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Spaceflight Now +
Subscribe to Spaceflight Now Plus for access to our extensive video collections! How do I sign up? Video archive Weather satellite launch The NOAA-N Prime weather observatory launches from California aboard a Delta 2 rocket on Feb. 6. Play Carbon observatory Preview of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, NASA's first spacecraft dedicated to mapping the global distribution of carbon dioxide. Play Expedition 19 crew The Russian commander and two American astronauts to serve aboard the space station during the Expedition 19 mission hold this pre-flight news briefing. Play Delta 4-Heavy launch The Delta 4-Heavy rocket launches a new intelligence-gathering satellite for the nation. Full coverage STS-119: Shuttle on pad Shuttle Discovery rolls to pad 39A for its February launch to the space station. Play STS-119: The programs In advance of shuttle Discovery's STS-119 mission to the station, managers from both programs discuss the flight. Play STS-119: The mission A detailed preview of Discovery's mission to deliver and activate the space station's final power truss is provided in this briefing. Play STS-119: Spacewalks Four spacewalks are planned during Discovery's STS-119 mission to the station. Play STS-119: The Crew The Discovery astronauts, led by commander Lee Archambault, meet the press in the traditional pre-flight news conference. Play Station's new toilet Space station commander Mike Fincke shows the new U.S. toilet installed aboard the complex. The astronauts are preparing the station for larger crews beginning in 2009. Play Become a subscriber More video
News Archive 2009: March
Atlantis returns to launch pad for Hubble mission
The space shuttle Atlantis, bolted to a mobile launch platform atop an Apollo-era crawler-transporter, was hauled to launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center Tuesday for work to ready the ship for blastoff May 12 on a fifth and final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. FULL STORY STS-125 FLIGHT PLAN PHOTOS:ROLLOUT GALLERY MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! MOVIES:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO
Hubble uncovers unusual supernova progenitor star
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has identified a star that was one million times brighter than the Sun before it exploded as a supernova in 2005. According to current theories of stellar evolution, the star should not have self-destructed so early in its life. FULL STORY
An erratic black hole that regulates itself
New results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have made a major advance in explaining how a special class of black holes may shut off the high-speed jets they produce. These results suggest that these black holes have a mechanism for regulating the rate at which they grow. FULL STORY
With leaky valve replaced, Atlas ready to try again
An Atlas 5 rocket that will deploy a vital new communications satellite to support U.S military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan is aiming for a Friday evening launch from Cape Canaveral, now that a leaky liquid oxygen valve has been replaced. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER
Boundary layer tripping: shuttle's entry experiment
In an experiment that could lead to improved heat shield designs for future spacecraft - along with insights into shuttle aerodynamics - temperature data and infrared imagery confirm a modified tile on the underside of the shuttle Discovery's left wing caused air rushing over the belly of the orbiter to transition from smooth to turbulent flow as expected. FULL STORY OUR DISCOVERY MISSION ARCHIVE
Welcome home, Discovery!
