STS-127
Encyclopedia
STS-127 was a NASA
Space Shuttle
mission to the International Space Station
(ISS). It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module
: the Exposed Facility (JEM EF), and the Exposed Section of the Experiment Logistics Module (ELM-ES). When Endeavour docked with the ISS on this mission in July 2009, it set a record for the most humans in space at the same time in the same vehicle, the first time thirteen people have been at the station at the same time. It also tied the record of thirteen people in space at any one time.
The first launch attempt, on 13 June 2009, was scrubbed due to a gaseous hydrogen leak observed during tanking. The Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) on the external fuel tank experienced a potentially hazardous hydrogen gas leak similar to the fault that delayed the mission STS-119
in March 2009. Since a launch date of 18 June 2009 would have conflicted with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
(LRO)/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), NASA managers discussed the scheduling conflict with both the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter project and the Air Force Eastern Range, which provides tracking support for rockets launched from Florida. A decision was made to allow the shuttle to attempt a second launch on 17 June 2009, allowing LRO to launch on 18 June 2009.
The second launch attempt on 17 June 2009 was also scrubbed due to hydrogen leak issues seen from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate. Due to conflicts with the launch of the LRO, and due to a beta angle
constraint, the next available launch opportunity was scheduled for 11 July 2009. A successful tanking test for leak checks was performed on 1 July 2009, with modified GUCP seals allowing launch preparations to proceed as scheduled. Because of lightning strikes near the launch pad during the evening of 10 July 2009, NASA scrubbed the launch for the third time and rescheduled for 12 July 2009. Due to a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) weather violation, NASA scrubbed the launch for the fourth time on the evening of 12 July 2009.
STS-127's fifth launch attempt, on 13 July 2009, was also scrubbed due to anvil clouds and lightning
within 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) of the launch site, which violated launch safety rules. STS-127 finally launched successfully on its sixth launch attempt, on 15 July 2009 at 18:03 EDT. Pieces of foam were observed falling off of the External Tank during launch, as had happened when the Space Shuttle Columbia was lost in 2003. However, in this instance, Endeavour only received minor scuffs to its heat shield, which were found to be of no concern to a safe reentry. The shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center
at 10:48 EDT on 31 July 2009, after a 16-day mission.
Endeavour carried a wide variety of equipment and cargo in the payload bay, with the largest item being the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility (JEM EF), and the Kibo Japanese Experiment Logistics Module – Exposed Section (ELM-ES). The exposed facility is a part of Kibo that will allow astronauts to perform science experiments that are exposed to the vacuum of space. The exposed section is similar to the logistics module on the Kibo laboratory, but is not pressurized. Once its payloads were transferred to the JEM EF, the ELM-ES was returned to the payload bay.
Also inside the payload bay was a Integrated Cargo Carrier
-Vertical Light Deployable (ICC-VLD), containing a variety of equipment and spare components for the station. The carrier contained six new batteries for installation on the P6 truss, that was installed during two of the mission's spacewalks, as well as a spare space-to-ground antenna and a spare linear drive unit and pump module which was stored on an external stowage platform on the station's truss during one of the spacewalks.
Two satellites were also carried by the orbiter, for deployment when the mission ended. The Dual Autonomous Global Positioning System On-Orbit Navigator Satellite, called DRAGONSAT, gathers data on autonomous spacecraft rendezvous and docking capabilities, and consists of two picosatellites, the AggieSat2, and PARADIGM (BEVO-1), which acquire GPS data from a device at NASA and send it to ground stations at Texas A&M University
and the University of Texas at Austin
. After release, the two picosatellites remained attached for two orbits to collect GPS data, and separated during the third orbit.
A second satellite, the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE-2), is part of a United States Department of Defense
project flown by the Naval Research Laboratory
to provide high-quality satellites, and will measure the density and composition of the low Earth orbit
atmosphere
while being tracked from the ground, to better predict the movement and decay of objects in orbit. ANDE-2 consists of two spherical microsatellites, ANDE Active spacecraft (Castor) and the ANDE Passive spacecraft (Pollux), and will be tracked by the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) network as well as the Space Surveillance Network
(SSN). One of the satellites, Pollux, is running Arduino
libraries, with its payload programmed and built by students.
A set of experiments to be deployed on the ISS were carried by STS-127, namely Dosimetry for Biological Experiments in Space (ESA), Validation of Procedures for Monitoring Crew Member Immune Function, the student-made Image Reversal in Space (CSA/ISU
), Nutritional Status Assessment (NASA), NASA Biological Specimen Repository and Tomatosphere-II (CSA).
The STS-127 Official Flight Kit (OFK) included water samples from each of the five Great Lakes
, a resin statue of a water droplet for the One Drop Foundation
, and a copy of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
, among other mementos.
The docking module was also mounted with the DragonEye LIDAR
ranging system manufactured by SpaceX
. The module was launched to test the docking system which will be used by the commercial SpaceX Dragon re-usable cargo carrier to send supplies to the ISS during the post-shuttle era. The Dragon spacecraft made its successful maiden flight in December 2010.
Endeavour served as the STS-400
rescue
vehicle for STS-125
, and was prepared for a possible liftoff from Launch Pad 39B on 15 May 2009, four days after the launch of STS-125. After Atlantis performed the late inspection and was cleared for re-entry, Endeavour was officially released from stand-by status on 21 May 2009, and preparations for STS-127 were initiated.
Endeavour moved from Launch Pad 39B to 39A on 31 May 2009 in preparation for STS-127. The crew of STS-127 arrived at Kennedy Space Center
on 2 June 2009, for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test
(TCDT) that concluded with a full launch dress rehearsal. The Flight Readiness Review (FRR), a meeting during which NASA managers assess mission preparations and officially set the launch date, concluded on 3 June 2009. For the first time, live status updates about the FRR were published periodically during the meeting via NASA's Twitter stream.
