Nasa Shuttle mission STS-119 prepares for evening launch
Posted By RichC on March 15, 2009
While checking in with Spacevidcast.com‘s coverage of Shuttle Discovery’s planned launch on UStream.com, it is interesting listening to NASA’s “fit team’s” walk around 3 hours prior to launch and what they actually do. One unusual thing during today’s walk around was a fruit bat clinging to the shuttle assembly; the NASA consultant commented commented that it will not impact the STS-119 launch, but the launch wouldn’t be all that good for the bat. The conversation between ‘amateur space junkies’ in the chat interesting as well as the interface conversation with the hosts. It’s a fun way to enjoy the pre-launch activity. Check it out – SpaceVidcast.com.
Mission STS-119 will deliver to the station the final set of solar arrays needed to complete the station’s complement of electricity-generating solar panels, and through them support the station’s expanded crew of six in 2009.
Air Force Col. Lee Archambault will lead the crew of STS-119, and Navy Cmdr. Tony Antonelli will serve as the pilot. The mission specialists for the flight will be NASA astronauts Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata.
Wakata will remain on the station, replacing Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Sandra Magnus, who returns to Earth with the STS-119 crew. He will serve as a flight engineer for Expeditions 18 and 19, and he will return to Earth on shuttle mission STS-127.
STS-119 is the 28th shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Discovery also will carry the S6 truss segment to the orbital outpost.
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