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.
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STS-119 Mission
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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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NASA
buys $19 Million Toilet System
NASA has agreed to pay
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in Sight: Final Space Shuttle Missions Slated
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