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STS-114 Pre-flight Coverage

Countdown enters tense final hours
The cocoon-like rotating service structure peeled away from space shuttle Discovery this afternoon, revealing the spaceplane on launch pad 39B as technicians made final preparations to begin pumping a half-million gallons of supercold rocket fuel into the external tank just after midnight tonight. Liftoff remains set for 10:39 a.m. EDT (1439 GMT) tomorrow.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
   COUNTDOWN CHART
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
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VIDEO: TIME LAPSE MOVIE OF SERVICE STRUCTURE ROLLBACK PLAY
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Managers outline plans to monitor fuel sensors
NASA managers Sunday cleared the shuttle Discovery for another launch try Tuesday, weather permitting, on a critical flight to service and resupply the international space station. The decision came after senior managers agreed on a strategy that would permit blastoff even if - and only if - the shuttle experiences a fuel sensor problem like the one that grounded the ship July 13.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 24]
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VIDEO: POST-COLUMBIA MODIFICATIONS MADE TO FUEL TANK PLAY
VIDEO: HOW IS THE TANK PREPARED FOR LAUNCH? PLAY
VIDEO: DISCOVERY'S PAYLOADS FOR SPACE STATION PLAY

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Count proceeding smoothly
The shuttle Discovery's countdown remains on track today with forecasters continuing to predict a 60 percent chance of acceptable weather at launch time Tuesday. NASA's mission management team will meet this afternoon to assess the status of launch processing and to discuss the team's strategy for managing any fuel sensor problems that might crop up Tuesday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 24]
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Fuel sensor glitch still a mystery as count begins
NASA restarted the shuttle Discovery's countdown Saturday, pressing for a Tuesday launch after extensive troubleshooting and a wiring change that engineers hope will resolve, if not fix, a fuel sensor problem that scrapped a July 13 launch try.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 23]
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VIDEO: LAUNCH COUNTDOWN COMMENCES PLAY
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Astronauts endorse NASA's fuel sensor strategy
The shuttle Discovery's crew returned to the Kennedy Space Center Friday to prepare for blastoff Tuesday on the first post-Columbia mission. Commander Eileen Collins, making the crew's first comments on NASA plans to possibly launch the shuttle with a known fuel sensor problem, said extensive testing and analysis had given the astronauts "a lot of confidence" and "we think they've got a great plan."
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 22]
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NASA plans Tuesday launch pending final test results
Troubleshooters may have found the cause of the fuel sensor malfunction that grounded the shuttle Discovery last week. Additional tests are planned, but the analysis to date, along with a proposed wiring modification, prompted NASA managers Wednesday to forego another fueling test and to press ahead instead for a launch attempt Tuesday at 10:39 a.m. EDT (1439 GMT).
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 20]
   ENGINE CUT-OFF SENSOR BACKGROUND
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NASA mulls launch options
NASA managers Monday told the shuttle launch team to gear up for a possible attempt to launch Discovery next Tuesday if troubleshooters can either fix the fuel sensor problem that grounded the ship last week or gather enough data to prove it won't affect other sensors this time around.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 18]
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Baffling problem could prompt shuttle fueling test
After a long weekend of troubleshooting, engineers have not found an obvious problem that might explain why one of four hydrogen fuel sensors failed to operate properly during the shuttle Discovery's aborted countdown Wednesday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 17]
