NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

STS-114

Launch Time
Tue Jul 26, 2005 14:39 UTC

Return to flight after the Columbia accident. Analysis of the launch footage showed debris separating from the external tank during ascent; it was the issue that had set off the Columbia disaster. As a result, NASA decided on July 27th to postpone future shuttle flights pending additional modifications to the flight hardware.

Rocket

Space Shuttle Discovery
NASA
Status: Retired
Price: $450.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 30,250 kN
Payload to LEO: 27,500 kg
Payload to GTO: 3,810 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 56.1 m

Vehicles

Edwards Runway 22

OV-103

Flight #31
1446 day turnaround

Mission Details

STS-114

The STS-114 mission delivered supplies to the International Space Station. However, the major focus of the mission was testing and evaluating new Space Shuttle flight safety techniques, which included new inspection and repair techniques. The crewmembers used the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) – a set of instruments on a 50-foot (15 m) extension attached to the Canadarm. The OBSS instrument package consists of visual imaging equipment and a Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) to detect problems with the shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS). The crew scanned the leading edges of the wings, the nose cap, and the crew compartment for damage, as well as other potential problem areas engineers wished to inspect based on video taken during lift-off.

Low Earth Orbit

Location

LC-39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA

Stats

2005

29th orbital launch attempt

Space Shuttle

114th mission
1st mission of 2005
112th successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission