STORY WRITTEN FOR & USED WITH PERMISSIONPosted: July 9, 2005Flying in one day early to dodge Hurricane Dennis, the shuttle Discovery's crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center this evening to make final preparations for launch Wednesday on the first post-Columbia flight. Shuttle Discovery's astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center this evening. Credit: NASA-KSC"This shuttle flight is the beginning of a new chapter in spaceexploration," commander Eileen Collins told a crowd of journalists at theShuttle Landing Facility. "We are going to finish building the internationalspace station, we're going to do the science up there that needs to be donein learning how to keep people going in space for long periods of time (and)leaving low earth orbit and going back to the moon."By exploring, we make this world a better place to live in and wecontinue to grow as a human species. That's important, not just for theUnited States but for all of us around the world."Collins, pilot James Kelly, flight engineer Stephen Robinson, Japaneseastronaut Soichi Noguchi, Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Charles Camardahope to strap in Wednesday for a launch attempt at 3:51 p.m., weatherpermitting. The countdown begins at 6 p.m. Sunday.While Hurricane Dennis did not churn up any serious weather at theKennedy Space Center Saturday, rain and thunderstorms are expected next weekand with a short five-minute launch window, the weather could play a majorrole in when Discovery finally gets off on the long-awaited flight."To all the folks traveling out here to launch, especially with HurricaneDennis bearing down on the Gulf Coast, hopefully they'll all make it heresafely and later on this week, on Wednesday, we'll light the candle and headback up into space." The crew addressed a large crowd of reporters and photographers gathered at the runway. Credit: NASA-KSCCollins and her crewmates appeared relaxed and in good spirits as theydeparted the SLF for crew quarters. All seven said they were eager tofinally resume shuttle flights two-and-a-half years after the Columbiadisaster grounded NASA's fleet."That's way too long," Thomas said of the hiatus. "It's definitely timewe went back to flight and back to space. And having the responsibility ofthe return-to-flight mission certainly makes me feel that sense of privilegeeven more."To all the people down here in Florida who have prepared the vehicle anddone so much work to make the flight possible, I say thank you. And to allthe taxpayers and the members of the public who support the space program, Ivery much want to thank you for your support. I would like you to know thatas we execute the mission, we will do our very best to live up to the greattrust you have put in us."Noguchi, after addressing Japanese journalists in his native tongue,summed up the crew's mood in English, exclaiming: "Let's go fly!"Additional coverage for subscribers:VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VIDEO
OST-ARRIVAL SPEECHES BY EACH CREW MEMBER VIDEO:MEET DISCOVERY'S SEVEN ASTRONAUTS VIDEO
REVIEW OF DISCOVERY'S MISSION VIDEO:SPACE STATION WITHOUT SHUTTLE VIDEO:"DEBRIS 101" EXPLAINS WHAT THREATENS THE SHUTTLE VIDEO:REVIEW OF NASA'S EXTENSIVE IMPACT TESTING PERFORMED VIDEO
RESENTATION ON THE CHANGES MADE TO THE TANK VIDEO
AY-BY-DAY PREVIEW OF DISCOVERY'S MISSION VIDEO
ETAILED SUMMARY OF MISSION'S THREE SPACEWALKS VIDEO:STS-114 ACTIVITIES PLANNED ABOARD AND OUTSIDE ISS VIDEO:CHANGES TO LAUNCH AND LANDING OPERATIONS MORE: Return to Flight mouse pad!This unique 8-inch diameter mouse pad features the insignia for Discovery's STS-114 mission, the first shuttle flight since the Columbia accident.Choose your store: - - - Ares 1-X PatchThe official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.Apollo CollageThis beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.Expedition 21The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.Hubble PatchThe official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase. | | | | 2014 Spaceflight Now Inc.Astronauts complete heat shield repair tests BY WILLIAM HARWOOD