   ENGINE CUT-OFF SENSOR BACKGROUND
Shuttle's fuel sensor problem remains elusive
Engineers working inside the shuttle Discovery's cramped engine compartment this weekend have not yet found any obvious signs of trouble that might explain what caused one of four fuel sensors to operate improperly during last Wednesday's aborted countdown.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 16]
Hale 'hopeful' about July launch for shuttle Discovery
Engineers are working around the clock and through the weekend, putting on a "full-court press" to recreate, isolate and eliminate the fuel sensor problem that grounded the shuttle Discovery Wednesday, NASA officials said late Friday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 15]
   LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART
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Discovery launch pushed back more
Launch of the shuttle Discovery is on hold until late next week at the earliest, NASA officials said Friday, to give engineers time to fully troubleshoot the fuel level sensor problem that grounded the spaceplane Wednesday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 15]
Discovery launch date remains up in the air
The shuttle Discovery's delayed launch on the first post-Columbia mission is off until at least Sunday, officials said Thursday, and unless engineers find an obvious, simple-to-fix problem in the next day or so, the flight will be put on hold indefinitely.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 14]
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Fuel sensor glitch forces launch scrub
Shuttle engineers are trying pinpoint why one of four critical hydrogen fuel sensors failed a test late in the shuttle Discovery's countdown Wednesday, forcing NASA managers to scrub the agency's long-awaited return to flight.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 13]
   EARLIER STORY
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VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S LAUNCH IS SCRUBBED PLAY
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VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS GATHER FOR PRE-LAUNCH SNACK PLAY
VIDEO: PAD'S ROTATING SERVICE STRUCTURE ROLLED BACK PLAY
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Reporters from across the globe descend on the Cape
Members of the news media have descended upon central Florida this week as NASA prepares to launch the first space shuttle mission since Columbia's ill-fated flight two-and-a-half years ago that left the fleet grounded.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 12]
Space agency chief says Discovery is ready
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, saying the space agency has done everything humanly possible to fix the problems that led to the Columbia disaster, told reporters Tuesday the shuttle Discovery is "go" for launch Wednesday, weather permitting, on an "utterly crucial" mission. Late Tuesday, engineers were called to launch pad 39B to troubleshoot damage to protective heat shield tiles on Discovery's left-side orbital maneuvering system rocket pod.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 12]
   DAMAGED TILES REPLACED
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Weather a bit iffy; Columbia families wish crew well
The shuttle Discovery's countdown is ticking smoothly toward blastoff Wednesday, but forecasters said Tuesday the launch likely will hinge on whether afternoon showers move out of the area before the opening of the shuttle's short launch window. Also Tuesday, the Columbia families issued a statement of good wishes for Discovery's crew.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 12]
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Managers to meet Tuesday to resolve open issues
NASA's mission management team met Monday to assess the status of shuttle Discovery's launch processing and its readiness to take off Wednesday on the first post-Columbia mission. While the panel cleared most of the open items on the agenda, engineers were asked to work through the night to resolve a few final questions.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 11]
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Mission Preview

