February 25, 2011 — Space shuttle Discovery lifted off for the last time Thursday afternoon, heading to the International Space Station with a new module and critical supplies inside.
A last-minute computer glitch threatened to abort the launch, which had been delayed since last fall due to problems in the external fuel tanks. But the problem was fixed with only four seconds left in the launch window, and Discovery safely reached orbit.
"Good to be here," Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey radioed soon after the three main engines shut off and the external fuel tank was jettisoned. The official launch time was 4:53:24 p.m. EST.
Discovery’s launch was watched by tens of thousands of people who crammed the roads in and around Cape Canaveral.
“I’m not surprised,” said Mike Moses, launch integration manager and chairman of the Mission Management Team, during a post-launch press conference. “A final flight ought to achieve that type of attention…”
STS-133 is the 133rd shuttle flight, the 39th and final flight for Discovery and the 35th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance.
Discovery launched the same day as a cargo-carrying Automated Transfer Vehicle from the European Space Agency docked to the station.
"This is a pretty unique time in the history of spaceflight,” Bll Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for Space Operations, said during the post-launch press conference. "This is an intriguing time with … the amount of activity to one single destination…”
The STS-133 mission is delivering the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), a facility created from the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module named Leonardo. The module can support microgravity experiments in areas such as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology. Inside the PMM is Robonaut 2, a dexterous robot that will become a permanent resident of the station. Discovery also is carrying critical spare components to the space station and the Express Logistics Carrier 4, an external platform that holds large equipment.
Besides Lindsey, the crew includes Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. Bowen replaced Tim Kopra as a mission specialist following a bicycle injury on January 15. Bowen last flew on Atlantis in May 2010 as part of the STS-132 crew. Flying on the STS-133 mission will make Bowen the first astronaut ever to fly on consecutive missions.
The shuttle crew is scheduled to dock to the station at 2:16 p.m. on Saturday. The mission's two spacewalks will focus on outfitting the station and storing spare components outside the complex.
After completing the 11-day flight, the shuttle's first landing opportunity at Kennedy is scheduled for 12:44 p.m. March 7.
NASA is providing continuous coverage of the mission. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. Live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed will be added throughout the mission and landing. To access the feed, visit http://www.twitter.com/nasa. In addition, Stott is providing updates to her Twitter account during the mission. She can be followed at http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Nicole
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Shuttle Discovery launched for the last time on Thursday afternoon, and should reach the International Space Station on Saturday. Photo credit: NASA
In the White Room at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-133 Mission Specialist Alvin Drew puts on the parachute for his launch-and-entry suit before he enters space shuttle Discovery. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell
Outside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 astronauts, dressed in their orange launch-and-entry suits, pause for a group portrait in front of the Astrovan,
which transported them to Launch Pad 39A.
Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
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