STS-128 Fact Sheet

By Cliff Lethbridge

STS-128 – Discovery

128th Space Shuttle Mission

37th Flight of Discovery

Crew:

Frederick W. Sturckow, Commander

Kevin A. Ford, Pilot

Patrick G. Forrester, Mission Specialist

Jose M. Hernandez, Mission Specialist

Christer Fuglesang, Mission Specialist

John D. Olivas, Mission Specialist

Nicole Stott, Embarking to International Space Station

Timothy Kopra, Returning From International Space Station

Orbiter Preparations:

Rollout to Launch Pad 39A – August 4, 2009

Launch:

August 28, 2009 – 11:59:37 p.m. EDT. Launch attempt on August 25, 2009 was scrubbed due to clouds and lightning in the launch area. August 26, 2009 launch attempt was scrubbed due to a failure indication on Discovery’s Liquid Hydrogen Inboard Fill And Drain Valve. Launch on August 28, 2009 was on time with no delays.

Landing:

September 11, 2009 – 8:53 p.m. EDT at Runway 22, Edwards Air Force Base, California. Landing occurred during the 219^th orbit. Mission duration was 13 days, 20 hours, 54 minutes, 55 seconds. Landing attempts at the Kennedy Space Center on September 10, 2009 and September 11, 2009 were waived due to bad weather.

Mission Summary:

The primary payload was the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), designed to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station (ISS).Docking between Discovery and ISS took place on August 31, 2009. Undocking occurred on September 8, 2009.

There were three spacewalks during the mission. The first spacewalk was conducted on September 1, 2009 and lasted 6 hours, 35 minutes. Astronauts Olivas and Stott prepared for the removal of an empty ammonia tank by releasing its bolts. They also retrieved the Materials International Space Station Experiment and European Technology Exposure Facility mounted outside the ISS Columbus Laboratory and stowed them inside Discovery’s cargo bay for a return to Earth.

The second spacewalk was conducted on September 3, 2009 and lasted 6 hours, 39 minutes. Astronauts Olivas and Fuglesang removed a new ammonia tank from Discovery’s payload bay and replaced the old ammonia tank. The third spacewalk was conducted on September 5, 2009 and lasted 7 hours, 1 minute. Astronauts Olivas and Fuglesang prepared the exterior of ISS for the upcoming arrival of the Tranquility Node. They also replaced a communications sensor device, installed two new GPS antennas, and replaced a circuit breaker.