Shuttle Discovery and crew have safely returned from their orbital construction mission that installed the final section of the space station's truss structure, unfurled two giant solar wings that finished assembly of the outpost's electrical grid and boosted the international science laboratories to full power. LANDING STORY FIRST OPPORTUNITY WAVED OFF MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! MAPS:SATURDAY'S LANDING TRACKS NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. S (.pdf download)
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
DISCOVERY LANDS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS INSPECT THEIR SPACECRAFT ON RUNWAY PLAY VIDEO:
NASA OFFICIALS HOLD POST-LANDING NEWS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
POST-FLIGHT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH ASTRONAUTS PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL CENTER PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: NORTH SIDE OF RUNWAY PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: EAST SIDE OF RUNWAY PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: WEST SIDE OF RUNWAY PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: CAMERA AT RUNWAY MID-FIELD PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: TOUCHDOWN IN INFRARED PLAY VIDEO:
LANDING REPLAY: INFRARED TRACKER PLAY VIDEO:
MISSION CONTROL GIVES "GO" FOR DEORBIT BURN PLAY VIDEO:
FIRST LANDING OPPORTUNITY WAVED OFF PLAY VIDEO:
PRE-LANDING MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 13 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Cape's next Atlas 5 rocket launch moves to April 3
Tuesday evening's target launch date for the Atlas 5 rocket on a satellite-deployment mission for the U.S. military is being pushed back a few more days to complete analysis work, the Air Force said Sunday. MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
Soyuz delivers three-man crew to space station
Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka took over manual control and guided the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft to a smooth docking with the international space station Saturday to cap a two-day orbital chase that began with blastoff Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. DOCKING STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER
Legendary commander tells story of shuttle's close call
The exhaustive attention NASA now devotes to making sure shuttle heat shields are damage-free and safe for re-entry is a direct result of the 2003 Columbia disaster. But a blacked-out military flight 21 years ago still stands out as warning to astronauts, engineers and managers, a frightening "close call" that had the potential to bring the shuttle program to an early end. FULL STORY
Discovery's re-entry to collect hypersonic research
As the space shuttle Discovery dives through re-entry to end STS-119, the aerodynamic flow on its outer left wing will be deliberately tripped from laminar to turbulent flow at Mach 15. FULL STORY
Astronauts prep Discovery for Saturday's landing
With forecasters predicting generally good, if somewhat windy, weather ahead of an approaching front, the shuttle Discovery's astronauts tested the ship's re-entry systems and packed for landing Saturday back at the Kennedy Space Center. FULL STORY MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. R (.pdf download)
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EDUCATIONAL EVENT WITH SCHOOL IN HAWAII PLAY VIDEO:
PRE-LANDING TESTS OF SHUTTLE'S FLIGHT CONTROLS PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 12 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO:
THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
NARRATED ANIMATION OF LATE INSPECTIONS PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Relive Discovery's launch with booster cameras
As shuttle Discovery's mission winds down, we look back to the spectacular sunset launch with footage recorded by video cameras on the solid rocket boosters. The movies are presented here for Spaceflight Now Plus users with launch audio.
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LEFT-HAND BOOSTER CAMERA LOOKING UPWARD PLAY VIDEO:
LEFT-HAND BOOSTER CAMERA LOOKING INBOARD PLAY VIDEO:
LEFT-HAND BOOSTER CAMERA LOOKING DOWNWARD PLAY VIDEO:
RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER CAMERA LOOKING UPWARD PLAY VIDEO:
RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER CAMERA LOOKING INBOARD PLAY VIDEO:
RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER CAMERA LOOKING DOWNWARD PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Russian Soyuz rocket launches new station crew
A veteran Russian cosmonaut set to become the first repeat commander of the international space station, a rookie NASA astronaut and a millionaire tourist going back to orbit for a second time ascended high above Earth Thursday aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. LAUNCH STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. P (.pdf download) STORE:EXPEDITION 19 CREW PATCH
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FULL EXPERIENCE FROM LIFTOFF TO ORBIT PLAY VIDEO:
SOYUZ ROCKET LAUNCHES EXPEDITION 19 PLAY VIDEO:
THREE CAMERA REPLAYS OF THE LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO:
