Orbiter: Discovery
Mission: STS-133
Payload: Leonardo
Launch: Feb. 3, 2011
Time: 1:34 a.m. EST
Site: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center
Landing: Feb. 13 @ approx. 8:38 p.m. EST
Site: KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility

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Mission Status Center

By Justin Ray

Welcome to Spaceflight Now's live coverage of space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Text updates will appear automatically; there is no need to reload the page.
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010
Launch of the shuttle Discovery on a space station resupply mission will be delayed until at least Feb. 3, NASA managers announced Friday, to give engineers more time to carry out tests to help figure out what caused cracks in the ship's external tank and what, if any, modifications might be needed before the ship can be cleared for flight.

Read our full story.
1738 GMT (12:38 p.m. EST)
A rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building for tank inspections is not part of the current testing scenario being planned.
1735 GMT (12:35 p.m. EST)
A heavily-instrumented fueling test to examine the external tank during cryogenic loading will happen by late December at launch pad 39A. The complex test will involve removing foam, installing sensors on the tank and then putting new foam on to simulate a flight-like condition.

Specific details and the schedule should be defined by the middle of next week.
1730 GMT (12:30 p.m. EST)
This delay for Discovery also has the ripple effect of postponing the previously planned February 27 launch of Endeavour until approximately April 1 at 3:15 a.m. EDT (0715 GMT).
1706 GMT (12:06 p.m. EST)
Launch of space shuttle Discovery is being postponed until next year due to the ongoing efforts to understand and resolve the structural cracks on the external fuel tank.

Unable to clear the shuttle for liftoff during the upcoming December 17 through December 20 launch period, the mission will remain on hold until the next available window opens on February 3 at 1:34 a.m. EST (0634 GMT).

This lengthy gap in launch opportunities is driven by restrictions against flying a space shuttle to the International Space Station. Unfavorable thermal conditions during most of January prohibit a shuttle from being docked to the outpost and the subsequent arrival of a Japanese cargo craft push Discovery's next chance into early February.

The window Discovery now aims for opens February 3 and stretches through February 10. The following window would open on February 27 and extend to March 6.

NASA will use the next two months to conduct extensive testing both on the shuttle and ground articles.
1427 GMT (9:27 a.m. EST)
NASA has called for a news conference at 12 noon EST (1700 GMT) today to provide an update on the space shuttle Discovery situation. We'll stream it live right here on this page.

Participants of the briefing will be Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, John Shannon, space shuttle program manager, and Mike Suffredini, International Space Station program manager.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010
NASA managers and engineers met Thursday to discuss the potential root cause of cracks in the shuttle Discovery's external tank, what additional tests might be needed and what, if any, modifications might be required before another launch attempt can be made.

Read our full story.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2010
After a long holiday weekend with no work scheduled at launch pad 39A, activities have resumed today to install dots on the ground umbilical carrier plate as markers to illustrate any movements by the GUCP during fueling operations.

Meanwhile, the analysis work on the external tank stringer cracks continue. The next major meeting of program officials is planned for this Thursday.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2010
2215 GMT (5:15 p.m. EST)
Check out the latest updated story on shuttle Discovery's delay that includes details from today's NASA news briefing.
1900 GMT (2:00 p.m. EST)
NASA managers reviewing the progress of repairs to the shuttle Discovery's external tank and the rationale for making another launch attempt decided Wednesday to pass up an early December launch window, delaying the flight to at least Dec. 17 and possibly all the way to February, sources said.

Read our full story.
1835 GMT (1:35 p.m. EST)
If Discovery ultimately gets cleared for launch on December 17, the shuttle would dock to the International Space Station on December 19, conduct the mission's first spacewalk on December 21, install the Permanent Multipurpose Module on December 22, perform the second spacewalk on December 23, hold a joint news conference and say farewell to the station crew on Christmas, undock on December 26 and land at Kennedy Space Center in the late afternoon on December 28.
1809 GMT (1:09 p.m. EST)
DELAY. Launch of space shuttle Discovery has been postponed until the next window that opens no sooner than December 17 at approximately 8:52 p.m. EST, engineering sources say. The space agency will hold a news briefing later today to provide an update on the shuttle situation.
1635 GMT (11:35 a.m. EST)
NASA is to hold a news conference at 3pm EST (2000 GMT) to discuss the outcome of today's meeting on the repairs to Discovery's external fuel tank. The news conference participants will be Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, and John Shannon, Space Shuttle Program manager. Watch the news conference live on this page.
1430 GMT (9:30 a.m. EST)
NASA and contractor managers and engineers gathered Wednesday to review the status of repairs to fix cracks and damaged foam insulation on the shuttle Discovery's external tank and to discuss an ongoing engineering review before deciding whether the ship can be safely launched as early as Dec. 3.

