STS-105 Day 1 Highlights
Return to STS-105 Mission Summary
-
- On Friday, August 10, 2001, 4:30 p.m. CDT, STS-105 MCC Status Report # 1
reports:
- After a one-day delay because of weather, Space Shuttle Discovery
blasted off this afternoon, carrying a crew of four and three new
residents to the International Space Station.
- As the station sailed over the Pacific Ocean southwest of the border
between Mexico and Guatemala, Discovery rocketed away from Launch Pad
39-A at the Kennedy Space Center.at 4:10 p.m. Central time en route to
a rendezvous and docking Sunday afternoon.
- Aboard Discovery were Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Rick Sturckow
and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester and Dan Barry along with
Expedition Three Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov
and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin. They will replace the Expedition
Two crew, Commander Yury Usachev and Flight Engineers Jim Voss and
Susan Helms, who were wrapping up their 155th day in space at the time
of Discovery's launch.
- Less than nine minutes after beginning its journey, Discovery
settled into its preliminary orbit as the crew prepared to open the
ship's payload bay doors prior to receiving the green light to
begin orbital operations. This is the fifth shuttle mission of the
year.
- Discovery's crew will spend the next few hours unpacking equipment,
setting up computers and conducting the first in a series of engine
firings to refine the shuttle's orbit as it heads for the
station. The crew will begin an eight-hour sleep period shortly after
11 p.m. and will be awakened at 7:15 a.m. Saturday for its first full
day in orbit. That day will be devoted to preparations for Sunday's
rendezvous and docking and eight days of joint operations with the
Expedition Two crew, highlighted by the official transfer of command
of the station from Usachev to Culbertson .
- Aboard the station, Usachev, Voss and Helms have spent most of the
past couple of weeks packing gear for the trip home aboard Discovery,
and tidying up for the arrival of visitors about 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
- Discovery is in an orbit inclined 51.6 degrees to either side of the
Equator with all of its systems operating normally.
-
Go to STS-105 Flight Day 2 Highlights: