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Endeavour makes a stunning night time landing video
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Category Archives: Space Exploration
Weather clears for Sunday night landing
Endeavour completes de-orbit burn and begins deceleration preparatory to landing in one hour
Endeavour STS 130 re-orbit and burn
The burn of 2 minutes slows down the Endeavour as a braking maneuver. This is the final move than means Endeavour will be landing shortly, about 1 hour from now.
Endeavour update – weather improving slightly
Low clouds are breaking but rain is moving in and all around the landing site
Next window of decision is two hours from now to go-go and start deceleration engine burn for about 2 minutes.
Bad weather may delay shuttle landing
Rain and winds at Edwards Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral may delay landing.
STS-130 Pilot Terry Virts looks through an overhead window on the aft flight deck of space shuttle Endeavour. Photo Credit: NASA
NASA – Weather permitting, Endeavour is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center’s shuttle landing facility at 10:20 p.m. EST. The STS-130 entry team led by Flight Director Norm Knight will be on console in Mission Control at 3:30 p.m. to prepare for deorbit and landing.
The latest Kennedy forecast calls for a chance of showers within 30 nautical miles of the shuttle landing facility and a cloud ceiling at 6,000 feet, both violations of landing rules.
The forecast for Edwards Air Force Base in California also contains violations for showers within 30 nautical miles of the runway and cloud ceilings at 3,000 and 6,000 feet.
The National Weather Service Spaceflight Meteorology Group at Johnson Space Center will provide Knight and his team with continuous updated forecasts and real-time observations to aid in a “go-no go” decision for the deorbit burn. Continue reading
Homeward Bound for Space Shuttle Endeavour Video
After undocking, Endeavour circled the International Space Station before heading home to Earth on Sunday
Night view of Endeavour from the ISS before the return to Earth
After undocking from the ISS, Endeavour performed a orbit of the ISS and flyby that produced stunning images of space. I stayed up late Friday night to capture this live. This is definitely for space nuts.
The joint docked mission, STS 130, between the crews of the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour ended at 7:54 p.m. EST with the undocking of Endeavour. Shuttle undocks from ISS and heads home Video
After backing away from the ISS very slowly and carefully, Endeavour moved to about 450 feet from the ISS. The ISS crew do a video and visual inspection of the Shuttle.
Pilot Terry Virts is at the stick using jets to maneuver Endeavour.
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Shuttle undocks from ISS and heads home Video
Endeavour Mission STS 130 undocked from the International Space Station at 7:54 pm this evening for a Sunday landing on Earth
Endeavour undocking from the ISS
The joint docked mission between the crews of the International Space Station and space shuttle Endeavour comes to an end this evening when the shuttle undocks from the station at 7:54 p.m. EST to begin the voyage back to Earth. At time of undocking, the Endeavour had been 11 days and 15 hours and 41 minutes since it left Earth.
Earlier in the day, Endeavour crew said good bye to the ISS crew. There were smiles all around as the ISS crew thanked them for bringing Tranquility module and the cupola.
What has seemingly had been 11 effortless days in space is now getting complicated. It’s not like Star Wars where the space ships glide in to a docking and hanger door, taxi to a stop, a door opens and people get out.
Hatches between Endeavour and the International Space Station were closed at 2:08 a.m. CST. All communications between the Endeavour and ISS had to be disconnected.
After that it’s an endless routine of checking the space shuttle, checking lists, confirming everything with ground control in Houston. All Endeavour systems had to be fired up and checked to ensure a safe flight home.
Cupola Opened For First Time to 360 Degree View of the Universe – Video
Exploring Space from Tranquility’s Cupola
Tranquility cupola opened to the universe for the first time
During the Day 10 space walk of astronauts Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken, mission crew inside were hard at work finishing the connections between the Tranquility module, the cupola and the International Space Station.
Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire works with Commander George Zamka connecting, checking and re-checking.
Despite the problems of the weekend, the Mission STS 130 was headed for success as everyone inside and outside spent the day doing their jobs.
Endeavour Astronauts Install Tranquility Cupola Video
Day 10 of the Endeavour STS 130 mission to the International Space Station was a fantastic success.
First looks out the new cupola from the Tranquility Module
At the end of the third day of working in space, astronauts Nicholas Patrick and Robert Behnken had completed the installation of the cupola.
They took off the shields and ISS crew inside were able to open the cupola shutters for that 360 degree 3D view of earth and space.
President Obama had a video conference at 5:30 PM today to congratulate them on their mission success.
The Italians who built the Tranquility Module with its cupola should be celebrating tonight.
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Opening Night for Tranquility and Cupola
Crew members on space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station got a first look inside the orbiting outpost’s newest module and room with a view Friday evening, but the shutters were still closed so the view will have to wait a while.
Video to follow this afternoon. AP is reporting the air lock between the ISS and Tranquility is not fitting properly. More on that later too.
ISS Commander Jeff Williams opened the hatch into Tranquility at 9:17 p.m. EST on Friday entering it for the first time with STS-130 Commander George Zamka and Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson. The hatch into the cupola was opened after wards at 11:32 p.m.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts ran into trouble Saturday while setting up the International Space Station’s newest room, Tranquility: A critical insulating cover does not fit.
The fabric, multi layered cover is supposed to go between Tranquility and its observation deck, but the metal bars are not locking down properly because of interference from a hand rail or some other structure at the hatch.” AP
Space Walkers Install Tranquility Module short video
International Space Station one day closer to installation of 2,600 cubic feet of Italian-style living on Day 5 of STS 130
Astronauts return from EVA 1
Astronauts Bob Behnken and Nick Patrick stepped outside the relative safety of the ISS to complete the physical installation of the new Italian built Tranquility Module. They spent the next 6 hours and 32 minutes moving the 27,000 pound module from the space shuttle cargo bay to the earth side of the ISS. The video from NASA condenses the full space walk into about 30 minutes.
The actual heavy lifting was done by the robotic Canadarm2 which was being controlled from inside the ISS by Mission Specialist Kay Hire and Terry Virts. In the video you can see the Canadarm2 moving over, being secured on the Tranquility Module and moving it seemingly effortlessly across space.
Astronauts Install Tranquility During Space Walk Video
The International Space Station got one day closer to the installation of 2,600 cubic feet of Italian style living space on Day 5 of STS 130
Astronauts Bob Behnken and Nick Patrick stepped outside the relative safety of the ISS to complete the physical installation of the new Italian built Tranquility Module. They spent the next 6 hours and 32 minutes moving the 27,000 pound module from the space shuttle cargo bay to the earth side of the ISS. The video from NASA condenses the full space walk into about 30 minutes.
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