The launch countdown began 10 June 2009, but on 13 June 2009, as tanking was underway, a gaseous hydrogen leak on a vent line near the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate was observed, and the 13 June 2009 launch was scrubbed at 00:26 EDT. As liquid hydrogen fuel is pumped in, some of it boils off as the extremely cold liquid enters the warm external tank. The vent line valve controls the resulting buildup of gas pressure by allowing excess gas to escape into a ground-side vent line, which leads to a flare stack at a safe distance away from the pad. A similar leak situation was seen during the first launch attempt of STS-119. NASA managers met on 14 June 2009 and 15 June 2009 and evaluated the leak, discussed steps that had to be taken, and set a new launch date of 17 June 2009, at 05:40 EDT.
A second launch attempt was made on 17 June 2009 for which NASA moved the planned launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
to a new date. On 17 June 2009 loading of the shuttle's external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen was delayed three hours due to poor weather around the launch site, but tanking began once the weather cleared. Approximately two hours after tanking began, engineers saw leak indications in the GUCP similar to those seen during the first launch attempt. The launch was officially scrubbed at 01:55 EDT.
Following the launch scrub, Chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team LeRoy Cain
noted that engineers would work to understand the hydrogen leak issue and come up with a solution to the problem. Cain said managers were hopeful that the issue could be resolved in time for the next available launch opportunity on 11 July 2009. Due to the delay of STS-127, managers noted that it was likely that the launch of STS-128
on 7 August 2009, would be pushed back slightly.
On 1 July 2009, the shuttle managers conducted a new series of tanking tests to confirm a hypothesis that a misaligned vent port housing was the root cause of the leaks. The existing rigid seal was replaced with a flexible one in the hope that it would maintain a tight fix even under the cryogenic conditions that seem to cause the leak. The test was declared a success with no leaks detected on the GUCP. The mission was announced to be targeting a 11 July 2009 launch. On the evening of 10 July 2009 the launch pad region was hit by eleven strikes of lightning, which pushed back the 11 July 2009 launch time by at least 24 hours. Two of the strikes were strong enough to trigger an evaluation by NASA engineers. The inspections revealed that no damage had been done to the space shuttle.
NASA scrubbed Endeavour' 12 July 2009 launch attempt at T-minus 9 minutes and holding due to Cumulus clouds and lightning near the launch pad. During the final Go/No-Go polls, Mission Control in Houston declared a "No-Go" due to unacceptable weather forecast for a possible Return-To-Launch-Site (RTLS) abort, and planned for emergency scenarios when one or more engines shut down early leaving insufficient energy to reach the Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) sites. Similarly, during the 13 July 2009 attempt, RTLS weather was also "no go." Meanwhile, shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters informed the launch director, Pete Nickolenko, that the launch pad weather had changed to RED as the Phase-1 Lightning warning was issued for the Kennedy Space Center
. The launch was scrubbed at T-minus 9 minutes and holding and was quickly reset for 15 July 2009 (a 48 hours scrub turn around) due to weather concerns on 14 July 2009 and the desire to replace the Tyvek covers over the forward Reaction Control System thrusters.
The payload doors were opened after reaching orbit followed by deployment of the Ku band
antenna and activation of the shuttle's mechanical arm.
The thermal protection system was inspected with the Shuttle Robotic Arm/Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS
) and the voluminous data downlinked for analysis. The orbital maneuvering system pods were inspected for tile damage or protruding tiles. The extravehicular mobility units were checked in addition to the rendezvous system tests and centerline camera installation. In preparation for the docking, the docking ring was extended.
As part of preparation for EVA 1, astronauts Wolf and Kopra camped out in the Quest airlock. A quick review of the RPM imagery showed no serious concerns beyond two instances of coating loss. Further analysis of the imagery will be done. A boost of the station was completed with the shuttle's vernier thrusters to avoid a piece of space debris. The SRBs were retrieved and their camera imagery is expected to give more detail on the ET foam shedding.
The JEF was first unberthed from the shuttle payload bay by the station arm, after which the shuttle arm took the load. The station arm was then moved to the worksite on Node-2 (Harmony), wherefrom it took the 4.1 ton facility back. The facility was then successfully latched on to the Experiment Module. As part of the EVA, the spacewalkers successfully deployed the port Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Attach System (UCCAS), which could not be deployed during STS-119
. During the prior mission, the deployment failed due to a jamming caused by a stuck detent pin. Engineers designed a custom tool to force the pin to release, which was used to deploy the mechanism. Meanwhile, the shuttle managers announced that there would be no need for a focused inspection of the heat shield. The nose cap and wing leading-edge panels of the shuttle were cleared for entry as they were, but a reentry clearance was not given. Beyond one impact site having a gouge, the rest of the impacts were found to be mostly a loss of coating. The other activity scheduled for EVA 1, the deployment of a starboard side cargo carrier, was postponed for want of time. A fuel cell issue found before launch was analyzed, though the cell continued to function as expected with no impact to the mission.
The installation of the Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deployable (ICC-VLD) on the port side of the station was successfully completed with the use of both the shuttle and station robotic arms. The cargo pallet, containing spares and fresh batteries for the station, was lifted out of the shuttle bay by the shuttle arm and handed off to the station's Canadarm2, which maneuvered it to its position. The pallet's contents will be set up in upcoming EVAs. A malfunction in a new toilet in the Destiny laboratory caused the crew to use the one in the Russian segment while attempts were made to identify the fault. Meanwhile the shuttle was cleared for reentry.
