|
|
|
|
|
Payloads loaded aboard shuttle Discovery for launch BY JUSTIN RAY SPACEFLIGHT NOW Posted: October 11, 2010 
Space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay was filled Monday with the orbiter's final payload complement, a new module and platform that are among the last accouterments for the International Space Station after a decade of construction. The Permanent Multipurpose Module that will serve as the station's storage closet and the Express Logistics Carrier No. 4 to hold external spare parts will be delivered by Discovery and installed during the November mission. PMM is the retrofitted Leonardo reusable cargo module flown up and down on several previous shuttle flights to the station. Technicians have armored it with a bullet-proof vest to safely reside in space as a lasting part of the outpost, becoming an extra room to stow hardware and supplies. ELC 4 joins similar deck-like structures attached along the station's truss backbone to store large pieces of equipment outdoors. The platforms have allowed the final shuttle missions to pre-stage hefty replacement parts at the station for future use. PMM will be berthed to the Earth-facing side of the Unity connecting hub and ELC 4 goes onto the underside of the Starboard 3 truss. They take up most of Discovery's cargo bay and their combined weight consume the orbiter's payload-carrying capability. "Our primary objective, the way I describe it for people in a nutshell, is to basically leave space station in the best possible shape for the next era which is the era when we're no longer flying space shuttles," says mission commander Steve Lindsey. "We're delivering logistics and supplies and doing some maintenance and some outfitting to leave it in the best condition we can with what we can carry up." On Saturday, Discovery's 60-foot-long payload bay doors are scheduled to be closed and locked for flight. The launch countdown begins on October 29, leading to the orbiter's final blastoff on November 1 at 4:40 p.m. EDT. These photos from inside the launch pad 39A cleanroom illustrate the Payload Ground Handling Mechanism maneuvering PMM and ELC into Discovery on Monday. Photo credit: NASA
|
|
|
|
Final Shuttle Mission Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses!  The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history! U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STORE STS-134 Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses!  The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREAres 1-X Patch  The official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREApollo Collage  This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREProject Orion  The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.U.S. STOREFallen Heroes Patch Collection  The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STORE |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE ADVERTISE © 2012 Spaceflight Now Inc. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
VIDEO:
GANTRY PLACED AROUND DISCOVERY 