NASA ready to put shuttle back in flight
NASA hopes to resume shuttle flights Wednesday, weather permitting, with a three-spacewalk mission to repair the international space station's stabilization system, to deliver critical supplies and equipment and to prove the design defects that led to the Columbia disaster have been corrected. This is our 10-part, 14,000-word report previewing the space shuttle's return to flight.
   FULL REPORT [Posted: July 11]
Earlier Headlines

Space shuttle countdown proceeding smoothly
The shuttle Discovery's countdown ticked smoothly through its initial stages Monday as engineers geared up to load liquid hydrogen and oxygen to power the ship's electricity generating fuel cells. Forecasters, meanwhile, continue to predict a 70 percent chance off acceptable weather at launch time Wednesday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 11]
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VIDEO: REVIEW OF PRE-LAUNCH ACTIVITIES DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
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Weather outlook favorable for Discovery's launch
NASA engineers started the shuttle Discovery's countdown Sunday, buoyed by forecasts calling for a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather during the ship's five-minute launch window Wednesday.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER [Posted: July 10]
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VIDEO: SHUTTLE PROPULSION SYSTEM MODIFICATIONS PLAY
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VIDEO: DETAILS ON NEW LAUNCH TRACKING CAMERAS PLAY
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Astronauts catch early flight to launch site
Flying in one day early to dodge Hurricane Dennis, the shuttle Discovery's crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center this evening to make final preparations for launch Wednesday on the first post-Columbia flight.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 9]
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NASA begins 'just-in-case' shuttle rollback preps
With Hurricane Dennis churning in the Caribbean, NASA managers Thursday evening decided to begin preparing the shuttle Discovery for a possible roll back to the protection of the Vehicle Assembly Building should the storm take a turn to the east and threaten the Space Coast.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 7]
   ROLLBACK PREPS CANCELLED
It's official: Discovery launch set for July 13
NASA managers wrapped up a two-day flight readiness review Thursday and formally cleared the shuttle Discovery for blastoff July 13 on the first post-Columbia shuttle mission. If all goes well, the countdown will begin at 6 p.m. July 10 for a launch attempt at 3:50:47 p.m. on July 13, weather permitting.
   FULL STORY [Posted: July 1]
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NASA set for debate over shuttle readiness to launch
Twenty-nine months after the Columbia accident, NASA's top managers will gather at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday and Thursday to debate the readiness of putting another space shuttle in the air.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER [Posted: June 28]
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Board: Shuttle safe despite missing 3 recommendations
An independent panel charged with assessing NASA's implementation of post-Columbia safety upgrades said in its final hearing today that the agency has failed to fully implement three of the most critical safety upgrades recommended by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.
   FULL STORY [Posted: June 27]
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Shuttle launch debris risk uncertain but 'acceptable'
NASA managers met Friday and decided to press ahead with plans to launch the shuttle Discovery next month even though engineers have been unable to precisely define the threat posed by ice shaking off the ship's external tank during launch.
   FULL STORY [Posted: June 24]
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VIDEO: REVIEW OF NASA'S EXTENSIVE IMPACT TESTING PERFORMED QT
VIDEO: PRESENTATION ON THE CHANGES MADE TO THE TANK QT
VIDEO: DAY-BY-DAY PREVIEW OF DISCOVERY'S MISSION QT
VIDEO: DETAILED SUMMARY OF MISSION'S THREE SPACEWALKS QT
VIDEO: STS-114 ACTIVITIES PLANNED ABOARD AND OUTSIDE ISS QT
VIDEO: CHANGES TO LAUNCH AND LANDING OPERATIONS QT
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Space shuttle Discovery moves back to launch pad
The space shuttle Discovery, bolted to an upgraded external tank and a fresh set of boosters, was hauled back out to pad 39B early today for work to ready the ship for blastoff July 13.
   FULL STORY [Posted: June 15]
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
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VIDEO: DISCOVERY BEGINS ITS JOURNEY TO THE PAD QT
VIDEO: THE SHUTTLE EMERGES FROM THE ASSEMBLY BUILDING QT
VIDEO: DAY BREAKS OVER KENNEDY SPACE CENTER QT
VIDEO: HOT TRANSPORTER BEARING CAUSES PROBLEMS QT
VIDEO: DISCOVERY NEARS PAD 39B AFTER THE LONG JOURNEY QT
VIDEO: TRANSPORTER CLIMBS UP THE LAUNCH PAD RAMP QT
VIDEO: DISCOVERY ARRIVES AT ITS LAUNCH COMPLEX QT
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Shuttle Discovery flight preps chronicled in video