NARRATED HIGHLIGHTS OF CREW'S LAUNCH PREPS PLAY VIDEO:
CROWD WELCOMES CREW AT BAIKONUR PAD PLAY VIDEO:
CREW DEPARTS SITE 254 FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY VIDEO:
VIPS MEET THE CREW ON LAUNCH MORNING PLAY VIDEO:
CREW MEMBERS DON THEIR SOKOL SPACESUITS PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH MORNING TRADITIONS AT CREW QUARTERS PLAY VIDEO:
SOYUZ MOVED TO LAUNCH PAD FOR EXPEDITION 19 PLAY VIDEO:
ROCKET HOISTED VERTICALLY ONTO LAUNCH PAD PLAY VIDEO:
INTERVIEW WITH ISS DEPUTY PROGRAM MANAGER PLAY VIDEO:
INTERVIEW WITH FORMER ISS COMMANDER PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
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Discovery departs the international space station
Shuttle Discovery undocked from the international space station at 3:53 p.m. EDT Wednesday, ending an 8-day assembly visit. The shuttle delivered the final solar array power module, attaching the 15.5-ton truss and unfurling its giant wings that completed the space station's power grid and doubled the amount of electricity available for international science aboard the outpost. SHUTTLE CIRCLES STATION OUR UNDOCKING STORY FAREWELL CEREMONY MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. O (.pdf download)
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FLIGHT DAY 11 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO:
WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE OF FLYING AROUND THE SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO:
STUNNING VIEWS OF SPACE STATION FROM FLYAROUND PLAY VIDEO:
FOOTAGE OF SHUTTLE DISCOVERY AFTER UNDOCKING PLAY VIDEO:
SHUTTLE DISCOVERY UNDOCKS FROM SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO:
HATCHWAY CLOSED BETWEEN TWO SPACECRAFT PLAY VIDEO:
FAREWELL CEREMONY BETWEEN THE TWO CREWS PLAY VIDEO:
PREVIEW ANIMATION OF UNDOCKING AN FLYAROUND PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 10 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Mars water story spawns kudos and controversy
Phoenix science team findings that their spacecraft discovered liquid water on the surface of Mars sailed through their first scientific peer review unchallenged at the 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston this week. FULL STORY
President calls station to chat with astronauts
President Barack Obama, hosting school kids and members of Congress, called the crews of the shuttle Discovery and the international space station Tuesday, quizzing the astronauts about life in space and offering congratulations for a successful station assembly mission. FULL STORY FREE VIDEO:OBAMA CALLS CREW QUIET DAY BEFORE UNDOCKING NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. M (.pdf download) FREE VIDEO:CREW FINISHES FINAL SPACEWALK
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SOYUZ MOVED TO LAUNCH PAD FOR EXPEDITION 19 PLAY VIDEO:
ROCKET HOISTED VERTICALLY ONTO LAUNCH PAD PLAY VIDEO:
INTERVIEW WITH ISS DEPUTY PROGRAM MANAGER PLAY VIDEO:
INTERVIEW WITH FORMER ISS COMMANDER PLAY VIDEO:
PRESIDENT OBAMA CALLS THE SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO:
JOINT CREW IN-FLIGHT NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO:
TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 9 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Delta 2 rocket deploys another GPS satellite
Continuing 20 years of building and maintaining the Global Positioning System, the workhorse Delta 2 rocket Tuesday morning successfully launched another satellite for the navigation network known the world over. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! IMAGES:LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY IMAGES:TOWER ROLLBACK
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ROLLBACK OF LAUNCH PAD GANTRY PLAY VIDEO:
DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH GPS 2R-20 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH OF GPS 2R-20 SATELLITE AS SEEN LIVE PLAY VIDEO:
FIRST STAGE MAIN ENGINE CUTOFF PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Station's external cargo fixture remains stuck
The failure to fully deploy an external cargo carrier mechanism during the Discovery crew's final spacewalk Monday will have no immediate impact on space station assembly, the flight director said. The jammed carrier, intended to support pallets carrying spare parts and other equipment for downstream use, may be repaired by the station crew or astronauts on an upcoming assembly flight. FULL STORY SPACEWALK ENDS CARGO FIXTURE REMAINS STUCK CART REPOSITIONED ON TRUSS MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. K (.pdf download) FREE VIDEO:THIRD SPACEWALK ON TAP
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MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
SPACEWALKER RICK ARNOLD WORKS ON STATION ARM PLAY VIDEO:
SPACEWALKER JOE ACABA MOVES RAIL CART PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 8 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Atlantis moves to assembly building for Hubble mission
Ground crews moved the space shuttle Atlantis out of its hangar at the Kennedy Space Center Monday. The orbiter was transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building for attachment to an external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. Atlantis will be rolled out to launch pad 39A next week to begin preparations for liftoff May 12 to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
