discovery: STS-119 Brings Full Power to Space Station

The seven-astronaut crew of NASA's STS-119 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to launched on March 15, 2009 to deliver a new pair of U.S. solar arrays and a Japanese crewmember to the orbiting laboratory.

Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Lee Archambault, the seven-astronaut STS-119 crew successfully completed 13-day mission to perform three spacewalks, swap out one member of the station's Expedition 18 crew and install the final piece of the outpost?s backbone-like truss and last set of U.S.-built solar wings.

Below is SPACE.com's special report of NASA's STS-119 mission. Stories appear in reverse chronological order, with the most recent updates first. This page was last updated on March 28, 2009.

Multimedia

Video - President Obama Calls Shuttle, Station Crews
President Barack Obama is joined by members of Congress and school children as he talks Tuesday, March 24, 2009, with astronauts on the ISS. Credit: NASA

Video - See the Space Station From Earth!
Skywatcher Mike Tyrrell caught these March 2009 videos of the ISS with new solar wings. Credit: Mike Tyrrell

New Show - The International Space Station: Foothold on Forever
Go behind the scenes of the decade-long construction of the International Space Station in this new show.

Video - Tour the Space Station's Bathroom
ISS Skipper Mike Fincke gives astronauts a tour of the station's new space toilet. Credit: NASA

Video - Discovery?s STS-119 Sunset Launch
Discovery and its STS-119 crew are on their way to delivering the final set of solar arrays to the ISS. Credit: NASA

Video - Meet the STS-119 Astronaut Crew
Discovery shuttle astronauts discuss their mission to deliver new solar wings to the International Space Station.

Video - Discovery's Mission: Space Station Power Up!
NASA's STS-119 mission aboard shuttle Discovery will complete the space station?s U.S. power grid. Credit: NASA

Back on Earth

Space Shuttle Discovery Lands After Landmark Flight
HOUSTON - Space shuttle Discovery returned to Earth on Saturday, ending a successful 13-day mission that completed the International Space Station's backbone and brought the outpost to full power and symmetry with the addition of two final solar array wings.

Space Shuttle Discovery's Landing Delayed
NASA delayed the planned Saturday return of the space shuttle Discovery by a few hours after thick clouds and stiff winds prevented an initial landing attempt in Florida.

Space Shuttle Discovery to Land Today
Space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts are poised to come home today after a nearly two-week flight that boosted the International Space Station to full power by adding the outpost's final pair of solar wings.

Space Shuttle Astronauts Set for Saturday Landing
NASA has cleared the space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts for their planned Saturday landing after giving the spacecraft a clean bill of health today.

Space Oddities

Space Smells Funny, Astronauts Say
The smell of space will linger for the seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery long after they return to Earth on Saturday.

Spider May Have Survived Months in Space
An intrepid spider may have survived the long months at the International Space Station, with scientists eager to know for sure once it returns to Earth aboard the space shuttle Discovery.

Astronaut Chef Redefines Cooking on High
Astronaut Sandra Magnus is headed back to Earth on the space shuttle Discovery after months at the International Space Station, where she dreamt up new ways to cook in zero gravity.

Shuttle Landing to Test Future Heat Shield Tiles
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Shuttle Discovery will make a fiery plunge through the atmosphere this weekend, serving as a hypersonic test bed for new heat shield tiles that might be used to protect astronauts on NASA's next-generation spacecraft.

Astronauts Scan Shuttle for Space Debris Damage
Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery gave their spacecraft's heat shield a final health check on Thursday to search for any dings from space junk.

Space Station?s New Look

Space Station Snapshot: The $100 Billion Picture
A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but NASA has one worth $100 billion.

Shuttle Discovery Undocks From Space Station

The space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts cast off from the International Space Station on Wednesday after an eight-day visit that boosted the orbiting lab to full power.

Recycled Astronaut Urine to Ride Shuttle Home
Water from recycled astronaut urine is riding the space shuttle Discovery back to Earth after the successful test of a vital urine processor aboard the International Space Station this week.

Shuttle Discovery to Leave Space Station Today
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are packing up their spacecraft Wednesday as the shuttle Discovery prepares to head home after delivering new solar wings to the outpost.

