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STS-124 day 1 highlights

The highlights from shuttle Discovery's launch day are packaged into this movie.

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Discovery rolls out

Discovery travels from the Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39A in preparation for the STS-124 mission.

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STS-124: The programs

In advance of shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission to the station, managers from both programs discuss the flight.

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STS-124: The mission

A detailed preview of Discovery's mission to deliver Japan's science laboratory Kibo to the station is provided in this briefing.

 Part 1 | Part 2

STS-124: Spacewalks

Three spacewalks are planned during Discovery's STS-124 assembly mission to the station.

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STS-124: The Crew

The Discovery astronauts, led by commander Mark Kelly, meet the press in the traditional pre-flight news conference.

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Astronauts prepare for today's return to Earth
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: June 14, 2008

With good weather expected, the Discovery astronauts prepared the shuttle for re-entry and landing today to close out a two-week space station assembly mission. Commander Mark Kelly and pilot Kenneth Ham plan to fire Discovery's twin orbital maneuvering system rockets at 10:10 a.m., setting up touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center at 11:15 a.m. A second opportunity is available one orbit later, at 12:50:44 p.m. If the weather or technical problems prevent a Florida landing today, the astronauts will stay in orbit and try again Sunday.

But Discovery is in good shape and the Spaceflight Meteorology Group at the Johnson Space Center in Houston is predicting near ideal conditions for the first opportunity, with just a few clouds at 3,000 feet and winds out of the northeast at four knots, gusting to six.

"Yeah, Mark, it's still looking good for the first attempt. The winds are pretty light out of the northeast, you'll have a crosswind, zero six zero at six (knots), and there's no rain in the forecast for the first opportunity," astronaut Terry Virts radioed from Houston a few minutes before 6 a.m. "There'll be a sea breeze picking up as the day goes on, but early in the morning at our (landing) time it should not be a factor. The second opportunity does have a slight chance of rain showers. But right now, it looks pretty good."

"OK, copy, thanks," Kelly replied.

Kelly, Ham, flight engineer Ronald Garan, Karen Nyberg, Michael Fossum, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and returning space station flight engineer Garrett Reisman were awakened at 2:32 a.m. by a recording of "A Life on the Ocean Wave," the official march of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Kelly graduated from the academy in 1986.

"Good morning, Houston," he radioed. "Want to thank the staff, midshipmen and alumni of the Merchant Marine Academy for sending that up to us. The mission's coming to an end, but it's going to be good to get home today."

Discovery took off May 31 from pad 39A, carrying Japan's 15-ton Kibo laboratory module and Reisman's replacement, Gregory Chamitoff. Fossum and Garan staged three spacewalks to outfit Kibo, install a fresh tank of high pressure nitrogen for the station's cooling system and to test techniques for cleaning contamination from a solar array drive gear.

Launched to the space station in March, Reisman is returning to Earth after 95 days in space. He will make the trip home resting on his back in a recumbent seat on the lower deck of Discovery's crew cabin.

"As far as what I'm looking forward to the most, that's easy," Reisman said earlier. "I can answer that with two words and it's Simone Francis, who's my wife. No doubt about that. And our cat, Fuzzy. Not really, but Simone, yeah, definitely."

Answering a wakeup call Friday, Reisman told his wife: "Get ready, doll face. Discovery's coming home!"

Garan and Nyberg plan to close Discovery's cargo bay doors at 7:30 a.m.

If all goes well, Kelly and Ham will fire Discovery's twin braking rockets at 10:10:17 a.m. for two minutes and 36 seconds, slowing the shuttle by 197 mph. A half hour later, the shuttle will fall back into the discernible atmosphere at an altitude of 75.7 miles above the south Pacific Ocean.

The shuttle's ground track will carry the ship over the western coast of Mexico near the border of Guatemalo and then over the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico just west of Cuba. Crossing the Florida coast near Naples, Discovery's flight computers will guide the shuttle to the Kennedy Space Center where Kelly will take over manual control at an altitude of about 50,000 feet.

Flying the shuttle through a sweeping 244-degree left overhead turn, Kelly plans to give Ham about 20 seconds of hands-on "stick time" before taking over for the final moments of the descent to runway 15. Because of possible sun glare in the cockpit, Kelly could opt for a right overhead turn to line up on runway 33 instead. Either way, flight surgeons will be standing by to assist Reisman.

"I've been very diligent about keeping up with the exercise regimen we use as our primary countermeasure for keeping our bones and muscles healthy," he told CBS News in an interview Friday. "Of course, vestibular effects, balance and stuff, it's a little more difficult to predict how that's going to hit me. I'm cautiously optimistic on the basis of anecdotal evidence because I'm short. So my sensory organs are a little closer to my center of gravity and my heart has a little less distance to pump to my brain. I've been waiting my whole life and finally I think being short is going to come in handy!"