Discovery moves station to ease space debris concern
Discovery commander Lee Archambault maneuvered the shuttle-space station "stack" Sunday to avoid multiple close encounters with a piece of Chinese space junk that could have posed a threat during a third and final spacewalk Monday. Space station commander Mike Fincke, meanwhile, made solid progress with lab's urine recycling system and resumed testing late in the day after resolving a snag earlier in the day. FULL STORY MANEUVER TO AVOID PIECE OF DEBRIS URINE RECYCLE SYSTEM PROBLEM MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. K (.pdf download)
Power-making wings unfurl; flight plan changed
NASA managers, thrilled at the successful deployment of a fourth and final set of solar arrays on the international space station Friday, approved a revised flight plan that will delay hatch closure and the shuttle Discovery's undocking slightly to improve the odds of getting critical experiment samples back to Earth in case of weather wave-offs that might delay the orbiter's return. FULL STORY BOTH ARRAYS DEPLOYED MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. H (.pdf download)
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FRIDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
NEWS MEDIA INTERVIEWS WITH CREW PLAY VIDEO:
SECOND SOLAR WING FULLY DEPLOYED PLAY VIDEO:
SECOND SOLAR WING DEPLOYED HALF-WAY PLAY VIDEO:
FIRST SOLAR WING FULLY DEPLOYED PLAY VIDEO:
FIRST SOLAR WING DEPLOYED HALF-WAY PLAY VIDEO:
NARRATED ANIMATION OF SOLAR ARRAY DEPLOYMENT PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Carbon observatory team proposes replacement
Climate scientists are making the case to NASA for a new satellite to replace a $273 million carbon dioxide monitoring mission lost in a launch failure last month. The new spacecraft would focus on the scientific goals of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, which crashed back to Earth after the payload shroud of its Taurus booster failed to separate. FULL STORY
Station assembly milestone: Final power truss installed
Spacewalkers Steve Swanson and Ricky Arnold, working outside on a six-hour spacewalk Thursday, attached the last solar array truss to the international space station. The module carries a set of giant electricity-generating wings to be unfurled on Friday, boosting the station to full power. SOLAR ARRAY CONTAINERS UNFOLDED NEW TRUSS INSTALLED MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. F (.pdf download)
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THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
SPACEWALKER STEVE SWANSON RELEASES LOCKS PLAY VIDEO:
STARBOARD 6 TRUSS ATTACHED TO THE STATION PLAY VIDEO:
POWER TRUSS HANDED FROM SHUTTLE TO STATION PLAY VIDEO:
STARBOARD 6 TRUSS HOISTED FROM PAYLOAD BAY PLAY VIDEO:
WALKTHROUGH OF SPACEWALK NO. 1 PLAN PLAY VIDEO:
OVERVIEW OF THE STARBOARD 6 TRUSS PAYLOAD PLAY VIDEO:
NARRATED ANIMATION OF TRUSS INSTALLATION PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Power payload handed from Discovery to the station
A $300 million, 31,000-pound solar array truss segment was plucked from the shuttle Discovery's cargo bay Thursday, handed off, re-grappled and moved to an overnight park position near the right end of the international space station's main power truss for installation Thursday during a planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk. FULL STORY MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. D (.pdf download)
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WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
PREVIEW ANIMATION OF S6 TRUSS UNBERTHING PLAY VIDEO:
NARRATED TOUR OF DISCOVERY'S PAYLOAD BAY PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO:
TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
SHUTTLE CREW WELCOMED ABOARD STATION PLAY VIDEO:
SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY DOCKS TO SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO:
SHUTTLE'S POINT OF VIEW DURING BACKFLIP PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Atlas 5 rocket rolls back to hangar for repairs
A day after a liquid oxygen valve leak on the Centaur upper stage scrubbed its launch, an Atlas 5 rocket has been wheeled off the Complex 41 pad and returned to the nearby assembly building. MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! PAYLOAD PREVIEW STORY PHOTOS:MONDAY'S ROLLOUT TO PAD PHOTOS:LAUNCH PREPS
SpaceX announces plans for next Falcon 1 launch
Parts of SpaceX's next Falcon 1 rocket are en route to the booster's remote island launch site for the company's first commercial mission due for liftoff on April 20. FULL STORY
Successful rendezvous for Discovery and station
With hugs, smiles and handshakes,the crew of the international space station welcomed shuttle commander Lee Archambault and his six crewmates aboard late Tuesday after a picture-perfect docking over western Australia. FULL STORY MORNING STORY UPDATED FLIGHT PLAN NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. C (.pdf download)
Gravity mapper ascends to space atop Rockot booster
