STS-119 (ISS assembly flight 15A) was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) which was flown by Space Shuttle Discovery during March 2009. It was Discovery's 36th flight. It delivered and assembled the fourth starboard Integrated Truss Segment (S6), and the fourth set of solar arrays and batteries to the station. The launch took place on March 15, 2009, at 19:43 EDT. Discovery successfully landed on March 28, 2009, at 15:13 pm EDT.
Crew
Crew notes
This mission was originally scheduled to bring the Expedition 9 crew to the ISS. This crew would have consisted of:
Mission payload
STS-119 delivered the S6 solar arrays to the space station, completing the construction of the Integrated Truss Structure. STS-119 also carried several experiments, including the Shuttle Ionospheric Modification with Pulsed Local EXhaust (SIMPLEX), Shuttle Exhaust Ion Turbulence Experiments (SEITE), and Maui Analysis of Upper Atmospheric Injections (MAUI).
STS-119 was also used for the "Boundary Layer Transition Detailed Test Objective" experiment. One tile of the thermal protection system was raised above the others so that, at about Mach 15 during reentry, a boundary layer transition would be initiated. This experiment was repeated during STS-128 with the tile raised to , tripping at Mach 18 to produce more heat.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Location
! Cargo
! Mass
|-
| Bays 1–2
| Orbiter Docking System <br/> EMU 3017 / EMU 3006
| <br/> ~
|-
| Bay 3P
| Shuttle Power <br/> Distribution Unit (SPDU)
| ~
|-
| Bays 3–13
| S6 Truss
|
|-
| Starboard Sill
| Orbiter Boom Sensor System
| ~
|-
| Port Sill
| Canadarm 202
|
|-
|
| Total:
|
|}
Crew seat assignments
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Seat
! Launch
! Landing
|rowspan=8| 150px<br />Seats 1–4 are on the flight deck.<br />Seats 5–7 are on the mid-deck.
|-
! 1
|colspan=2| Archambault
|-
! 2
|colspan=2| Antonelli
|-
! 3
|colspan=2| Acaba
|-
! 4
|colspan=2| Swanson
|-
! 5
|colspan=2| Arnold
|-
! 6
|colspan=2| Phillips
|-
! 7
|Wakata
|Magnus
|}
Mission background
- 156th NASA crewed space flight
- 125th shuttle mission since STS-1
- 36th Flight of Discovery
- 100th post-Challenger mission
- 12th post-Columbia mission
- 28th shuttle mission to the International Space Station
Shuttle processing
thumb|Space Shuttle Discovery on the morning of March 11, 2009.
moved from its Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building on January 7, 2009. The payload of the S6 truss segment, solar arrays and batteries were delivered to Launch pad 39A on January 11. Discovery moved to the launch pad 39A on January 14, 2009. The move began at 05:17 EST, and was completed at 12:16 EST.
The STS-119 crew was at Kennedy Space Center from January 19–22, 2009 for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. On January 21–22, 2009, mission managers met for the program level Flight Readiness Review (FRR). Following the FRR, mission managers recommended evaluating the hydrogen flow control valves on Discovery, and set a new target launch date of February 19, 2009.
thumb|left|The type of valve that was an interim concern.
Due to the breakage of one of three flow control valves on the previous flight, STS-126, the flow valves of all orbiters were subjected to tests to determine if Discovery was safe to fly. These valves are used to synchronize the flow of gaseous hydrogen between the external fuel tank and the main engines, creating an even flow. Following the testing of the valves, mission managers decided to postpone the launch, and engineers were asked to replace the suspect flow valves with valves that had less flight time.
Following the replacement of the valves, the Mission Management Team gave the approval for launch, and scheduled it for March 11, 2009. The astronauts arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on March 8, 2009, to prepare for launch. The March 11, 2009, launch was scrubbed due to a leak in a liquid hydrogen vent line between the shuttle and the external tank. On March 15, 2009, the shuttle successfully lifted off from pad 39A. The leak problem manifested itself again during STS-127 which led to a thorough test. The root cause was found to be a misalignment in the GUCP (Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate) which was set right leading to a successful flight.