Here is the timeline for today's re-entry and landing opportunities (in EDT; statute miles):


EDT...........EVENT

Rev. 217 Deorbit to Kennedy Space Center

06:10 AM......Begin deorbit timeline
06:25 AM......Radiator stow
06:35 AM......Mission specialists seat installation
06:41 AM......Computers set for deorbit prep
06:45 AM......Hydraulic system configuration
07:10 AM......Flash evaporator cooling system checkout
07:16 AM......Final payload deactivation
07:30 AM......Payload bay doors closed
07:40 AM......Mission control 'go' for OPS-3 entry software load
07:50 AM......OPS-3 transition
08:15 AM......Entry switch list verification
08:25 AM......Deorbit maneuver update
08:30 AM......Crew entry review
08:45 AM......Commander/pilot don entry suits
09:02 AM......Inertial measurement unit alignment
09:10 AM......Copmmander/pilot strap in; mission specialists don suits
09:27 AM......Shuttle steering check
09:30 AM......Hydraulic system prestart
09:37 AM......Toilet deactivation
09:45 AM......Payload bay vent doors closed for entry
09:50 AM......Mission control 'go' for deorbit burn
09:56 AM......Mission specialists strap in
10:05 AM......Single hydraulic power unit start

10:10:17 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 197 mph; dT: 2:36)
10:12:53 AM...Deorbit burn complete (alt: 218.8 miles; vel: about 17,200 mph)

10:43:37 AM...Atmospheric entry (alt: 75.7 miles; vel: about 16,978 mph)
10:48:36 AM...1st roll command to left (80 degrees)
10:50:00 AM...Start peak heating (approx)
11:00:00 AM...End peak heating (approx)
11:02:00 AM...C-band radar acquisition
10:58:33 AM...1st left to right roll reversal (62 degrees)
11:08:46 AM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (alt: 85,500 feet)
11:11:00 AM...Velocity less than mach 1 (alt: 50,200 feet)
11:11:50 AM...Start 244-degree left overhead turn (alt: 38,000 feet)
11:15:18 AM...Landing on runway 15


Rev. 218 Deorbit to KSC

11:26 AM......Mission control 'go' for deorbit burn
11:32 AM......Mission specialists seat ingress
11:41 AM......Single hydraulic power unit start

11:46:32 AM...Deorbit ignition (dV: 198 mph; dT: 2:37)
11:49:09 AM...Deorbit burn complete (alt: 220.6 miles; vel: about 17,200 mph)

12:19:03 PM...Atmospheric entry (alt: 75.5 miles; vel: about 16,978 mph)
12:23:59 PM...1st roll command to right (80 degrees)
12:25:00 PM...Start peak heating
12:35:00 PM...End of peak heating
12:37:02 PM...1st right-to-left roll reversal (61 degrees)
12:44:13 PM...Velocity less than mach 2.5 (alt: 85,900 feet)
12:46:27 PM...Velocity less than mach 1 (alt: 49,700 feet)
12:46:57 PM...Start 281-degree left overhead turn (alt: 42,300 feet)
12:50:44 PM...Landing on runway 15

Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: CBS NEWS AND WCBS RADIO INTERVIEW THE CREW PLAY
VIDEO: HOUSTON GIVES CREW A REPORT ON OBJECT, TAIL PLAY
VIDEO: AREA OF INTEREST ON SHUTTLE TAIL FIN PLAY
VIDEO: OBJECT SEEN FLOATING AWAY FROM THE SHUTTLE PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 13 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 12 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF HEAT-SHIELD INSPECTIONS PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF DISCOVERY'S UNDOCKING PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 11 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: FAREWELL CEREMONY BETWEEN SHUTTLE AND ISS CREWS PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 10 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: JOINT CREW IN-FLIGHT NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: KIBO LAB'S ROBOT ARM EXTENDED AND CHECKED OUT PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF ROBOT ARM DEPLOYMENT PLAY
VIDEO: MONDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 9 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 3 PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF NITROGEN TANK REPLACEMENT PLAY
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 8 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: JAPANESE VIP CALL TO STATION PLAY
VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: MEDIA INTERVIEWS WITH SHUTTLE AND ISS CREWS PLAY
VIDEO: KIBO LAB'S ROBOTIC ARM FLEXES FOR FIRST TIME PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF ARM'S FIRST MOVEMENTS PLAY
VIDEO: SATURDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S DOWNLINKED REPLAY OF LOGISTICS MODULE MOVE PLAY