President Obama Calls Astronauts on Shuttle, Station
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Astronauts aboard the shuttle Discovery and International Space Station received an orbital call from U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday to congratulate them on a job well done to boost the orbiting laboratory to full power.

Shuttle Astronauts Rest Up Before Trip Home
Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery will rest up for the trip home and may take a call from U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday as they enter the home stretch of their mission to boost the International Space Station to full power.

Space Station at Full Power

Space Teachers Team Up in Spacewalk
Two schoolteachers-turned-astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Monday to wrap up some unfinished work, but were stymied by a stuck cargo carrier on the orbiting lab.

Astronauts Gear Up for Third Spacewalk
Two spacewalking astronauts are gearing up for round two against a jammed cargo platform outside the International Space Station that thwarted attempts to fold into place in an earlier excursion.

Space Urine Recycler Test Delayed by Low Flow Glitch
A glitch with the space urine recycler aboard the International Space Station on Sunday delayed a vital test for a system that converts astronaut urine back into drinking water.

Space Station Dodges More Debris
The International Space Station dodged a small piece of space junk Sunday leftover from a spent Chinese rocket that broke apart in orbit nine years ago.

Space Shuttle Astronauts Get Time Off
Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery are due for some much-deserved time off Sunday as NASA engineers draw up new plans for the crew's last spacewalk at the International Space Station.

Spacewalk Marred by Bad Luck at Space Station
NASA is scrambling to rework plans for the last of three spacewalks by astronauts at the International Space Station after a string of bad luck Saturday ended up in lost time and incomplete tasks, mission managers said.

Spacewalkers Tackle Space Station Maintenance
Two spacewalking astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station Saturday to set the stage for future construction and prime the outpost for Japan's first space freighter.

Astronauts Catch 'March Madness' in Space
Astronauts in space are hard at work building the International Space Station, but that doesn't mean they are immune to the lure of Earth's NCAA college basketball championship tournament.

Astronauts Set For Second Spacewalk
A pair of spacewalking astronauts will work on the oldest U.S. solar arrays of the International Space Station on Saturday, taking care to safeguard themselves against the remote chance of electric shocks near the orbital power plant.

Astronauts Patch Up Space Bicycle
The zero gravity exercise bike aboard the space shuttle Discovery is back in gear.

Space Station Gets its Wings

Space Station at Full Length, Full Power
Spanning the length of a football field (including the end zones) and weighing approximately the same as a loaded space shuttle orbiter, the International Space Station's (ISS) integrated truss, or backbone, was completed in orbit this week after nine years of assembly.

Space Station Unfurls Last Solar Wings
The International Space Station unfurled its last set of solar wings Friday, boosting the orbiting laboratory up to full power after more than 10 years of construction.

Space Station to Spread Last Solar Wings
After more than a decade of construction, the International Space Station is spreading its last pair of solar wings Friday as astronauts and Mission Control watch with bated breath.

Spacewalkers Successfully Attach Station's Solar Wings
Two spacewalking astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Thursday to help attach the last pair of solar wings for the orbital lab's power grid.

Space Commander Has Cake, Eats it Too
The space shuttle Discovery may be installing a massive 16-ton solar power plant at the International Space Station today, but its astronaut crew also packed something a little sweeter for the orbiting lab's veteran commander.

Space Toilet May Get a Road Test
The newest bathroom aboard the International Space Station will have to wait for a vital road test, even though the space shuttle Discovery's crew has more than tripled the orbiting lab's population.

Spacewalk Set to Boost Space Station Power
Two astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station today to help attach a massive girder that will bring the $100 billion orbital lab up to full power.

Space Station Power Play

Astronauts Begin Space Construction Job
Astronauts aboard the docked shuttle Discovery and International Space Station began a tough two-day task Wednesday that will ultimately add a new pair of solar wings to complete the station's power grid.

Big Move Ahead for New Space Station Piece
It's moving day for the last major American-built piece of the International Space Station: a 16-ton girder tipped with a pair of folded solar wings.

Shuttle Astronauts Arrive at Space Station
The space shuttle Discovery arrived at the International Space Station Tuesday after a two-day chase, linking up with orbital lab to deliver the last piece of the outpost's U.S.-built power grid.