Europe launched a slender, winged ion-driven satellite Tuesday to glide through the upper atmosphere for nearly two years measuring Earth's gravity field with unprecedented precision. FULL STORY PREVIEW STORY
Mission manager says launch appeared flawless
A quick-look at ascent imagery and other data indicates the shuttle Discovery came through its launch and climb to space Sunday in very good shape with no major issues or anomalies, the chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team said late Monday. Space station controllers, meanwhile, decided a piece of space junk they had been tracking posed no threat and would not require an avoidance maneuver by the lab crew. FULL STORY MORNING STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. B (.pdf download)
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MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
MONDAY'S MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM UPDATE PLAY VIDEO:
PREVIEW ANIMATION OF HEAT SHIELD INSPECTIONS PLAY VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO:
THE FULL STS-119 LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: EXTERNAL TANK CAMERA PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: VAB ROOF PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-1 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-2 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA CS-6 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: FRONT CAMERA PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: BEACH TRACKER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: PLAYALINDA BEACH PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: THE VIP VIEWING SITE PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: WEST TOWER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 009 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 050 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 051 PLAY VIDEO:
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LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 070 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 071 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-11 TRACKER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE PLAY VIDEO:
INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO:
PAYLOAD BAY DOORS OPENED IN ORBIT PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Discovery soars at sunset to boost space station power
Space shuttle Discovery launched at 7:43 p.m. EDT Sunday on a mission to complete the power grid of the international space station. This 125th shuttle mission will deliver and install the final segment of the station's truss backbone and unfurl two giant solar wings. FULL STORY
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SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY BLASTS OFF PLAY VIDEO:
SHUTTLE'S CREW MODULE HATCH CLOSED FOR FLIGHT PLAY VIDEO:
MISSION SPECIALIST STEVE SWANSON BOARDS PLAY VIDEO:
PILOT TONY ANTONELLI BOARDS DISCOVERY PLAY VIDEO:
COMMANDER LEE ARCHAMBAULT BOARDS PLAY VIDEO:
CREW DEPARTS QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS DON SPACESUITS FOR LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE OF SUNRISE AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE OF HYDROGEN ACCESS ARM RETRACTION PLAY VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE OF SATURDAY NIGHT'S GANTRY ROLLBACK PLAY VIDEO:
SATURDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY MORE:STS-119 VIDEO COVERAGE MORE:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO SUBSCRIBE NOW
Still no 'smoking gun' found for hydrogen vent line leak
Engineers fell several hours behind schedule Saturday fixing an alignment issue and re-connecting a gaseous hydrogen vent line to the shuttle Discovery's external tank, but NASA managers say they should be able to make up the lost time and stay on track for a launch attempt Sunday at 7:43 p.m. EDT. FULL STORY NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. A (.pdf download) LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART COUNTDOWN TIMELINE LAUNCH TIMELINE FREE VIDEO:DAVID WATERS REPORTS FROM KSC
Pad technicians trying to fix hydrogen vent line leak
As expected, engineers troubleshooting the hydrogen vent line leak that grounded the shuttle Discovery Wednesday were unable to detect any problems using helium at ambient temperatures, officials said Friday. FULL STORY FREE VIDEO:DAVID WATERS REPORTS FROM KSC
Atlas gives up launch opportunity for the shuttle
With NASA's decision to try launching space shuttle Discovery on Sunday evening, the upcoming flight of an Atlas 5 rocket carrying a military communications satellite from Cape Canaveral will go into standby mode under an agreement reached between the space agency and Air Force officials. MISSION STATUS CENTER PHOTOS:LAUNCH PREPS
Expedited repair to allow Sunday launch of Discovery
NASA managers Thursday reviewed plans to fix a leaking hydrogen vent line and decided to implement an expedited repair procedure that, if all goes well, will permit a launch attempt at 7:43 p.m. EDT Sunday to kick off a delayed space station assembly mission. FULL STORY EARLIER STORY FREE VIDEO:MILES O'BRIEN REPORTS FROM KSC
Threat of debris collision passes the space station