As excitement builds for the first space shuttle launch in over two years, this comprehensive video selection captures the major pre-flight events for Discovery and her seven astronauts.
   SEE VIDEO COLLECTION
NASA nixes third tanking test for shuttle Discovery
NASA managers Monday ruled out a third tanking test for the shuttle Discovery, keeping launch of the first post-Columbia mission on target for July 13. The launch window extends to July 31 and as of this writing, engineers have five days of contingency time in the launch processing schedule to handle unexpected problems between now and the opening of the window.
   FULL STORY [Posted: June 6]
Photo gallery: Demating space shuttle Discovery
After rolling back to the Vehicle Assembly Building from launch pad 39B, technicians demated space shuttle Discovery and its original external fuel tank. Discovery will be attached with another tank and set of solid rocket boosters for the return-to-flight mission. The new tank has additional ice-fighting heaters and instrumentation.
   ENTER PHOTO GALLERY [Posted: June 3]
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VIDEO: TECHNICIANS PREPARE DISCOVERY FOR DEMATING QT
VIDEO: SHUTTLE DISCOVERY IS REMOVED FROM TANK QT
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Shuttle Discovery's crew
Five men and two woman will launch aboard space shuttle Discovery for the first post-Columbia mission this summer, putting their lives on the line. The crew includes the first woman to command a shuttle mission, an Australian-born astronaut who lived on Mir and a Japanese space rookie. Get to know these astronauts through a series of one-on-one interviews.
   FULL COVERAGE
In reverse: Shuttle Discovery leaves pad
Seven weeks after rolling to the launch pad for the first space shuttle mission in two years, Discovery retreated from the oceanfront complex Thursday morning. The ship headed to the Vehicle Assembly Building to exchange external fuel tanks and solid rocket boosters.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER [Posted: May 26]
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VIDEO: WORKERS UNPLUG PAD UMBILICALS ROUTED TO SHUTTLE QT
VIDEO: DISCOVERY IS ROLLED OFF PAD 39B JUST AFTER SUNRISE QT
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Discovery landing gear checked for cracks
Borescope inspections on space shuttle Discovery to check for landing gear door mechanism cracks have been completed at launch pad 39B, and a NASA spokeswoman says the ship appears to be in good shape.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER [Posted: May 24]
   CHART: DISCOVERY'S ASTRONAUTS
   CHART: SHUTTLE HISTORY
New shuttle problem delays Discovery rollback
Technicians will use a tiny camera to peek inside space shuttle Discovery's wheel wells Monday in search of landing gear cracks like those found on sistership Atlantis.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER [Posted: May 23]
   CHART: DISCOVERY'S ASTRONAUTS
   CHART: SHUTTLE HISTORY
Shuttle Discovery put through second fueling test
Engineers pumped a half-million gallons of supercold rocket fuel into the shuttle Discovery's external tank Friday, repeating a test that uncovered two unexpected problems in April. This time around, suspect fuel depletion sensors in the tank worked normally while a hydrogen pressure relief valve continued to cycle more often than normal.
   FULL STORY [Posted: May 20]
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Clearance issue for shuttle inspection boom
As NASA runs another fueling test at the launch pad, shuttle engineers are assessing a clearance issue between the shuttle's main Ku-band TV antenna and a new on-orbit inspection boom that could delay the transmission of post-launch images of the ship's redesigned external tank.
   FULL STORY [Posted: May 19]
Shuttle Discovery will switch to new fuel tank
NASA managers have decided to stage a second tanking test next weekend or shortly after to troubleshoot problems with the shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank. The shuttle then will be hauled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building where engineers will attach the ship to a different set of boosters and a fresh external tank, officials said late Friday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: May 6]
Engineers assess space shuttle launch schedule
The shuttle Discovery's crew strapped in Wednesday for a dress rehearsal countdown while program managers continued assessing what work needs to be done - and whether it can be completed in time - for a July 13 launch attempt.
   FULL STORY [Posted: May 4]
Shuttle launch countdown rehearsal completed
Space shuttle Discovery's seven astronauts have climbed aboard their spaceship at launch pad 39B Wednesday morning for the final three hours of a mock countdown that ended with a simulated main engine shutdown and crew evacuation.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER [Posted: May 4]
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VIDEO: COMMANDER COLLINS CLIMBS TO HER FLIGHT DECK SEAT QT
VIDEO: ASTROVAN ARRIVES AT PAD; CREW HEADS UP ELEVATOR QT
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD QT
VIDEO: CREWMEMBERS DON THEIR LAUNCH SPACESUITS QT
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS SEATED FOR BREAKFAST TODAY QT
VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF THIS WEEK'S KSC TRAINING QT