-3. The spares were handled by Wolf riding the station's robotic arm to the P3 truss stowage platform where he and Marshburn attached them for long term storage. The purpose of the spares was to provide redundancy to the station in the period following the shuttle's retirement. The spares unloaded include a Ku-Band Space-to-Ground antenna, a pump module for the coolant system and a drive unit for the station's robotic arm's mobile transporter. A planned installation of a camera on the Japanese Experiment Facility was postponed to a future EVA for want of time. Meanwhile the malfunctioning toilet was set right with the replacement of internal parts and cleared for normal use after tests.
In one of the more relaxed days, the Japanese logistics carrier was attached to the Japanese Exposed Facility. The cargo pallet was unberthed from the shuttle by the shuttle's robotic arm and handed to the station's robotic arm which then soft fixed it temporarily to the facility. After the experiments, containing an X-ray astronomy payload, a space environment monitor and a communications system, are installed the pallet will be returned to Earth by the shuttle.
The spacewalk involving astronauts Wolf and Cassidy started at 14:32 UTC. As part of preparation for experiment installation on the Japanese external science deck, Cassidy removed the thermal covers off the experiment carrier. Meanwhile Wolf removed obstructions, consisting of a handrail and an equipment installation socket, from the Harmony node to clear the way for an upcoming Japanese automated resupply ship. The other task for EVA 3, involving replacement of four of the six batteries in the P6 truss, did not go as planned. Each 375 pound battery was to be removed and placed in a temporary stowage platform while a new one is taken from the ICC-VLD and fixed. The old ones will be returned to Earth. When two new batteries had been installed and three old ones removed, the levels in Cassidy's suit showed an upward trend. Even though it never exceeded the safety limits, the EVA was called off with both astronauts returning into the station. This left one old battery in a temporary flexible stowage position. The rest of the batteries will be installed in a future EVA with the rest of the EVAs being under replanning.
, Inter-orbit Communication System and Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload. As per the revised plan for EVA 4 astronauts Cassidy and Marshburn will replace the remaining four batteries on P6 and complete the already deferred installation of a camera on the Japanese experiment facility.
Cassidy and Marshburn started EVA 5 at 11:33 UTC when they switched their suit power to internal battery. For this spacewalk, the absorbent system in the suits were changed from Lithium Hydroxide
to METOX due to problems with Cassidy's usage. Cassidy completed the reconfiguring of power channels in the Zenith 1 patch panel which are used for the control moment gyroscopes. Before the rewiring, two of the gyroscopes were fed by the same power channel. Since a failure of the channel can knock down two gyros and put the station in a degraded position the reconfiguration was made necessary. This rewiring made the two gyros to operate from separate power channels. Meanwhile Marshburn secured some multi-layered insulation on the Dextre. Later both the spacewalkers installed video cameras on the front and back of the Japanese exposed facility which will be used in dockings of the Japanese cargo crafts and normal operation. The cameras flew up in launch configuration and now have been installed in an operational configuration, thus completing the JEF assembly. Meanwhile due to Cassidy's METOX limitation, the deployment of the PAS was deferred to a future spacewalk. Instead some get ahead tasks were completed which included installation of handrails and a portable foot restraint.
cargo craft. After undocking Hurley began a fly around of the station giving the shuttle crew an opportunity to photograph the station's current configuration in all directions. Then a final separation burn was completed at 3:09 pm EDT.
The OBSS was grappled by the shuttle's robotic arm and used to inspect Endeavour’s thermal protection system for damage from orbital debris. The imagery will be analyzed to clear the shuttle for reentry. Meanwhile the foam loss on the external tank was initially attributed to substrate contamination ahead of the application of the foam. Later during the processing of STS-128
, voids in the foam was highlighted as a trigger for the shedding. The air trapped in the voids could have expanded due to the high temperatures generated during ascent thus breaking the foam.
and ANDE-2 satellites. The shuttle was cleared for reentry, with the TPS imagery showing no concerns. The shuttle tracked two chances of landing at KSC on 31 July, and could land no later due to its limited carbon dioxide
-scrubbing LiOH supply.
limitations. There were two opportunities to land on 31 July, of which the first was ultimately utilized.
were conducted during STS-127.
. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
mission to the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS). It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module
Japanese Experiment Module
The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124...
: the Exposed Facility (JEM EF), and the Exposed Section of the Experiment Logistics Module (ELM-ES). When Endeavour docked with the ISS on this mission in July 2009, it set a record for the most humans in space at the same time in the same vehicle, the first time thirteen people have been at the station at the same time. It also tied the record of thirteen people in space at any one time.
The first launch attempt, on 13 June 2009, was scrubbed due to a gaseous hydrogen leak observed during tanking. The Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) on the external fuel tank experienced a potentially hazardous hydrogen gas leak similar to the fault that delayed the mission STS-119
STS-119
-Crew notes:This mission was originally scheduled to bring the Expedition 9 crew to the ISS. This crew would have consisted of:-Mission parameters:* Mass:* Orbiter liftoff: * Orbiter landing: * Perigee: * Apogee:...
in March 2009. Since a launch date of 18 June 2009 would have conflicted with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Lunar Precursor Robotic Program is a program of robotic spacecraft missions which NASA will use to prepare for future human spaceflight missions to the Moon. Two LPRP missions, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite , were launched in June 2009...
(LRO)/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), NASA managers discussed the scheduling conflict with both the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter project and the Air Force Eastern Range, which provides tracking support for rockets launched from Florida. A decision was made to allow the shuttle to attempt a second launch on 17 June 2009, allowing LRO to launch on 18 June 2009.
The second launch attempt on 17 June 2009 was also scrubbed due to hydrogen leak issues seen from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate. Due to conflicts with the launch of the LRO, and due to a beta angle
Beta angle
The beta angle is a value that is used most notably in spaceflight. The beta angle determines the percentage of time an object such as a spacecraft in low Earth orbit spends in direct sunlight, absorbing solar energy. Beta angle is defined as the angle between the orbit plane and the vector from...
constraint, the next available launch opportunity was scheduled for 11 July 2009. A successful tanking test for leak checks was performed on 1 July 2009, with modified GUCP seals allowing launch preparations to proceed as scheduled. Because of lightning strikes near the launch pad during the evening of 10 July 2009, NASA scrubbed the launch for the third time and rescheduled for 12 July 2009. Due to a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) weather violation, NASA scrubbed the launch for the fourth time on the evening of 12 July 2009.
