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• Following a month of delays due to hydrogen valve issues and leaks, NASA finally launched shuttle flight (STS-119) on March 15, 2009, at about 7:43 p.m. Space Shuttle Discovery, which has been forced to cut the mission short a day and eliminate one of the four planned spacewalks, launched smoothly, visible in the sky for several minutes as the sun was setting.MSNBC: Shuttle lifts off after weeks of delay (March 15, 2009)

  Shuttle Discovery had a brief landing delay on March 28, 2009, due to bad weather in Florida, but returned home safely at 3:13pm EST.Google News: Shuttle Discovery streaks toward Earth (March 28, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Launched on March 15, 2009MSNBC: Shuttle lifts off after weeks of delay (March 15, 2009)
  2. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery
  3. Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
  4. Launch Time: 7:43 p.m. EDT
  5. The March 2009 flight is the 36th for DiscoveryCNN.com: Delayed Discovery is ready for launch (March 11, 2009)
  6. Crew consists of seven membersCNN.com: Delayed Discovery is ready for launch (March 11, 2009)
  7. Mission flight specialists Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold, former middle school and high school teachers, are making their first trip into spaceCNN.com: Delayed Discovery is ready for launch (March 11, 2009)
  8. Launch was first delayed several weeks due to issues with the hydrogen valvesMSNBC: Shuttle lifts off after weeks of delay (March 15, 2009)
  9. Launch was further delayed due to a hydrogen leak on March 11, 2009MSNBC: Shuttle lifts off after weeks of delay (March 15, 2009)
  10. Because of the delays, the mission will be cut short a day and eliminate one of the four planned spacewalksMSNBC: Shuttle lifts off after weeks of delay (March 15, 2009)
  11. Before launching on Sunday, a fruit bat was discovered on the back of the fuel tank, but posed no dangerMSNBC: Shuttle lifts off after weeks of delay (March 15, 2009)
  12. NASA program ends in 2010

• Delays

  Following a month of delays due to hydrogen valve issues and leaks, Space Shuttle Discovery launched smoothly on March 15, 2009. Due to the delays, the construction mission will be cut short a day and will be eliminating one of the four planned spacewalks.MSNBC: Shuttle lifts off after weeks of delay (March 15, 2009) The crew will deliver a final set of solar wings, which will be the United State's final construction-related contribution to the International Space Station before the shuttle docks after the 13 day mission.VOA News: Space Station Astronauts Complete Space Walk Ahead of Launch (March 11, 2009)Christian Science Monitor: After 10 years, space station finally nears completion (March 11, 2009)

• Toilet Pump Mission

  NASA launched Discovery on May 31, 2008, to the International Space Station to deliver a pump for a malfunctioning toilet. The shuttle also carried a Japanese space lab. The space lab took 20 years to make and was worth over one billion dollars. The trip to the space station took 14 days. The Russian toilet pump is one and a half feet long and hardly takes up any of the available room in the crew cabin. The pump is used to fix one of the toilets in the space station that required manual flushing, along with additional water to flush properly every couple of days.

• Japanese Space Lab

  The Japanese space lab weighs 32,000 pounds and is 37 feet long, filling Discovery's entire payload bay. This space lab is named Kibo, meaning hope, and will be the biggest room in the space station. This lab was split up into three sections. The first section was flown up in March 2008, with the second section flying up on May 31, 2008.

• Spacewalks

  The first spacewalk aboard Shuttle Discovery took place on March 19, 2009, when veteran astronaut Steve Swanson and former school teacher Richard Arnold were able to successfully install the last set of solar wings at the International Space Station, accomplishing Discovery's most important mission. At first the two astronauts struggled with some of the cable connections, but were eventually able to hook everything up properly.CBS News: Spacewalking Astronauts Mount Solar Wings (March 19, 2009)

  The second spacewalk occurred on March 21, 2009, when the second school teacher on board, Joe Acaba, accompanied Steve Swanson on a seven hour excursion working alongside the International Space Station. The two men performed electrical work, installed a GPS antenna near the Japanese science module and attempted to assemble two platforms, which will be used to store spare parts and conduct external science experiments. The astronauts were unable to install the first platform due to a locking pin, so Mission Control postponed the installation for a future spacewalk.Houston Chronicle: To-do list keeps astronauts busy on 2nd spacewalk (March 22, 2009)

  The final spacewalk is set for March 23 and will be performed by the two former teachers, Arnold and Acaba.The crew will then return home on March 25, marking the end of their eight-day-mission.Houston Chronicle: To-do list keeps astronauts busy on 2nd spacewalk (March 22, 2009)

• Successful Mission

  Space Shuttle Discovery returned home on March 28, 2009, following a brief delay due to weather conditions in Florida.Google News: Shuttle Discovery streaks toward Earth (March 28, 2009) The 13-day construction mission, whose main purpose was to install and unfurl the last set of solar wings, was considered a success. The crew brought back 5 liters of recycled water that will undergo toxicology tests within the month. The water is the recycled sweat and urine of the astronauts, and if tests come back clean, the three astronauts currently stationed at the International Space Station will be able to start drinking it again. Part of Discovery's mission was bringing in a new processor for the recycling machine after the old one broke.Washington Post: Discovery Makes Safe Return (March 29, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Joe Acaba | Richard Arnold | Space Shuttle | International Space Station | NASA | Shuttle Launch | Discovery

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