Mission timeline
March 15 (Flight day 1, Launch)
thumb|[[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off from Kennedy Space Center.]]
Space Shuttle Discovery launched on time at 19:43 EDT without any issues. Upon initial review of early ascent imagery, mission managers did not see anything out of the ordinary with debris at launch. "We didn't see anything at all in the first quick look," noted Bill Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Space Operations, during the post-launch news conference. "I've seen a lot of launches," commented Launch Director Michael D. Leinbach during the conference, "and this was the most visibly beautiful launch I've ever seen." What was originally believed to be a fruit bat was revealed to have been a free-tailed bat that clung onto the fuel tank during the launch. NASA observers had believed the bat would fly off once the shuttle started to launch, but it did not, and continued to remain on the external tank as the shuttle lifted off. It was probably shaken off and incinerated by the rocket exhaust. A bat doctor, analyzing pictures, believed the bat had a broken wing which made it unable to fly off.
March 16 (Flight day 2)
Following the crew's wakeup call, the members of STS-119 set to work on the day's task of inspecting Discovery's thermal protection system. Using the shuttle's robotic arm and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), the crew performed the five-hour inspection, and the images and video from the survey would be reviewed by the image analysis team on the ground. Cain also noted that after an initial review of the telemetry from the launch, the hydrogen flow control valves performed as expected, with no issues seen. After performing the rendezvous pitch maneuver (RPM) to allow the Expedition 18 crew to photograph the underside of the orbiter, Discovery successfully docked with the station at 21:20 UTC. Phillips and Magnus controlled the station's arm, grappled the truss and moved it into a position where the shuttle's robotic arm, operated by Antonelli, could take possession.
The crews took part in a media event with Channel One News, and performed a review of the procedures for the first EVA. Mission Specialists Swanson and Arnold spent the night in the Quest airlock camping out in a reduced-nitrogen atmosphere, a standard procedure designed for spacewalkers to prevent decompression symptoms.
During the Mission Management Team briefing, Lead ISS Flight Director Kwatsi Alibaruho noted that the imagery specialists with the Damage Assessment Team had completed the initial review of the launch and flight day 2 photography, and a focused inspection of the orbiter would not be required. Once Swanson and Arnold were in position, Phillips and Wakata remotely controlled the station's robotic arm, maneuvering the truss into its final position. Swanson and Arnold then bolted the truss into place, and connected power and data cables, which allowed the ground team to begin remote activation of the segment. The spacewalk ended at 21:11 UTC, for a total time of 6 hours, 7 minutes. To prepare for the extension of the arrays, the station was maneuvered into a position that allowed constant sunlight to hit the arrays, which allowed them to warm up and prevent what the mission team calls 'stiction', or a sticky friction that happens after the arrays have been in storage for an extended period of time. After successfully extending the 1B array, the astronauts started the 3B array extension at 16:35 UTC. The 3B array was expected to be more difficult to extend, as it had been packed in the blanket box for eight years.
During the Mission Status briefing, Alibaruho expressed how pleased the teams on the ground were with the successful deployment of the arrays, and commended the crew on the deployment activities.
March 22 (Flight day 8)
At 20:31 UTC, Discovery rotated the shuttle-station complex 180 degrees, to avoid a piece of orbital debris. At 23:23, Discovery began rotating the station back to normal attitude, with the shuttle in 'back'.
Fincke continued to work on the Urine Processor Assembly, while Acaba and Arnold entered the Quest Airlock to prepare for the mission's third spacewalk.
March 23 (Flight day 9, Spacewalk 3)
Acaba and Arnold completed the mission's third spacewalk. They helped robotic arm operators relocate the Crew Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) cart from the Port 1 to Starboard 1 truss segment, installed a new coupler on the CETA cart, and lubricated snares on the space station's robotic arm.
They were unable to deploy the Port 3 unpressurized cargo carrier attachment system (UCCAS). They secured the UCCAS in place until engineers can evaluate the problem. Mission Control cancelled the installation of a similar payload attachment system on the starboard side. The port UCCAS was deployed successfully during STS-127 by releasing the stuck pin with a custom made tool.