VIDEO: TUESDAY'S CREW CHAT AT PAD DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: COMMANDER COLLINS ADDRESSES THE MEDIA SUNDAY QT
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF DISCOVERY'S MISSION DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
VIDEO: THE SPACE STATION WITHOUT SHUTTLE DIAL-UP | BROADBAND
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Discovery astronauts ready to practice countdown
As space shuttle Discovery's astronauts jetted into Kennedy Space Center Sunday night for their launch countdown dress rehearsal, mission commander Eileen Collins voiced support for NASA's decision to delay liftoff until July.
   FULL STORY [Posted: May 1]
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Shuttle launch on ice while NASA ponders tank changes
The shuttle Discovery's launch on the first post-Columbia mission is on ice until at least July 13, officials said Friday, primarily because of recent tests showing ice buildups pose more of a potential impact threat than previously thought.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 29]
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
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NASA mulls delaying space shuttle launch to July
NASA managers are debating whether to delay the shuttle Discovery's launch on the first post-Columbia mission to July because of time needed to complete ice debris analysis, implement proposed fixes and to resolve a handful of nagging problems, sources say.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 28]
Space shuttle launch date postponed a week
As expected, NASA managers today announced a May 22 target date for shuttle Discovery's liftoff on the first post-Columbia mission, saying time needed to close out a handful of open issues precluded an attempt at the May 15 opening of the actual launch period.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 20]
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AHEAD
   LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART
   UPDATED MASTER FLIGHT PLAN
   STORE: OFFICIAL MISSION PATCH
NASA managers elated with shuttle fueling test
The space shuttle's redesigned fuel tank sailed through a critical tanking test Thursday, giving NASA managers increased confidence about launching Discovery on the first post-Columbia shuttle mission next month.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 14]
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
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VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTERNAL TANK PRE-FLIGHT PREPS QT
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Space shuttle Discovery arrives at launch pad
For the first time in more than two years, a space shuttle is sitting atop the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center. Discovery arrived at pad 39B in the early morning hours of April 7 after a 10.5-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building that was delayed by a technical problem with the crawler.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER [Posted: April 7]
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VIDEO: TIME LAPSE MOVIE OF GANTRY ENCLOSING DISCOVERY QT

