Shuttle crew works through wing, nose cap inspections; rendezvous preps (UPDATED)
Editor's note...
CBS News
Astronaut Timothy Kopra, who was replaced on the shuttle Discovery's crew after being injured in a bicycle accident last month, called his former crewmates Friday to say hello and pass along best wishes for a successful mission.
"Hey Steve, (this is) Tim, I just wanted to tell you guys you all had an awesome launch and we're all very proud of you down here," Kopra radioed from mission control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"Great to hear your voice, Tim, I wish you were here because I'd send you on the hunt for the overlay I'm missing," Discovery commander Steven Lindsey replied. He was joking about a computer screen overlay used for robot arm heat shield inspections. "But anyway, I appreciate the good words, it was a great launch. I can't tell you how much we wish you were here with us as well."
"Well, I'm sure you know I feel the same way," Kopra said, "so I definitely feel like I'm there in spirit and I'm especially looking forward to seeing Steve and Al go out the door and do great work."
Kopra was the mission's flight engineer and lead spacewalker, helping plan two EVAs with crewmate Al Drew. Kopra was replaced by Stephen Bowen, a veteran spacewalker who flew on the most recent previous shuttle mission. Kopra will be available during the upcoming spacewalks to offer advice and insights based on more than a year training for the mission.
"Hi, Timmy," astronaut Nicole Stott called down. "I just want to say I love you and like Steve said, we wish you were here, but we're also very happy you'll be supporting us from the ground and I look forward to talking to you on EVA days."
"Love you back and it's going to be a great couple of EVAs," Kopra said.
Kopra, Stott and Discovery crewmate Michael Barratt are veterans of long-duration stays aboard the International Space Station.
"Hey Tim, it's Mike," Barratt radioed. "We've missed your booming zero G laughter up here and I'll have to tell you, you're here in a little bit more than spirit, but we'll have to explain that when we get back."
"I'm looking forward to that, Mike, it's great to hear your voice," Kopra said.
"All right, man, you keep watching us and we'll try to do our best for you ... with the plan that you came up with."
Steven Robinson, the mission control shuttle communicator, closed the conversation by saying "All right, Discovery, just goes to show you have a seven-person crew, they're just not all up there with you."
The Discovery astronauts were awakened for their first full day in space at 6:53 a.m. EST (GMT-5) Friday by a recording of "Through Heaven's Eyes" from the movie "Prince of Egypt" that was beamed up from mission control for Barratt.
"That comes with a very special hello from Mike's family," astronaut Michael Massimino radioed from Houston.
"Good morning, Mike, and thanks to my crazy, wonderful family," Barratt replied. "It's great to be back in space again. I wish everyone could see through my eyes up here, too. Look forward to working with you today."
The astronauts faced a routine but busy day in orbit highlighted by a close inspection of the shuttle reinforced carbon carbon nose cap and wing leading edge panels, which experience the most extreme heating during re-entry.
Using a camera/laser scanner on the end of a 50-foot-long boom attached to the shuttle's robot arm, Lindsey, Drew and pilot Eric Boe looked for any signs of damage from ascent debris impacts, staring with the right wing, followed by the nose cap and then the left wing. The data will be downlinked to analysts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston later this evening by Stott.
Drew, Barratt and Bowen plan to inspect and check out the spacesuits Drew and Bowen will use during two space station EVAs and prepare the suits for transfer to the space station. Two rendezvous rocket firings are planned to fine tune Discovery's approach to the space station.
Docking at the lab's forward port is planned for 2:15:54 p.m. EST Saturday. The astronauts will break out their rendezvous tools later today and rig the ship's docking system for capture (an updated rendezvous timeline is posted on the Flight Data File page).
A mission status/Mission Management Team briefing is planned for 4:30 p.m. The crew will go to bed just before 11 p.m.
Here is an updated timeline of the crew's activities for flight day two (in EST and mission elapsed time; includes rev. B of the NASA TV schedule):
- Posted at 7:30 AM, 02/25/11: Shuttle crew gears up for wing, nose cap inspections; rendezvous preps
- Updated at 12:40 PM, 02/25/11: Kopra calls Discovery crewmates
CBS News
Astronaut Timothy Kopra, who was replaced on the shuttle Discovery's crew after being injured in a bicycle accident last month, called his former crewmates Friday to say hello and pass along best wishes for a successful mission.
"Hey Steve, (this is) Tim, I just wanted to tell you guys you all had an awesome launch and we're all very proud of you down here," Kopra radioed from mission control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
 |
| Astronaut Timothy Kopra, left, chats with the shuttle Discovery's crew. Kopra was the mission's flight engineer and lead spacewalker before being injured in a bicycle accident last month. He was replaced by astronaut Stephen Bowen. (Photo: NASA TV) |
"Well, I'm sure you know I feel the same way," Kopra said, "so I definitely feel like I'm there in spirit and I'm especially looking forward to seeing Steve and Al go out the door and do great work."