STS-127's fifth launch attempt, on 13 July 2009, was also scrubbed due to anvil clouds and lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
within 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) of the launch site, which violated launch safety rules. STS-127 finally launched successfully on its sixth launch attempt, on 15 July 2009 at 18:03 EDT. Pieces of foam were observed falling off of the External Tank during launch, as had happened when the Space Shuttle Columbia was lost in 2003. However, in this instance, Endeavour only received minor scuffs to its heat shield, which were found to be of no concern to a safe reentry. The shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
at 10:48 EDT on 31 July 2009, after a 16-day mission.
Crew
Mission payload
Also inside the payload bay was a Integrated Cargo Carrier
Integrated cargo carrier
Integrated Cargo Carriers were unpressurized flat bed pallet and keel yoke assemblies carried in the Space Shuttle payload bay, but were never removed during flight. Note that External Stowage Platforms 1 thru 3 and ExPRESS Logistics Carriers 1 thru 4 were of similar construction but were intended...
-Vertical Light Deployable (ICC-VLD), containing a variety of equipment and spare components for the station. The carrier contained six new batteries for installation on the P6 truss, that was installed during two of the mission's spacewalks, as well as a spare space-to-ground antenna and a spare linear drive unit and pump module which was stored on an external stowage platform on the station's truss during one of the spacewalks.
Two satellites were also carried by the orbiter, for deployment when the mission ended. The Dual Autonomous Global Positioning System On-Orbit Navigator Satellite, called DRAGONSAT, gathers data on autonomous spacecraft rendezvous and docking capabilities, and consists of two picosatellites, the AggieSat2, and PARADIGM (BEVO-1), which acquire GPS data from a device at NASA and send it to ground stations at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. After release, the two picosatellites remained attached for two orbits to collect GPS data, and separated during the third orbit.
A second satellite, the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE-2), is part of a United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
project flown by the Naval Research Laboratory
United States Naval Research Laboratory
The United States Naval Research Laboratory is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a program of scientific research and development. NRL opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison...
to provide high-quality satellites, and will measure the density and composition of the low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
while being tracked from the ground, to better predict the movement and decay of objects in orbit. ANDE-2 consists of two spherical microsatellites, ANDE Active spacecraft (Castor) and the ANDE Passive spacecraft (Pollux), and will be tracked by the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) network as well as the Space Surveillance Network
United States Space Surveillance Network
The United States Space Surveillance Network is a critical part of United States Strategic Command's mission and involves detecting, tracking, cataloging and identifying artificial objects orbiting Earth, i.e. active/inactive satellites, spent rocket bodies, or fragmentation debris...
(SSN). One of the satellites, Pollux, is running Arduino
Arduino
Arduino is an open-source single-board microcontroller, descendant of the open-source Wiring platform, designed to make the process of using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible. The hardware consists of a simple open hardware design for the Arduino board with an Atmel AVR...
libraries, with its payload programmed and built by students.
A set of experiments to be deployed on the ISS were carried by STS-127, namely Dosimetry for Biological Experiments in Space (ESA), Validation of Procedures for Monitoring Crew Member Immune Function, the student-made Image Reversal in Space (CSA/ISU
International Space University
The International Space University is a private university founded in 1987. The University currently offers three degree granting programs — Master of Science in Space Management, Master of Science in Space Studies and Executive MBA — in addition to a non-degree-granting Space Studies Program.The...
), Nutritional Status Assessment (NASA), NASA Biological Specimen Repository and Tomatosphere-II (CSA).
The STS-127 Official Flight Kit (OFK) included water samples from each of the five Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, a resin statue of a water droplet for the One Drop Foundation
One Drop Foundation
The ONE DROP Foundation—an initiative of Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil®—is a non-governmental organization established on October 29, 2007, in Montreal, Canada...
, and a copy of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
, among other mementos.
The docking module was also mounted with the DragonEye LIDAR
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
ranging system manufactured by SpaceX
SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
. The module was launched to test the docking system which will be used by the commercial SpaceX Dragon re-usable cargo carrier to send supplies to the ISS during the post-shuttle era. The Dragon spacecraft made its successful maiden flight in December 2010.
| Location | Cargo | Mass |
|---|---|---|
| Bays 1–2 | Orbiter Docking System EMU Extravehicular Mobility Unit The Space Shuttle/International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit is an independent anthropomorphic system that provides environmental protection, mobility, life support, and communications for a Space Shuttle or International Space Station crew member to perform extra-vehicular activity... 3003 / EMU 3018 SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... DragonEye LIDAR LIDAR LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser... |
1800 kilograms (3,968.3 lb) ~260 kilograms (573.2 lb) |
| Bay 3P | Shuttle Power Distribution Unit (SPDU) |
~17 kilograms (37.5 lb) |
| Bay 3S | APC/SSPL Dragonsat |
51 kilograms (112.4 lb) 6 k |
| Bays 4–7 | Kibo JEM Exposed Facility Japanese Experiment Module The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124... |
3820 kilograms (8,421.7 lb) |
| Bay 5P | APC/ECSH | ~33 kilograms (72.8 lb) |
| Bay 5S | APC/PPSU | 20 kilograms (44.1 lb) |
| Bay 6S | APC/PPSU | 20 kilograms (44.1 lb) |
| Bays 8–9 | Kibo ELM Exposed Section Japanese Experiment Module The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124... |
2453 kilograms (5,407.9 lb) |
| Bay 11 | ICC-VLD | 3946 kilograms (8,699.4 lb) |
| Bay 13P | APC/ECSH | ~33 kilograms (72.8 lb) |
| Bay 13S | SPA/CAPE/ANDE-2 ICU container ANDE Active satellite ANDE Passive satellite |
265 kilograms (584.2 lb) 54 kilograms (119 lb) 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) 25 kilograms (55.1 lb) |
| Starboard Sill | Orbiter Boom Sensor System Orbiter Boom Sensor System The Orbiter Boom Sensor System is a 50-foot boom carried on board NASA's Space Shuttles. The boom can be grappled by the Canadarm and serves as an extension of the arm, doubling its length to a combined total of 100 feet... |
~382 kilograms (842.2 lb) |
| Port Sill | Canadarm | 410 kilograms (903.9 lb) |
| Total: | 13645 kilograms (30,082.1 lb) |
Mission milestones
The mission marked:- 158th NASA manned space flight
- 128th Space Shuttle mission
- 127th shuttle mission since STS-1STS-1STS-1 was the first orbital flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program. Space Shuttle Columbia launched on 12 April 1981, and returned to Earth on 14 April, having orbited the Earth 37 times during the 54.5-hour mission. It was the first American manned space flight since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project...