VIDEO: DISCOVERY ROLLS OUT OF VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING QT
VIDEO: HEADING DOWN THE CRAWLERWAY QT
VIDEO: TURNING AT CRAWLERWAY JUNCTION QT
VIDEO: ROLLING WITH PAD 39A AS BACKDROP QT
VIDEO: ON NORTHWARD IN THE EARLY EVENING QT
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Discovery seen from space
International Space Station commander Leroy Chiao spotted Discovery from 225 miles above Earth and snapped this photograph of the shuttle as it was being rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building to launch pad 39B.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 6]
NASA ready to put first shuttle on pad in 2 years
Technicians have completed final adjustments to tiles on space shuttle Discovery's nose, setting the stage for the momentous move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to launch pad 39B at 12 noon EDT (1600 GMT) Wednesday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 5]
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Tank foam remains threat to shuttle in worst-case
With the first post-Columbia shuttle flight a month and a half away, engineers are still assessing what sorts of damage might result from impacts of foam debris falling from the shuttle's redesigned external fuel tank.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 5]
Shuttle Discovery's move to launch pad delayed again
Humidity in the Vehicle Assembly Building is interfering with routine work on shuttle Discovery, delaying the ship's move to launch pad 39B. NASA says rollout will happen Wednesday morning at the earliest.
   FULL STORY [Posted: April 4]
Photo gallery: Discovery's pre-launch moves
This collection of pictures follows space shuttle Discovery's progress in preparing for the return-to-flight launch at Kennedy Space Center as the payload bay doors are closed, rollout from its hangar, the lift upright inside the Vehicle Assembly Building and mating to the tank and booster rockets.
   ENTER GALLERY [Posted: April 3]
Discovery goes to the launch pad Tuesday
Space shuttle Discovery's arrival at launch pad 39B has been pushed back a day -- to Tuesday morning -- so technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building have more time to complete pre-flight work and testing, NASA said Friday.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Shuttle Discovery firmly bolted to fuel tank
Space shuttle Discovery, its external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters have been joined together as one atop a mobile launching platform inside Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building.
   FULL STORY [Posted: March 31]
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VIDEO: DISCOVERY HOISTED INTO POSITION FOR TANK MATING QT
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Shuttle Discovery leaves hangar on road to launch
Space shuttle Discovery emerged from its space-age garage at the Kennedy Space Center at 2 a.m. EST (0700 GMT) Tuesday for the quarter-mile move to the 52-story Vehicle Assembly Building where the ship will be mated with an external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters over the next few days. Discovery will return the shuttle program to flight with its launch now targeted for mid-May.
   FULL STORY [Posted: March 29]
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VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE MOVIE OF SHUTTLE ROLLING INTO VAB QT
VIDEO: SPED UP VERSION OF VAB ARRIVAL MOVIE QT
VIDEO: NASA'S STEVE POULOS TALKS WITH REPORTERS QT
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NASA works to define what hits shuttles can withstand
NASA finally has test data indicating any foam debris falling from the space shuttle's redesigned external fuel tank almost certainly will be below the threshold expected to cause "entry critical" damage to wing leading edge panels, officials said Tuesday.
   FULL STORY [Posted: March 22]
Station gyro problem no threat to shuttle mission
The shutdown of an orientation control gyroscope aboard the international space station will not impact the planned launch of the shuttle Discovery in May, officials said Thursday, even though only two of the lab's four gyros will be operating when the orbiter arrives.
   FULL STORY [Posted: March 17]
Space station loses gyro
A circuit breaker aboard the international space station popped open early Wednesday, interrupting power to one of the three operational gyroscopes used to maintain the lab's orientation in space. NASA officials said the failure would have no immediate impact and that the space station's orientation could be maintained with just two gyros while engineers study the problem.
   FULL STORY [Posted: March 16]
Guarding against flaws in shuttle's tank foam
The engineers who built the massive external fuel tank that will power the shuttle Discovery into orbit this spring used sophisticated X-ray detectors developed by University of Florida researchers to reduce the chance of a defect in the foam insulation covering the tank. The detectors, first invented as a new technology to find land mines, can identify tiny gaps, or air-filled voids, in the insulating foam without causing any damage.
   PRESS RELEASE [Posted: March 9]
Shuttle mission simulation tests post-Columbia team
The shuttle Discovery docked with the international space station Friday in a dramatic mission simulation that included presumed foam debris impacts to the orbiter's right wing leading edge and an aft rocket pod during the make-believe climb to space.
   FULL STORY [Posted: March 4]
Shuttle external fuel tank mated to boosters
NASA is marking a major step in assembling the space shuttle for its Return to Flight mission. Monday, workers successfully "mated," or attached, the redesigned external tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The stack will help launch shuttle Discovery on May 15.
   NASA PRESS RELEASE [Posted: March 1]
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Space shuttle program poised for return in May
NASA managers today set May 15 as the target launch date for the first post-Columbia shuttle mission, saying they are confident remaining technical issues, an independent review and a mountain of paperwork can be closed out in time for flight.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Feb. 18]
3 repair demos, not 4, planned for Discovery
The shuttle Discovery's astronauts will test three, not four, tile and wing leading edge repair techniques during the first post-Columbia shuttle flight in May, NASA officials clarified today.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Feb. 11]
NASA picks shuttle repair techniques for space tests
After weeks of internal debate, testing and analyses, NASA managers Thursday selected four rudimentary tile and wing leading edge repair techniques to demonstrate during the first post-Columbia shuttle mission.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Feb. 10]
Gehman: NASA is meeting intent of Columbia board
The chairman of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board believes NASA has made a credible attempt to meet the spirit and intent of the board's return-to-flight recommendations, even though the agency will not have certified tile or wing leading edge repair techniques in place before Discovery blasts off in May.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Feb. 10]
Mission Preview

