Discovery, World's Only Spaceship (American, Of Course) Launches

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Space Shuttle Discovery Launches With Crew of 7

Sunday, March 15, 2009

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven
rocketed into orbit Sunday evening, setting off on a space station
construction mission cut short by launch delays that dragged on for
more than a month.

Discovery rose from its seaside pad just as the sun was setting, a
spectacular sight for a space agency anxious to get the flight going.
As the shuttle sped away like a brilliant star, part of the launch
plume glowed pink, peach and golden. The shuttle was visible for more
than four minutes.

A hydrogen leak prevented Discovery from lifting off Wednesday and,
before that, hydrogen valves kept the shuttle grounded for weeks in
February. Launch pad repairs took care of the leak, and the astronauts
were able to board their spaceship and lift off.

"Well, you had a little bit of a wait but that will just make the
payoff that much sweeter," launch director Mike Leinbach told the
astronauts.

Commander Lee Archambault and his crew, which includes two former
schoolteachers, should reach the international space station Tuesday.
They're delivering one last set of solar wings for the space station
and some critical equipment for a relatively new water-recycling
system.

No one was more eager to see Discovery take off than the three space
station astronauts. Commander Mike Fincke was ecstatic when informed
nothing was leaking at the pad.

"That is most excellent news," Fincke told Mission Control. "That's
exactly what's been on top of our minds."

During Wednesday's try, hydrogen gas spewed into the air from a vent
line connected to Discovery's external fuel tank. NASA replaced the
hookups, but could find nothing broken.

The system remained tight during the countdown, and the only problem
was a pressure drop in a helium-purge system that workers quickly
resolved.

The only other oddity was a bat on the back of Discovery's fuel tank
Sunday afternoon. The small fruit bat posed no debris threat to the
shuttle.

The four-day leak delay forced NASA to shorten Discovery's flight by a
day and cut out a spacewalk. Because a Russian Soyuz rocket launch
March 26, Discovery needs to be gone from the space station by the
time that spacecraft flies. The Soyuz will carry up a fresh crew for
the space station.

Discovery's mission will last 13 days and feature three spacewalks
instead of four, the first of which will take place Thursday to
install the new solar wings. The two wings will join six already in
place and bring the orbiting outpost up to full power.

The canceled spacewalk chores will be tackled by the space station
crew after Discovery leaves.

Discovery also will deliver a spare urine-into-drinking water
converter to replace one that's broken up there, and a flusher and
iodine solution to get rid of bacteria that's lurking in the water
dispenser.

NASA wants to double the size of the space station crew to six people
by the end of May, and need the recycled water to drink.

Discovery originally was supposed to lift off Feb. 12, but NASA
ordered extra tests for the valves that control the flow of hydrogen
gas into the fuel tank. The three valves in the shuttle's engine
compartment kept being replaced to ensure they were the best available
and safe to fly.

One of these valves?which maintain tank pressure during liftoff?broke
during the last shuttle launch in November. No harm was done, but NASA
did not want to take any chances with Discovery.

Two educator astronauts are aboard Discovery: Joseph Acaba and Richard
Arnold II, chosen by NASA five years ago. There also is one Japanese
astronaut, Koichi Wakata, who will move into the space station for at
least three months, replacing one of the current crew. Many of the 200
Japanese citizens on hand for the first launch attempt were gone by
Sunday.
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