- 23rd flight of space shuttle Endeavour
- 29th shuttle mission to the ISS
- 102nd post-ChallengerSpace Shuttle ChallengerSpace Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
mission - 14th post-ColumbiaSpace Shuttle ColumbiaSpace Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
mission - 1st time that two Canadians have been in space at the same moment
Shuttle processing
STS-400
- Early mission plans :Three different concept mission plans were evaluated: The first would be to use a shuttle-to-shuttle docking, where the rescue shuttle docks with the damaged shuttle, by flying upside down and backwards, relative to the damaged shuttle...
rescue
STS-3xx
Space Shuttle missions designated STS-3xx were rescue missions which would have been mounted to rescue the crew of a Space Shuttle if their vehicle was damaged and deemed unable to make a successful reentry...
vehicle for STS-125
STS-125
STS-125, or HST-SM4 , was the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope .Launch occurred on 11 May 2009 at 2:01 pm EDT...
, and was prepared for a possible liftoff from Launch Pad 39B on 15 May 2009, four days after the launch of STS-125. After Atlantis performed the late inspection and was cleared for re-entry, Endeavour was officially released from stand-by status on 21 May 2009, and preparations for STS-127 were initiated.
Endeavour moved from Launch Pad 39B to 39A on 31 May 2009 in preparation for STS-127. The crew of STS-127 arrived at Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
on 2 June 2009, for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test
Terminal countdown demonstration test
A terminal countdown demonstration test is a simulation of the final hours of a launch countdown and serves as a practice exercise in which both the launch team and flight crew rehearse launch day timelines and procedures...
(TCDT) that concluded with a full launch dress rehearsal. The Flight Readiness Review (FRR), a meeting during which NASA managers assess mission preparations and officially set the launch date, concluded on 3 June 2009. For the first time, live status updates about the FRR were published periodically during the meeting via NASA's Twitter stream.
Launch attempts
A second launch attempt was made on 17 June 2009 for which NASA moved the planned launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Lunar Precursor Robotic Program is a program of robotic spacecraft missions which NASA will use to prepare for future human spaceflight missions to the Moon. Two LPRP missions, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite , were launched in June 2009...
to a new date. On 17 June 2009 loading of the shuttle's external tank with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen was delayed three hours due to poor weather around the launch site, but tanking began once the weather cleared. Approximately two hours after tanking began, engineers saw leak indications in the GUCP similar to those seen during the first launch attempt. The launch was officially scrubbed at 01:55 EDT.
Following the launch scrub, Chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team LeRoy Cain
LeRoy E. Cain
Leroy E. Cain is a NASA engineer. Formerly a flight director, he became the manager of Space Shuttle Launch Integration at Kennedy Space Center in November 2005....
noted that engineers would work to understand the hydrogen leak issue and come up with a solution to the problem. Cain said managers were hopeful that the issue could be resolved in time for the next available launch opportunity on 11 July 2009. Due to the delay of STS-127, managers noted that it was likely that the launch of STS-128
STS-128
-Crew notes:Nicole Stott was originally scheduled to return aboard Soyuz TMA-15, but a change in the flight plan was made due to the possible flight delays in future shuttle missions, which may extend Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk's mission beyond the six-month duration preferred for station...
on 7 August 2009, would be pushed back slightly.
NASA scrubbed Endeavour
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
. The launch was scrubbed at T-minus 9 minutes and holding and was quickly reset for 15 July 2009 (a 48 hours scrub turn around) due to weather concerns on 14 July 2009 and the desire to replace the Tyvek covers over the forward Reaction Control System thrusters.
15 July (Flight Day 1, Launch)
On 15 July 2009 at 18:03:10 EDT, the launch was finally successful. Upon reviewing the launch video footage, imagery analysts noted eight or nine instances of foam shedding from the External Tank. The pictures of the external tank taken when jettisoning showed loss of foam in the intertank ribbing. The chairman of the Mission Management Team was not concerned and felt that the Space Shuttle would be cleared for re-entry on its return voyage—which it was a few days later.The payload doors were opened after reaching orbit followed by deployment of the Ku band
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
antenna and activation of the shuttle's mechanical arm.
16 July (Flight Day 2)
Orbiter Boom Sensor System
The Orbiter Boom Sensor System is a 50-foot boom carried on board NASA's Space Shuttles. The boom can be grappled by the Canadarm and serves as an extension of the arm, doubling its length to a combined total of 100 feet...
) and the voluminous data downlinked for analysis. The orbital maneuvering system pods were inspected for tile damage or protruding tiles. The extravehicular mobility units were checked in addition to the rendezvous system tests and centerline camera installation. In preparation for the docking, the docking ring was extended.