VIDEO: 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 DOWNWARD PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 7 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE CREW ASKED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF WING PANELS PLAY
VIDEO: JAPANESE LOGISTICS MODULE MOVED TO KIBO LAB'S ROOF PLAY
VIDEO: STATION'S ROBOT ARM GRAPPLES LOGISTICS MODULE PLAY
VIDEO: MEDIA INTERVIEWS WITH SHUTTLE AND ISS COMMANDERS PLAY
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF LOGISTICS MODULE MOVE PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 6 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: BUZZ LIGHTYEAR TOY ON THE LOOSE IN SPACE PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS INVITE VIEWERS TO DINNER PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: INSPECTION OF THE PORT-SIDE SOLAR ROTARY JOINT PLAY
VIDEO: FAULTY TV CAMERA REMOVED FROM STATION PORT TRUSS PLAY
VIDEO: THERMAL SLEEVE PLACED ON KIBO TRUNNION PIN PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH LOCKS RELEASED ON KIBO'S UPPER PORT PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS INSTALL PAIR OF TV CAMERAS ON KIBO PLAY
VIDEO: MIKE FOSSUM EMERGES FROM AIRLOCK FOR EVA NO. 2 PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 2 PLAY
VIDEO: THURSDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ENTER THE KIBO MODULE FOR FIRST TIME PLAY
VIDEO: CEREMONY BEFORE KIBO HATCH OPENING PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: KIBO SCIENCE LAB ATTACHED TO THE SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: KIBO MODULE UNBERTHED FROM SHUTTLE PAYLOAD BAY PLAY
VIDEO: CLOSEUP INSPECTION OF STATION'S SOLAR ROTARY JOINT PLAY
VIDEO: FOSSUM UNBOLTS LOCKS ON KIBO'S WINDOW COVERINGS PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKERS REMOVE COVERS ON KIBO'S PORT PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE POWER UMBILICALS UNHOOKED FROM KIBO PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE INSPECTION BOOM RETRIEVED FROM THE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKER RON GARAN REMOVES COVER ON BOOM PLAY
VIDEO: SPACEWALKER MIKE FOSSUM FREES ARM'S ELBOW CAMERA PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF KIBO MODULE INSTALLATION PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF INSPECTION BOOM RETRIEVAL PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED PREVIEW OF SPACEWALK NO. 1 PLAY
VIDEO: TUESDAY'S FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S REMARKABLE CAMCORDER FOOTAGE FROM MONDAY PLAY
VIDEO: MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE CREW WELCOMED INTO STATION PLAY
VIDEO: DISCOVERY DOCKS TO SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE PERFORMS RENDEZVOUS BACKFLIP PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION OF PREVIEWING THE DOCKING PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW'S CAMCORDER FOOTAGE FROM FLIGHT DAY 2 PLAY
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF THE HEAT SHIELD INSPECTIONS PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED TOUR OF DISCOVERY'S PAYLOAD BAY PLAY

VIDEO: THE FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO: EXTERNAL TANK SEEN AFTER SEPARATION 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: UCS-12 TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PLAYALINDA BEACH PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PRESS SITE PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: WEST TOWER PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 009 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 041 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 049 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 050 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 051 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 054 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 060 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 061 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 063 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 070 PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA 071 PLAY

VIDEO: LIFTOFF OF DISCOVERY WITH KIBO LAB! PLAY
VIDEO: ONBOARD CAMERA FOOTAGE OF TANK FOAM FALLING PLAY
VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY

VIDEO: FINAL PRE-LAUNCH POLLS GIVE "GO" FOR LIFTOFF PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: CREW DEPARTS QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DON SPACESUITS FOR LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED RECAP OF KIBO LAB'S PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED RECAP OF DISCOVERY'S PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD GANTRY RETRACTED FRIDAY NIGHT PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF GANTRY ROLLBACK PLAY
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: BRIEFING ON KIBO LABORATORY FACILITY PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT THE CAPE FOR LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S COUNTDOWN AND WEATHER BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED MISSION PREVIEW MOVIE PLAY

VIDEO: NEWS BRIEFING FOLLOWING FLIGHT READINESS REVIEW PLAY

VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH COMMANDER MARK KELLY PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH PILOT KEN HAM PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS1 KAREN NYBERG PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS2 RON GARAN PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS3 MIKE FOSSUM PLAY
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH MS4 AKIHIKO HOSHIDE PLAY

VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS PRACTICE EVACUATION OF SHUTTLE PLAY
VIDEO: CREW BOARDS DISCOVERY FOR PRACTICE COUNTDOWN PLAY
VIDEO: TRAINING SESSIONS AT LAUNCH PAD AND BUNKER PLAY
VIDEO: CREW NEWS CONFERENCE AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE FOR PRACTICE COUNTDOWN PLAY

VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF GANTRY ENCLOSING DISCOVERY PLAY
VIDEO: PAD'S ORBITER ACCESS ARM SWUNG INTO POSITION PLAY
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF CRAWLER RETREATING AFTER ROLLOUT PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ROLLED TO PAD 39A PLAY

VIDEO: SHUTTLE AND STATION PROGRAM BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: STS-124 MISSION OVERVIEW PART 1 | PART 2
VIDEO: PREVIEW BRIEFING ON MISSION'S SPACEWALKS PLAY
VIDEO: THE ASTRONAUTS' PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING PLAY

VIDEO: KIBO LABORATORY TRAVELS TO THE LAUNCH PAD PLAY
VIDEO: TRANSPORT CANISTER WITH KIBO ROTATED UPRIGHT PLAY
VIDEO: CRANE PLACES KIBO MODULE INTO TRANSPORT CANISTER PLAY

VIDEO: DISCOVERY HOISTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO FUEL TANK PLAY
VIDEO: THE SHUTTLE MOVES TO THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY
MORE: STS-124 VIDEO COVERAGE
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