The spacewalk lasted six hours, 27 minutes. It began at 15:37 UTC and concluded at 22:04 UTC.
March 24 (Flight day 10)
thumb|[[President of the United States|President Obama, members of Congress, and schoolchildren speak with astronauts aboard the ISS.]]
At 17:05 UTC, all crew members aboard Discovery and the space station gathered in the station's Harmony module and spoke to the President of the United States, members of the United States Congress, and students during a joint news conference.
March 25 (Flight day 11, Undocking)
thumb|ISS after STS-119
Crew members from space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station closed their respective hatches at 17:59 UTC. The Space Shuttle undocked from the International Space Station at 19:53 UTC.
March 26 (Flight day 12)
thumb|Space Shuttle Discovery lands after completing its STS-119 mission.
thumb|Members of the STS-119 crew pose after landing. L-R: Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and John Phillips.
Antonelli used the shuttle's robotic arm to grapple the Orbiter Boom Sensor System enabling the cameras and laser sensors to scan Discovery for signs of damage from orbital debris.
March 27 (Flight day 13)
The crew stowed items in the crew cabin and completed a check out the orbiter's flight control surfaces.
March 28 (Flight day 14, Landing)
Following the wake up call, the crew on board Discovery got to work preparing for entry. After the first landing opportunity was waved off due to high wind concerns, the team on the ground gave the crew a 'go' to proceed with the second opportunity.
|-
| rowspan="2" | EVA 2
| Swanson <br/> Joseph M. Acaba
| March 21, 2009 <br/> 16:51
| March 21, 2009 <br/> 23:21
| 6 hours, 30 minutes
|-
| colspan="4" | Advanced preparation of a worksite for STS-127, partial installation of an unpressurized cargo carrier attachment system on the P3 truss, installation of a Global Positioning System antenna to the Kibo laboratory, infrared imagery of panels of the radiators on the P1 and S1 trusses.
|-
| rowspan="2" | EVA 3
| Acaba <br/> Arnold
| March 23, 2009 <br/> 15:37
| March 23, 2009 <br/> 22:04
| 6 hours, 27 minutes
|-
| colspan="4" | Relocation of a crew equipment cart, lubrication of station arm grapple snares, attempted deployment of a cargo carrier.
|}
Wake-up calls
A tradition for NASA human spaceflights since the days of Gemini, is that mission crews are played a special musical track at the start of each day in space. Each track is specially chosen, often by their family, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Flight Day
! Song
! Artist
! Played for
! class="unsortable" | Links
|-
|
| "Free Bird"
| Lynyrd Skynyrd
| Tony Antonelli
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| ""Radio Exercise""
| Tokyo Broadcast Children's Choir
| Koichi Wakata
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "I Walk the Line"
| Johnny Cash
| Steven Swanson
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Que Bonita Bandera"
| Florencio Morales Ramos, performed by Jose Gonzalez and Banda Criolla
| Joe Acaba
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Box of Rain"
| Grateful Dead
| John Phillips
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "In a Little While"
| Pilgrim & Trout
| Richard Arnold
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Alive Again"
| Chicago
| Lee Archambault
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens"
| Louis Jordan
| Steven Swanson
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Andrew's Song"
| Treestump (Phillips' daughter's band)
| John Phillips
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Dirty Water"
| The Standells
| Tony Antonelli
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Enter Sandman"
| Metallica
| Joe Acaba
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "Bright Side of the Road"
| Van Morrison
| Richard Arnold
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|
| "I Have a Dream"
| ABBA
| Sandra Magnus
| WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT
|-
|}
Media
<gallery class="center" widths="200px" perrow="3">
File:STS-119 liftoff.ogv|Video of Space Shuttle Discoverys launch from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center to begin the STS-119 mission
</gallery>
See also
- 2009 in spaceflight
- List of human spaceflights
- List of International Space Station spacewalks
- List of Space Shuttle missions
- List of spacewalks 2000–2014
References
External links
- NASA Space Shuttle page
- NASA STS-119 image gallery
- Live NASA TV Coverage of STS-119