17 July (Flight Day 3, ISS Docking)
The shuttle successfully docked with the station 220 miles (354.1 km) above the Earth, following rendezvous pitch maneuver (RPM) photography of Endeavour’s thermal protection system by the Expedition 20 Crew. During this procedure, the shuttle flips over on its back to the station so that the station crew can capture high resolution imagery of the underside of the shuttle. The docking happened on the ISS’s PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter) on the Harmony module and the hatch was opened after leak checks. As part of the crew swap, station crew member Koichi Wakata was replaced with Tim Kopra. The two astronauts specially fitted seatliners were interchanged.As part of preparation for EVA 1, astronauts Wolf and Kopra camped out in the Quest airlock. A quick review of the RPM imagery showed no serious concerns beyond two instances of coating loss. Further analysis of the imagery will be done. A boost of the station was completed with the shuttle's vernier thrusters to avoid a piece of space debris. The SRBs were retrieved and their camera imagery is expected to give more detail on the ET foam shedding.
18 July (Flight Day 4, EVA 1)
EVA 1 started with astronauts Dave Wolf and Tim Kopra switching their spacesuit power to internal battery at 16:19 UTC. Despite a communication problem with the spacewalkers, the Japanese Exposed Facility was successfully installed on the Japanese Experiment Module by means of a complex series of steps involving the robotic arms of both the station and the shuttle.The JEF was first unberthed from the shuttle payload bay by the station arm, after which the shuttle arm took the load. The station arm was then moved to the worksite on Node-2 (Harmony), wherefrom it took the 4.1 ton facility back. The facility was then successfully latched on to the Experiment Module. As part of the EVA, the spacewalkers successfully deployed the port Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Attach System (UCCAS), which could not be deployed during STS-119
STS-119
-Crew notes:This mission was originally scheduled to bring the Expedition 9 crew to the ISS. This crew would have consisted of:-Mission parameters:* Mass:* Orbiter liftoff: * Orbiter landing: * Perigee: * Apogee:...
. During the prior mission, the deployment failed due to a jamming caused by a stuck detent pin. Engineers designed a custom tool to force the pin to release, which was used to deploy the mechanism. Meanwhile, the shuttle managers announced that there would be no need for a focused inspection of the heat shield. The nose cap and wing leading-edge panels of the shuttle were cleared for entry as they were, but a reentry clearance was not given. Beyond one impact site having a gouge, the rest of the impacts were found to be mostly a loss of coating. The other activity scheduled for EVA 1, the deployment of a starboard side cargo carrier, was postponed for want of time. A fuel cell issue found before launch was analyzed, though the cell continued to function as expected with no impact to the mission.
19 July (Flight Day 5)
20 July (Flight Day 6, EVA 2)
Astronauts Wolf and Marshburn began EVA 2 at 15:27 UTC out of the Quest airlock. The EVA was to transfer the spare components brought by the shuttle from the ICC-VLD to External Stowage PlatformExternal Stowage Platform
External Stowage Platforms are key components of the International Space Station . Each ESP is an external pallet that can hold spare parts, also known as Orbital Replacement Units , for the space station. As a platform it is not pressurized, but does require electricity to power the heaters of...
-3. The spares were handled by Wolf riding the station's robotic arm to the P3 truss stowage platform where he and Marshburn attached them for long term storage. The purpose of the spares was to provide redundancy to the station in the period following the shuttle's retirement. The spares unloaded include a Ku-Band Space-to-Ground antenna, a pump module for the coolant system and a drive unit for the station's robotic arm's mobile transporter. A planned installation of a camera on the Japanese Experiment Facility was postponed to a future EVA for want of time. Meanwhile the malfunctioning toilet was set right with the replacement of internal parts and cleared for normal use after tests.
21 July (Flight Day 7)
22 July (Flight Day 8, EVA 3)
23 July (Flight Day 9)
The Kibo robotic arm was inaugurated operationally with it being used to install experiments on to the Japanese exposed facility. The three experiments, transferred from the Japanese cargo pallet, consisted of Monitor of All-sky X-ray ImageMAXI (ISS Experiment)
The Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image is an X-ray slit camera aboard the International Space Station. The device is part of the Japanese Experiment Module.MAXI conducts a full sky survey every 96 minutes searching for variations in X-ray sources....
, Inter-orbit Communication System and Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment-Attached Payload. As per the revised plan for EVA 4 astronauts Cassidy and Marshburn will replace the remaining four batteries on P6 and complete the already deferred installation of a camera on the Japanese experiment facility.
24 July (Flight Day 10, EVA 4)
The fourth spacewalk, by Cassidy and Marshburn, involved replacement of the final four of the six batteries on P6 truss integrated electronics assembly. After berthing the old batteries in the ICC-VLD, the cargo pallet was returned to the Endeavour’s payload bay by the shuttle's robotic arm. The elevated levels of in Cassidy's suit during EVA 3 was attributed to the astronaut working at a fast pace.25 July (Flight Day 11)
The crew of both the shuttle and station had a day off. The day was uneventful except for the station's American removal system shutting down without any immediate impact.26 July (Flight Day 12)
The Japanese Exposed Section cargo carrier was berthed in Endeavour’s payload bay by the shuttle's robotic arm after it was handed the pallet by the station's robotic arm. After this the crew of both the station and the shuttle held a joint news conference. Meanwhile the malfunctioning American removal system has been transitioned to manual mode in order to keep it running.27 July (Flight Day 13, EVA 5)
Lithium hydroxide
Lithium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula LiOH. It is a white hygroscopic crystalline material. It is soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol...
to METOX due to problems with Cassidy's usage. Cassidy completed the reconfiguring of power channels in the Zenith 1 patch panel which are used for the control moment gyroscopes. Before the rewiring, two of the gyroscopes were fed by the same power channel. Since a failure of the channel can knock down two gyros and put the station in a degraded position the reconfiguration was made necessary. This rewiring made the two gyros to operate from separate power channels. Meanwhile Marshburn secured some multi-layered insulation on the Dextre. Later both the spacewalkers installed video cameras on the front and back of the Japanese exposed facility which will be used in dockings of the Japanese cargo crafts and normal operation. The cameras flew up in launch configuration and now have been installed in an operational configuration, thus completing the JEF assembly. Meanwhile due to Cassidy's METOX limitation, the deployment of the PAS was deferred to a future spacewalk. Instead some get ahead tasks were completed which included installation of handrails and a portable foot restraint.