Kopra was the mission's flight engineer and lead spacewalker, helping plan two EVAs with crewmate Al Drew. Kopra was replaced by Stephen Bowen, a veteran spacewalker who flew on the most recent previous shuttle mission. Kopra will be available during the upcoming spacewalks to offer advice and insights based on more than a year training for the mission.
"Hi, Timmy," astronaut Nicole Stott called down. "I just want to say I love you and like Steve said, we wish you were here, but we're also very happy you'll be supporting us from the ground and I look forward to talking to you on EVA days."
"Love you back and it's going to be a great couple of EVAs," Kopra said.
Kopra, Stott and Discovery crewmate Michael Barratt are veterans of long-duration stays aboard the International Space Station.
"Hey Tim, it's Mike," Barratt radioed. "We've missed your booming zero G laughter up here and I'll have to tell you, you're here in a little bit more than spirit, but we'll have to explain that when we get back."
"I'm looking forward to that, Mike, it's great to hear your voice," Kopra said.
"All right, man, you keep watching us and we'll try to do our best for you ... with the plan that you came up with."
Steven Robinson, the mission control shuttle communicator, closed the conversation by saying "All right, Discovery, just goes to show you have a seven-person crew, they're just not all up there with you."
The Discovery astronauts were awakened for their first full day in space at 6:53 a.m. EST (GMT-5) Friday by a recording of "Through Heaven's Eyes" from the movie "Prince of Egypt" that was beamed up from mission control for Barratt.
 |
| The view from the shuttle Discovery early Friday, approaching the southwest coast of Africa. (Photo: NASA TV) |
"Good morning, Mike, and thanks to my crazy, wonderful family," Barratt replied. "It's great to be back in space again. I wish everyone could see through my eyes up here, too. Look forward to working with you today."
The astronauts faced a routine but busy day in orbit highlighted by a close inspection of the shuttle reinforced carbon carbon nose cap and wing leading edge panels, which experience the most extreme heating during re-entry.
Using a camera/laser scanner on the end of a 50-foot-long boom attached to the shuttle's robot arm, Lindsey, Drew and pilot Eric Boe looked for any signs of damage from ascent debris impacts, staring with the right wing, followed by the nose cap and then the left wing. The data will be downlinked to analysts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston later this evening by Stott.
Drew, Barratt and Bowen plan to inspect and check out the spacesuits Drew and Bowen will use during two space station EVAs and prepare the suits for transfer to the space station. Two rendezvous rocket firings are planned to fine tune Discovery's approach to the space station.
Docking at the lab's forward port is planned for 2:15:54 p.m. EST Saturday. The astronauts will break out their rendezvous tools later today and rig the ship's docking system for capture (an updated rendezvous timeline is posted on the Flight Data File page).
A mission status/Mission Management Team briefing is planned for 4:30 p.m. The crew will go to bed just before 11 p.m.
Here is an updated timeline of the crew's activities for flight day two (in EST and mission elapsed time; includes rev. B of the NASA TV schedule):
DATE/EST...DD...HH...MM...SS...EVENT
02/25
06:53 AM...00...14...00...00...Crew wakeup
08:58 AM...00...16...05...00...Minicam downlink
09:49 AM...00...16...55...56...NC-2 rendezvous rocket firing
09:53 AM...00...17...00...00...Shuttle arm (SRMS) unberths inspection boom (OBSS)
10:33 AM...00...17...40...00...AEM video
11:08 AM...00...18...15...00...OBSS starboard wing survey
11:08 AM...00...18...15...00...Ergometer setup
11:38 AM...00...18...45...00...Middeck transfer preps
01:03 PM...00...20...10...00...OBSS nose cap survey
01:48 PM...00...20...55...00...Crew meals begin
02:48 PM...00...21...55...00...OMS pod survey
02:53 PM...00...22...00...00...Spacesuit checkout preps
03:18 PM...00...22...25...00...OBSS port wing survey
03:23 PM...00...22...30...00...Spacesuit checkout
04:30 PM...00...23...37...00...Mission status/MMT briefing
04:53 PM...01...00...00...00...SRMS berths OBSS
05:08 PM...01...00...15...00...EVA equipment prep for transfer
05:58 PM...01...01...05...00...Centerline camera setup
06:28 PM...01...01...35...00...Orbiter docking system ring extension
06:48 PM...01...01...55...00...Rendezvous tools checkout
08:03 PM...01...03...10...06...NC-3 rendezvous rocket firing
07:28 PM...01...02...35...00...LDRI downlink
10:53 PM...01...06...00...00...Crew sleep begins
11:00 PM...01...06...07...00...Daily highlights reel on NTV