Bat Hung On For a Ride Into Space
A small bat that was spotted blasting off with the space shuttle Sunday and clinging to the back side of Discovery's external fuel tank apparently held on throughout the launch.

Space Exercise Bike Breaks Down

The zero gravity exercise bike is broken aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery.

How Rookie Astronauts Adapt to Space
The seven astronauts aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery are headed for the International Space Station on a busy construction flight. But for nearly half of the shuttle's crew, the frenetic pace only adds to what is likely an exhilarating, though until now alien, experience: life in zero gravity.

Space Station or Bust

Shuttle Discovery to Dock at Space Station Today
NASA's shuttle Discovery is closing in on the International Space Station and due to arrive later today, its crew of seven astronauts eager to deliver new solar wings for the orbiting lab's power grid.

Satellite Debris No Threat to Space Station, Shuttle
The remains of a Soviet-era satellite pose no threat to the International Space Station and won't force the massive orbiting lab to move aside before the Tuesday arrival of NASA's shuttle Discovery.

Satellite Debris Tracked Near Space Station
NASA engineers are keeping close tabs on a piece of Soviet-era space trash to decide whether to move the International Space Station before the arrival of the shuttle Discovery on Tuesday

Astronauts to Inspect Shuttle Heat Shield
Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery will inspect their spacecraft's vital heat shield for damage today as they head toward the International Space Station.

Shuttle Launch 'A Giant Leap' for Japan
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A Japanese astronaut is ushering his country into the realm of endurance spaceflight as Japan's first long-term resident on the International Space Station after rocketing into space aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery late Sunday.

Shuttle Discovery Launches Toward Space Station
>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery successfully launched into the clear evening sky above Florida late Sunday after a series of delays held it on the ground for more than a month.

Bat Attempts to Stow Away on Space Shuttle
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A small bat appears to be trying to hitch a ride aboard the space shuttle Discovery from its perch on the spacecraft's attached external tank as NASA counts down to a planned Sunday evening launch.

Gas Leak Delay

Space Shuttle to Make Second Launch Attempt Tonight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery is primed for a second launch attempt tonight after engineers repaired a gas leak that kept the spacecraft from lifting off last week.

NASA Hopeful for Sunday Shuttle Launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA engineers are trying to make up for lost time as they complete repairs on the space shuttle Discovery to prepare it to launch tomorrow.

Space Shuttle On Track for Sunday Launch
The space shuttle Discovery is on track for a planned Sunday evening launch, pending the successful repair of a hydrogen gas leak that prevented an attempted liftoff earlier this week, NASA officials said today.

Shuttle Astronauts Await Sunday Launch Attempt
The seven astronauts set to launch aboard the space shuttle Discovery on Sunday are filling some free time caused by their latest flight delay with some last-minute training and visits with family.

Space Shuttle Launch Delayed to March 15
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. ? The launch of NASA's space shuttle Discovery will fly no earlier than March 15 after a gas leak thwarted an attempted liftoff on Wednesday, mission managers said today.

Gas Leak Delays Space Shuttle Launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's shuttle Discovery and its seven-astronaut crew will have to wait at least a few more days to rocket into orbit after a last minute gas leak prevented a Wednesday launch attempt.

Moon Rises Over Space Shuttle Launch
When NASA's space shuttle rockets into orbit tonight, it will do so under the placid glow of a nearly full moon.

Last Big U.S. Space Station Piece Heads Up Tonight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery is set to ferry up the last big American-made piece of the International Space Station after a decade of construction when it launches Wednesday night.

Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch Tonight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery is poised to launch into orbit under a full moon tonight on a delivery mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Launch Day Looms

Space Urine Recycler to Get Fix-It Part
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Tucked away with the new hardware set to launch into space aboard NASA's shuttle Discovery on Wednesday night is a desperately-needed spare part for the International Space Station's urine recycler.

Weather Looks Good for Wednesday Shuttle Launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Discovery is looking free and clear for a launch Wednesday night.

Shuttle Astronauts Primed for Wednesday Launch
A pair of teachers, a rookie space pilot and Japan's first endurance spaceflyer form only part of the tight-knit astronaut crew poised to blast off Wednesday night aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery.