28 July (Flight Day 14, ISS Undocking)
After a crew farewell Endeavour undocked from the ISS at 17:26 UTC. Unlike most other launches, hatch closure, which happened at 15:08 UTC, and undocking happened on the same day due to the extended delay in launching and the arrival of the Progress 34Progress M-67
Progress M-67 was a Progress spacecraft which was used for the Progress 34 or 34P flight to resupply the International Space Station. It was a Progress-M 11F615A55 spacecraft, with the serial number 367...
cargo craft. After undocking Hurley began a fly around of the station giving the shuttle crew an opportunity to photograph the station's current configuration in all directions. Then a final separation burn was completed at 3:09 pm EDT.
29 July (Flight Day 15)
STS-128
-Crew notes:Nicole Stott was originally scheduled to return aboard Soyuz TMA-15, but a change in the flight plan was made due to the possible flight delays in future shuttle missions, which may extend Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk's mission beyond the six-month duration preferred for station...
, voids in the foam was highlighted as a trigger for the shedding. The air trapped in the voids could have expanded due to the high temperatures generated during ascent thus breaking the foam.
30 July (Flight Day 16)
The crew checked out the shuttle's systems for the landing, and successfully deployed the DRAGONSatDRAGONSat
DRAGONSat DRAGONSat DRAGONSat (Dual RF Astrodynamic GPS Orbital Navigator Satellite is a pair of picosatellites that will be demonstrating autonomous rendezvous and docking (ARD) in low Earth orbit (LEO) for NASA. It will be gathering flight data with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver...
and ANDE-2 satellites. The shuttle was cleared for reentry, with the TPS imagery showing no concerns. The shuttle tracked two chances of landing at KSC on 31 July, and could land no later due to its limited carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
-scrubbing LiOH supply.
31 July (Flight Day 17, Landing)
After a 16-day mission, Endeavour landed successfully at Kennedy Space Center at 10:48 EDT on 31 July 2009. The landing had to be undertaken before 1 August, due to -scrubbing lithium hydroxideLithium hydroxide
Lithium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula LiOH. It is a white hygroscopic crystalline material. It is soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol...
limitations. There were two opportunities to land on 31 July, of which the first was ultimately utilized.
EVAs
Five spacewalksExtra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
were conducted during STS-127.
| EVA | Spacewalkers | Start (UTC Coordinated Universal Time Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose... ) |
End (UTC) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVA 1 | David A. Wolf Timothy Kopra Timothy L. Kopra Timothy Lennart Kopra is a colonel in the United States Army and a NASA astronaut. Kopra deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Desert Storm as a member of the 3rd Armored Division... |
18 July 2009 16:19 |
18 July 2009 20:51 |
5 hours, 32 minutes |
| JEF installed and P3 Nadir Unpressurized Cargo Carrier Attach System deployed. The S3 Zenith Outboard Payload Attachment System deployment was postponed due to time constraints. | ||||
| EVA 2 | Wolf Thomas H. Marshburn Thomas Marshburn Thomas Henry "Tom" Marshburn is an American physician and a NASA astronaut. Marshburn was born in Statesville, North Carolina. He served as a Mission Specialist on STS-127.-Education:... |
20 July 2009 15:27 |
20 July 2009 22:20 |
6 hours, 53 minutes |
| Transferred Orbital Replacement Unit Orbital replacement unit Orbital Replacement Units are key elements of the International Space Station that can be readily replaced when the unit either passes its design life or fails. Examples of ORUs are: pumps, storage tanks, controller boxes, antennas, and battery units. Such units are replaced either by astronauts... s (ORUs) from the Shuttle Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC) to the External Stowage Platform External Stowage Platform External Stowage Platforms are key components of the International Space Station . Each ESP is an external pallet that can hold spare parts, also known as Orbital Replacement Units , for the space station. As a platform it is not pressurized, but does require electricity to power the heaters of... -3 (ESP3). Transferred materials included a spare high-gain antenna, cooling-system pump module and spare parts for the Mobile Servicing System. The JEF Visual Equipment (JEF-VE) installation on the forward section was postponed due to time constraints. |
||||
| EVA 3 | Wolf Christopher J. Cassidy Christopher Cassidy Christopher John "Chris" Cassidy is a NASA astronaut and Navy SEAL. Chris Cassidy achieved the rank of Commander in the U.S. Navy. Cassidy attended York High School, in York, Maine,. He then graduated from the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1989... |
22 July 2009 14:32 |
22 July 2009 20:31 |
5 hours, 59 minutes |
| JPM preparation work, ICS-EF MLI, and P6 battery replacement (2 of 6 units). EVA was cut short due to high levels of in Cassidy's suit. | ||||
| EVA 4 | Cassidy Marshburn |
24 July 2009 13:54 |
24 July 2009 21:06 |
7 hours, 12 minutes |
| P6 battery replacement (final 4 of 6). | ||||
| EVA 5 | Cassidy Marshburn |
27 July 2009 11:33 |
27 July 2009 16:27 |
4 hours, 54 minutes |
| SPDM thermal cover adjustment, Z1 patch panel reconfiguration, JEM Japanese Experiment Module The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124... visual equipment (JEM-VE) installation (forward and aft), and JEM-LTA reconfigurations. The S3 Nadir Payload Attachment System (outboard) deployment was postponed to a later mission. |
||||
Wake-up calls
NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, and first used music to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.