Read our full story.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010
Work to repair the shuttle Discovery's external tank is going well, but more time is needed to complete an engineering review and to develop the necessary flight rationale, the justification for launching with a repaired tank after unexpected damage. As a result, NASA announced Thursday, the flight will remain on hold until at least Dec. 3, four days after the opening of a short end-of-year launch window.

Read our full story.
2047 GMT (3:47 p.m. EST)
The target launch date for space shuttle Discovery has been pushed back to Friday, December 3 at about 2:52 a.m. EST (0752 GMT).

The delay gives the program additional time to analyze and repair the external tank problems that have held up Discovery's final mission. A review of the work is planned for next Wednesday, November 24, followed by a senior meeting to assess the "flight rationale" on Monday, November 29.

We'll have a full story shortly.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2010
Engineers are pressing ahead with work to repair small cracks in the shuttle Discovery's external tank and to finish installation and tests of a replacement hydrogen vent line quick-disconnect fitting that grounded the ship Nov. 5. At the same time, troubleshooters are assessing the structural integrity of the tank and its foam insulation to develop the necessary flight rationale, or justification, for proceeding with another launch as early as Nov. 30.

Read our full story.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010
Engineers inspecting the shuttle Discovery's external tank have found a fourth crack in the structural ribs, or stringers, making up the outer skin of the compartment between the liquid oxygen and hydrogen sections.

Read our full story.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2010
An environmental enclosure has been built around front face of shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank, establishing a controlled worksite for repairing the metal stringer cracks and spraying new foam on the tank.

The decision to proceed with erecting the tent-like structure was made Saturday and the work was finished on Sunday.

Meanwhile, activities continue on the backside of the tank where technicians are installing the new ground umbilical carrier plate to fix the gaseous hydrogen leak in the venting line. An initial torque was applied Saturday and the new step in the prescribed tightening sequence will occur on Monday.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2010
Engineers removed additional foam insulation near a cracked structural rib, or stringer, in the shuttle Discovery's external tank Friday and found yet another crack in an adjacent stringer, sources said.

Read our full story.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2010
A leaking hydrogen vent line attachment fitting on the side of the shuttle Discovery's external tank was removed and disassembled overnight, revealing an unevenly compressed internal seal. The quick-disconnect hardware also may have a less concentric fit than pre-fueling measurements indicated. An analysis is underway to determine if the defects are responsible for the gaseous hydrogen leak that grounded Discovery last Friday.

Read our full story.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2010
Cracked foam insulation on the shuttle Discovery's external tank was cut away overnight, revealing serpentine cracks in an underlying structural rib, or stringer. Based on experience repairing similar cracks on other tanks, sources said, engineers believe the damage can be fixed at the pad before the next launch window opens at the end of the month.

Read our full story.
0130 GMT (8:30 p.m. EST Tues.)
The gaseous hydrogen vent arm extending from the launch pad 39A tower to shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank was detached tonight and lowered down about 8:25 p.m. EDT. This will enable the technicians access inside the leaky ground umbilical carrier plate.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2010
Engineers worked to disconnect a 7-inch hydrogen vent line from a leaky quick-disconnect fitting on the side of the shuttle Discovery's external tank Tuesday that grounded the ship last Friday. Disassembly of the suspect fitting was expected overnight, with troubleshooters taking in situ photographs of the hardware, double-checking its alignment and looking for any obvious signs of trouble.

Read our full story.
1645 GMT (11:45 a.m. EST)
Technicians are busy today, as seen in our live streaming video coverage, working to unhook ordnance and disassemble the ground umbilical carrier plate. This is the first opportunity for engineers to get their hands on the GUCP since last Friday's gaseous hydrogen leak.

The target liftoff time on November 30 has been revised by a few minutes to 4:02:44 a.m. EST (0902:44 GMT). Check out the latest chart of launch windows.

And see our revised flight plan with the detailed timelines of the mission based on the new launch time.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2010
Engineers extended a launch pad access platform Monday in preparation for inspections and disassembly of a 7-inch hydrogen vent line quick-disconnect fitting to find out what caused a potentially dangerous leak that forced NASA to cancel the shuttle Discovery's planned launching last Friday.

Read our full story.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2010
A day after the shuttle Discovery's flight to the International Space Station was put on hold, the launch pad's service structure was rotated back around the spacecraft this morning. Weather protection panels to cover the ship's wings were slid into position a short time ago. Boiloff of residual hydrogen in the external tank was finished before dawn.

Technicians have not yet gained access to the trouble spot on the backside of the tank. They'll have to extend a catwalk from the pad's tower to reach the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate where the gaseous hydrogen leak occurred during Friday's countdown.

Engineers are formulating plans for inspections, tests and repairs to fix the problem. The external tank foam crack also needs to be resolved before Discovery can fly, which is targeted for no sooner than November 30.

And check out the revised flight plan with the detailed timelines of the mission based on the new launch date.


Read our earlier status center coverage.