Ready, Set, Go
Spotlights bathe the space shuttle Discovery after a service structure rolled back.
MICHAEL SPOONYBARGER
Published: Jul 14, 2005
ADVERTISEMENT
More from this channel:
CAPE CANAVERAL - America's manned space program rises from the ashes today to reclaim its place in space and begin the final chapter of the shuttle era.
Or will it?
More than two years after the loss of Columbia and its crew, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration attempts one of its biggest missions since shuttles began flying a quarter century ago.
Discovery and seven astronauts will attempt to blast off during a 10-minute launch window that opens at 3:51 p.m. If all goes well, the spaceship will arc over the Atlantic, slip into orbit and dock with the International Space Station. Forecasters expect a 60 percent chance of good weather.
The countdown took an unexpected turn Tuesday when a protective plastic cover fell off one of Discovery's overhead crew cabin windows. The covers keep the windows clean before launch.
The 2-pound cover fell 60 feet and hit an engine pod panel, damaging several tiles, said Stephanie Stilson, Discovery's vehicle manager.
``When we discovered the damage, we pulled a spare panel and we took it out to pad and sure enough, it fit perfectly,'' Stilson said. ``This is a minor repair for us.''
To be safe, technicians conducted an overall inspection of the orbiter, and launch preparations continued.
A successful venture is crucial to NASA's future and American prestige, said Jason Rhian, president of the Plant City chapter of the National Space Society, which promotes space exploration.
``It's vital that we close out the shuttle program and finish the station,'' he said. ``We can't afford not to be in space.''
Everyone Watching
More eyes - and cameras - will focus on Discovery than any previous mission, and agency officials hope $1 billion worth of improvements make shuttles safer. Kennedy Space Center has doubled the number of observation posts photographing the launch with short, medium and long-range optical tracking systems. High- altitude airplanes armed with turret cameras also will monitor the shuttle's ascent.
Although the agency has flexed all its muscles to ensure safety, intangibles always exist, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said Tuesday.
``Is there something we don't know about that can bite us? Yeah,'' Griffin said. ``But we've done everything we know to do. We've come through a very difficult period and we're ready to go.''
The emphasis on safety makes Discovery the ``cleanest'' shuttle to fly, said Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Fincke, an astronaut who spent six months aboard the space station last year.
``Anytime people fly into space it entails risk,'' he said. ``But I think we now have an adequate balance between risk and safety.''
A blue ribbon panel responsible for safety recommendations last month said the agency has met 12 of the 15 requirements for returning to flight. NASA officials say some improvements aren't practical, such as an overall ``hardening'' of the orbiter to prevent damage from debris.
Many critics question whether NASA's plan to patch damage to the orbiter in space could work and doubt a crew would re-enter the atmosphere even if repair was done.
Improvements to Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour include a redesigned external tank, new sensors and a boom- mounted camera that allows the crew to inspect for damage. Retired Air Force Col. Richard O. Covey, a former astronaut and co-chairman of the Return to Flight Task Group, praised the agency for progress made since the Columbia accident. The panel said no safety issues remain that would keep Discovery from launching.
Discovery's crew consists of commander Eileen Collins; pilot James Kelly; and mission specialists Steve Robinson, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda and Soichi Noguchi.
A National Priority
Their trip is anything but routine. NASA calls it an experimental mission because of the safety changes. The goal is to deliver supplies and a new module to the $60 billion station, but the astronauts also will conduct three spacewalks to test new safety procedures.
The agency needs to plan as if this launch and all that follow are make-or-break, said Greg Harbaugh, a four-time astronaut and director of the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland.
``NASA must take the approach that every mission is a national priority,'' he said. ``Columbia and Challenger exposed the vulnerabilities of the shuttle, and I never would have expected a problem with the leading edge [of Columbia]. It shows that there are always more failure modes lurking.''
Another accident would come at high cost. The fleet must fly 28 missions by 2010 to finish the American core of the station. Without Discovery, only two orbiters would be left to complete the job.
However, NASA should not rush to build something that still has no defined purpose, said Lawrence Krauss, head of the physics department at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
``We have no sensible plan,'' he said. ``It makes no scientific sense to send 28 more missions to the station, [which] has little or no scientific value. And if we raid the science budget to send people to the moon and Mars, we will kill the exploration of space for scientific purposes. That's happening to some extent now.''
Others disagree, saying the shuttle and station are stepping stones to the human exploration of the solar system. Today's mission symbolizes that long-range goal, said Al Peche, director of flight and space at the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa.
``I'm glad this day has come,'' he said. ``It's nice to know things are heading back on track for the space station. And once we feel more confident about the shuttle, it will mean a better space program.''
Reporter Kurt Loft can be reached at (813) 259-7570.