| Flight Day | Song | Artist | Played for | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | “These Are Days These Are Days "These Are Days" is a song by alternative rock group 10,000 Maniacs from their 1992 album Our Time in Eden. Its lyrics are essentially ruminations on the present. They also performed the song for their 1993 album MTV Unplugged. The song hit number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in... ” |
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is a United States-based alternative rock band, which formed in 1981 and continues to be active with various line-ups.-1981–1993:... |
Timothy Kopra | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 3 | “Here Comes the Sun Here Comes the Sun "Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles... ” |
The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... |
Mark Polansky | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 4 | “Home Carencro (album) Carencro is the major label debut of Louisiana musician Marc Broussard. The album was released by Island Records on August 3, 2004. The album title pays tribute to the musician's hometown of Carencro, Louisiana.... ” |
Marc Broussard Marc Broussard Marc Broussard is an American singer/songwriter. His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots... |
David Wolf | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 5 | “Learning to Fly Learning to Fly (Tom Petty song) "Learning To Fly" is a popular track by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was written in 1991 by Tom Petty and his writing partner Jeff Lynne for the album Into the Great Wide Open... ” |
Tom Petty Tom Petty Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T... |
Christopher Cassidy Christopher Cassidy Christopher John "Chris" Cassidy is a NASA astronaut and Navy SEAL. Chris Cassidy achieved the rank of Commander in the U.S. Navy. Cassidy attended York High School, in York, Maine,. He then graduated from the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1989... |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 6 | “Thunderbirds March” | Barry Gray Barry Gray Barry Gray was a British musician and composer who is best known for his work for Gerry Anderson.-Life:... |
Julie Payette Julie Payette Julie Payette, OC, CQ is a Canadian engineer and a Canadian Space Agency astronaut. Payette has completed two spaceflights, STS-96 and STS-127, logging more than 25 days in space... |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 7 | “Life Is a Highway Life Is a Highway "Life Is a Highway" is a song written by Tom Cochrane, from his 1991 album Mad Mad World. The song was Cochrane's most famous song, as it was a number one hit in his native Canada. The song also peaked at number six on the Billboard charts in the United States in 1992... ” |
Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney... |
Tom Marshburn | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 8 | “Santa Monica Santa Monica (song) "Santa Monica" is a rock song by the band Everclear, from their 1995 album Sparkle and Fade. The song was written by the band's lead singer, Art Alexakis... ” |
Everclear Everclear (band) Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994... |
Douglas Hurley | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 9 | “Tiny Dancer Tiny Dancer "Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972... ” |
Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... |
Mark Polansky | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 10 | “Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song) "Wish You Were Here" is the title track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The song's lyrics encompass writer Roger Waters' feelings of alienation from other people. Like most of the album, it refers to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett and his breakdown... ” |
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially... |
David Wolf | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 11 | “In Your Eyes In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel song) "In Your Eyes" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, 1986. It was not released as a single in the UK... ” |
Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career... |
Tom Marshburn | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 12 | “Dixit Dominus Dixit Dominus (Handel) Dixit Dominus is a psalm setting by George Friederic Handel . It uses the Latin text of Psalm 110 , which begins with the words Dixit Dominus .... ” |
George Frederic Handel | Julie Payette Julie Payette Julie Payette, OC, CQ is a Canadian engineer and a Canadian Space Agency astronaut. Payette has completed two spaceflights, STS-96 and STS-127, logging more than 25 days in space... |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 13 | “On the Sunny Side of the Street On the Sunny Side of the Street "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a song with music composed by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was introduced in the Broadway musical Lew Leslie's International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence.... ” |
Steve Tyrell Steve Tyrell Steve Tyrell is an American jazz musician.-Early career:Upon moving to New York City at the age of 18, he was made head of A&R and promotion at Scepter Records... |
Mark Polansky | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 14 | “Proud to Be an American God Bless the USA "God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written and recorded by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's You've Got a Good Love Comin'. It reached No... ” |
Lee Greenwood Lee Greenwood Melvin Lee Greenwood is an American country music artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts.... |
Chris Cassidy | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 15 | “Yellow Yellow (song) "Yellow" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson for their debut album, Parachutes... ” |
Coldplay Coldplay Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a... |
Doug Hurley | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 16 | “I Got You Babe I Got You Babe "I Got You Babe" is a 1965 #1 single by American pop music duo Sonny & Cher.-Background and composition:Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics to and composed the music of the song for himself and his then-wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. Session... ” |
Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.... |
Koichi Wakata Koichi Wakata is a Japanese engineer and a JAXA astronaut. Wakata is a veteran of four NASA Space Shuttle missions and a long-duration stay on the International Space Station. During a nearly two decade career in spaceflight he has logged five months in space. Wakata is currently assigned to the Soyuz... |
WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
| Day 17 | “Beautiful Day Beautiful Day "Beautiful Day" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it was released as the album's lead single. It was a commercial success, helping launch the album to multi-platinum status, and is one of U2's biggest hits to date... ” |
U2 U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music... |
Tom Marshburn | WAV MP3 TRANSCRIPT |
See also
- 2009 in spaceflight2009 in spaceflightSeveral significant events in spaceflight occurred in 2009, including Iran conducting its first indigenous orbital launch, the first Swiss satellite being launched and New Zealand launching its first sounding rocket. The H-IIB and Naro-1 rockets conducted maiden flights, whilst the Tsyklon-3,...
- List of ISS spacewalks
- List of space shuttle missions
- List of spacewalks since 2000
- List of human spaceflights chronologically