After boarding their Soyuz capsule as part of precautionary procedures for a possible space debris collision Thursday, the three crew members living on the international space station have been given an all-clear. The piece of debris was expected to pass close by the station at 12:39 p.m. EDT. NASA says news of the close approach came too late to move the station. A few minutes after the predicted time for the encounter, ground controllers said the crew could enter back into the station again. FULL STORY NASA STATEMENT EARLIER STORY
Shuttle Discovery launch scrubbed by hydrogen leak
Already running a month behind schedule because of subtle hydrogen valve problems, launch of the shuttle Discovery was called off during fueling Wednesday when an unrelated hydrogen vent line sprang a potentially dangerous leak. NASA will not be able to make another attempt to launch Discovery until Sunday at the earliest, giving the astronauts just three days or so to get off the ground before the end of the March launch window. SCRUB STORY STORE:DISCOVERY CREW PATCH VIDEO:MISSION VIDEO COVERAGE HDTV:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO
Martian moon Deimos in high resolution from orbiter
The HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken these color-enhanced views of Deimos, the smaller of the two moons orbiting around the Red Planet. FULL STORY
NASA's Mars rover Spirit faces circuitous route
Loose soil piled against the northern edge of a low plateau called "Home Plate" has blocked NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit from taking the shortest route toward its southward destinations for the upcoming Martian summer and following winter. FULL STORY
Mission to finish building station's power grid
After around-the-clock work to resolve concern about suspect hydrogen valves, the shuttle Discovery is set for launch Wednesday on a four-spacewalk mission to attach a final set of solar arrays to the international space station. The huge solar panels are the last major U.S.-built station components scheduled for launch on a space shuttle. PREVIEW STORY FREE VIDEO:ASTRONAUTS PRACTICE LANDINGS NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. 0 (.pdf download) STS-119 FLIGHT PLAN
Station spacewalk taken as shuttle nears launch
The shuttle Discovery's countdown continues to tick smoothly toward launch Wednesday on a space station assembly mission. Aboard the station, meanwhile, commander Mike Fincke and flight engineer Yury Lonchakov conducted a spacewalk Tuesday afternoon to mount a European experiment packaged on the hull of the Zvezda command module and to complete a variety of other tasks. SPACEWALK A SUCCESS FULL STORY
Exclusive interview with Kepler mission scientist
Astronomy Now's Keith Cooper talks in-depth to the deputy principal investigator of the Kepler mission to find out just how the spacecraft will go about the ambitious task of detecting Earth-like planets. Kepler was launched Friday night. FULL STORY
Did the Phoenix spacecraft find liquid water on Mars?
Post-mission analysis of Phoenix Mars lander data is turning up strong new "smoking gun evidence" that the spacecraft discovered liquid water on the Red Planet. FULL STORY
Shuttle on schedule, weather forecast looks good
The shuttle Discovery's countdown to launch Wednesday is proceeding smoothly, officials said Monday, with no technical problems of any significance at the launch pad and excellent weather expected throughout the week. FULL STORY
Space shuttle astronauts arrive at Florida spaceport
The seven men to fly aboard space shuttle Discovery arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday afternoon to begin final preparations for Wednesday night's launch. FULL STORY PODCAST:ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE FOR LAUNCH
Kepler leaves Earth to discover new worlds
NASA's Kepler planet-finder began its mission to discover Earth-like worlds orbiting other stars in the galaxy Friday night, successfully launching at 10:49:57 p.m. EST aboard a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral. FULL STORY PREVIEW STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER VIDEO:KEPLER VIDEO COVERAGE HDTV:HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO
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THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY VIDEO:
DELTA 2 ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH KEPLER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
KEPLER SUCCESSFULLY SEPARATES FROM ROCKET PLAY VIDEO:
UPDATE FROM THE NASA LAUNCH MANAGER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: KSC TRACKER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS 23 TRACKER PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: TOWER CAMERA PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: PATRICK AFB PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD CAMERA PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE 1 PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: TRIDENT BLUFF LOCATION PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAY: SECOND VIEW FROM BLUFF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
AN INTERVIEW WITH NASA'S SCIENCE CHIEF PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH PAD'S SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
HIGHLIGHTS OF KEPLER LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DELTA 2'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO:
THURSDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO:
SCIENTISTS PREVIEW THE KEPLER MISSION PLAY VIDEO:
KEPLER PRE-FLIGHT OVERVIEW BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
SPACECRAFT MOUNTED ATOP ROCKET AT PAD 17B PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LEAVING ASTROTECH FOR TRIP TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CANISTER PUT AROUND KEPLER FOR PAD MOVE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOLID-FUEL THIRD STAGE ATTACHED TO KEPLER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
BEAUTY SHOTS OF OBSERVATORY IN CLEANROOM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SPACECRAFT UNPACKED AT ASTROTECH FACILITY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
KEPLER ARRIVES ON FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DELTA ROCKET'S SECOND STAGE ERECTED PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Discovery formally set to launch next Wednesday
Senior NASA managers Friday officially cleared the shuttle Discovery for launch March 11 on a delayed space station assembly mission. The decision to proceed was based on a review of extensive testing and analysis, along with results from a new inspection technique, that gave engineers high confidence three hydrogen flow control valves installed aboard Discovery are crack free and can be safely launched as is. FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates! VIDEO:MISSION VIDEO COVERAGE STORE:DISCOVERY CREW PATCH
Spaceflight Now to host live shuttle launch broadcast
Spaceflight Now is joining forces with veteran space broadcasters Miles O'Brien and David Waters to provide unrivaled video coverage of space shuttle Discovery's next mission. FULL STORY
Geriatric pulsar still kicking
The oldest isolated pulsar ever detected in X-rays has been found with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This very old and exotic object turns out to be surprisingly active. FULL STORY
OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
MRO resumes normal science operations around Mars -- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has fully recovered from an unexpected computer re-set last week and resumed its scientific investigation of Mars. Odyssey flight team to check status of backup system -- The team operating NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter plans a procedure next week to address a long-known, potential vulnerability of accumulated memory corruption.
NASA officially moves up Discovery's launch date
Shuttle managers met Wednesday to review tests and inspections of suspect hydrogen flow control valves and agreed enough progress had been made to justify another flight readiness review Friday and a March 11 target launch date for the shuttle Discovery's delayed space station assembly mission. FULL STORY EARLIER STORY LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART COUNTDOWN TIMELINE STS-119 FLIGHT PLAN
Newfound moon may be source of outer Saturn ring
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has found within Saturn's G ring an embedded moonlet that appears as a faint, moving pinprick of light. Scientists believe it is a main source of the G ring and its single ring arc. FULL STORY
Details of Pluto's lower atmosphere revealed
A thin envelope of nitrogen and methane cloaks the dwarf planet Pluto in an atmosphere that is 50 degrees warmer than the surface, according to observations made with ESO's Very Large Telescope. FULL STORY
China readies military space station for 2010 launch
China is aggressively accelerating the pace of its manned space program by developing a 17,000 lb. man-tended military space laboratory planned for launch by late 2010. The mission will coincide with a halt in U.S. manned flight with phase-out of the shuttle. FULL STORY
Review clears Kepler rocket of nose cone concerns
NASA's Kepler space observatory is set for blastoff Friday night following an extensive review to spot similarities in the nose cone and separation systems between its Delta 2 rocket and another launcher that failed last week. MISSION STATUS CENTER
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
KEPLER PRE-LAUNCH OVERVIEW BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
SPACECRAFT MOUNTED ATOP ROCKET AT PAD 17B PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LEAVING ASTROTECH FOR TRIP TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CANISTER PUT AROUND KEPLER FOR PAD MOVE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOLID-FUEL THIRD STAGE ATTACHED TO KEPLER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
BEAUTY SHOTS OF OBSERVATORY IN CLEANROOM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SPACECRAFT UNPACKED AT ASTROTECH FACILITY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
KEPLER ARRIVES ON FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DELTA ROCKET'S SECOND STAGE ERECTED PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Mothballed NASA satellite awaits new life
The long-grounded Deep Space Climate Observatory may be revived for an assignment very different from the controversial mission that was cancelled for its infamous mix of politics and science. FULL STORY
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ASTRONAUTS WELCOMED BACK TO HOUSTON 