Shuttle Discovery On Track for Wednesday Launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's space shuttle Discovery is on track to launch Wednesday evening to deliver new solar arrays to the International Space Station, mission managers said.

Shuttle Astronauts Arrive at Florida Spaceport
The seven astronauts set to launch into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery this week arrived at NASA's Florida spaceport Sunday after weeks of delay.

Space Shuttle Discovery Set to Launch March 11
After weeks of delays due to fuel valve concerns, NASA's space shuttle Discovery is officially set to blast off on March 11, the space agency announced Friday.

NASA Moves Shuttle Launch Target Up to March 11
NASA's space shuttle Discovery is now set to launch no earlier than March 11 - one day earlier than previously planned - after nearly a month of delays due to suspect fuel valves, the space agency announced late Wednesday.

NASA Targets March 12 for Space Shuttle Launch
NASA is now targeting March 12 to launch the shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station as engineers work to replace a set of suspect fuel valves aboard the spacecraft, the space agency announced late Wednesday.

Shuttle Launch Limbo

Space Shuttle Launch in Limbo Over Suspect Fuel Valves
NASA delayed the planned February launch of the shuttle Discovery for the fourth time late Friday, leaving the space station-bound construction flight in limbo as debate continues over whether the spacecraft can fly with potentially faulty fuel valves.

NASA Discusses Launch Options for Shuttle Discovery
NASA will decide today if it's safe to launch shuttle Discovery next Friday on an International Space Station assembly mission.

Space Shuttle Launch Delayed Again for Fuel Valve Tests
NASA mission managers delayed the planned February launch of the space shuttle Discovery for the third time late Friday, with liftoff now slated for no earlier than Feb. 27 pending the completion of ongoing fuel valve tests.

Launch Date for Shuttle Discovery Slips Further
NASA's planned launch of the space shuttle Discovery this month has slipped a few more days to Feb. 22 due to extra time needed to finish tests related to newly installed valves on the spacecraft, agency officials said Friday.

Valve Concerns Delay February Space Shuttle Launch
NASA has delayed the planned Feb. 12 launch of the space shuttle Discovery by at least a week to allow extra time to evaluate vital fuel valves on the spacecraft, agency officials said late Tuesday.

Preparing For Flight

Astronauts Rehearse Space Shuttle Launch
The seven astronauts set to blast off aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery next month climbed aboard their spacecraft Wednesday for a launch dress rehearsal that ended in a mock emergency escape.

Shuttle Crew Arrives at NASA Spaceport for Training
Standing on a platform 195 feet up Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A today, Discovery's crew should enjoy spectacular views of the Space Coast.

Bird Strikes Could Threaten Space Shuttles, Too
The reported crash of a passenger jet in New York's Hudson River after a bird strike is a reminder of NASA's preparations to safeguard its space shuttle fleet against the same threat.

Space Shuttle Discovery Moves to Launch Pad
The space shuttle Discovery rolled out to its Florida launch pad Wednesday, where engineers will prime the spacecraft for NASA's first manned spaceflight of the year.

Astronaut Dessert Redefines 'Space Chimps'
>Next month, astronauts will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) taking eight endangered species chimpanzees with them on the space shuttle. The apes are not part of a biological study, as NASA launched nearly 50 years ago, but are rather for dessert.

Astronauts Primed for Space Station Power Boost
WASHINGTON - Seven astronauts are gearing up to launch toward the International Space Station next month to deliver a final piece of the outpost's power grid, the last major American-built addition to the orbiting laboratory.

Shuttle Discovery Moves Closer to Launch After Glitches
After an eight-hour delay to replace a tire and wait out rain showers, shuttle Discovery on Wednesday moved a step closer to its Kennedy Space Center launch pad.

Space Shuttle Extension Options Carry High Costs
WASHINGTON - NASA could extend space shuttle operations to 2012 by adding three flights ? at a cost of roughly $5 billion - without dramatically affecting the agency's plan to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020, according to a draft internal report on delaying the planned 2010 retirement of the orbiter fleet.

NASA Primes Space Shuttle Discovery for Move
CAPE CANAVERAL - The first of six planned space shuttle missions in 2009 kicks off in earnest this week with Discovery's placement on a launch platform.

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