Returning the space shuttle to flight
This 10-part, 11,600-word report is focused on details about Discovery's mission and safety upgrades to improve ascent damage detection and potential repair options. It was current as of December 17. It does not address management changes or other related topics ordered in the wake of the Columbia mishap. Those issues will be covered in subsequent stories.
Part 1: NASA sets sights on next space shuttle flight -- NASA is gearing up to resume shuttle flights this spring with a three-spacewalk mission to repair the international space station's stabilization system, to deliver critical supplies and equipment and to prove the design defects that contributed to the Columbia disaster have been corrected.

Part 2: Post-Columbia launch periods are limited -- During Columbia's launching Jan. 16, 2003, a suitcase-size piece of foam insulation broke away from an aerodynamically shaped ramp used to keep ice from forming on a strut connecting the shuttle's nose to its external fuel tank. The foam came off 81.7 seconds after liftoff and struck the underside of Columbia's left wing 0.2 seconds later, smashing into the lower side of a leading-edge RCC panel.

Part 3: Unprecedented video coverage for STS-114 -- Bob Page, the engineer at the Kennedy Space Center who leads NASA's launch photo team, said Discovery's launching will be documented in unprecedented detail using a mixture of high-speed film cameras, high-definition TV cameras and even airborne sensors using two NASA WB-57 jets.

Part 4: On-board cameras promise dramatic views -- NASA is installing cameras on the external tank of the shuttle, on the two solid-fuel boosters and in the recessed cavity where 17-inch propellant feed lines enter the belly of the orbiter. In addition, as soon as the shuttle reaches space, the astronauts will use a hand-held video camera to "shoot" the tank from close range before it drifts away.

Part 5: Wing leading edges to be inspected in space -- The Discovery astronauts are going to spend their second day in space carefully inspecting the leading edges of both wings, along with the RCC nose cap of the shuttle, using a new 50-foot-long boom on the starboard side of the payload bay known as the orbiter boom sensor system, or OBSS.

Part 6: Return to the international space station -- The OBSS will survey RCC panels only. To look for signs of tile damage on the underside of the shuttle, including possible damage to critical seals around landing gear doors, Discovery's crew will rely on help from the crew of the space station.

Part 7: Spacewalk to test tile repair techniques -- As of this writing, NASA managers continue to debate the sequence of the three planned spacewalks and the relative priorities of the tasks. The current plan calls for Robinson and Noguchi to test tile repair procedures during the first spacewalk on Flight Day 5, even if those procedures are not formally certified and even if questions remain about whether the techniques will work as planned.

Part 8: Fixing the space station's gyro system -- The Discovery astronauts will spend the day after the first spacewalk transferring more supplies and equipment to the station from the logistics module. Robinson and Noguchi will service their spacesuits and prepare the tools that will be needed for the second spacewalk to install the replacement control moment gyroscope.

Part 9: Readying the station for continued assembly -- The primary objective of the third spacewalk is installation of the external stowage platform, or ESP-2. Tipping the scales at 6,300 pounds, ESP-2 will be pre-packed with critical equipment needed for extensive station re-wiring during upcoming assembly missions when the lab's huge solar arrays will be attached to the currently unfinished boom.

Part 10: Returning to Earth -- The stage will be set for the first shuttle re-entry since Columbia's fatal fall to Earth two-and-a-half years earlier. The trajectory will carry the ship over the south Pacific Ocean, Central America, the Gulf of Mexico and then across Florida. The WB-57 jets will be in place west and east of the region of peak heating to document the shuttle's return.
Previous Stories

Engineers, astronauts debate shuttle repair ideas
With the first post-Columbia shuttle flight just three-and-a-half months away, astronauts and engineers are engaged in a sometimes heated, down-to-the-wire debate over which tile and wing leading edge repair techniques to test in orbit.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Feb. 6]
NASA struggles to define shuttle damage threat
Ongoing space shuttle wing leading edge impact tests show tiny cracks or even damaged surface coating, coupled with internal delamination, can lead to catastrophic failure.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Jan. 17]
All elements in place for shuttle's return to flight
NASA marked a major milestone for the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight, as the redesigned External Tank rolled out today from the barge that carried it to the agency's Kennedy Space Center.
   NASA PRESS RELEASE [Posted: Jan. 6]
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Shuttle tank arrives at Kennedy Space Center
The covered barge ferrying the re-designed space shuttle external fuel tank from New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center arrived at the spaceport Wednesday, pulling into unloading port just before 2 p.m. EST. The tank will be used by Discovery for the shuttle return-to-flight launch in May. Workers plan to offload the tank Thursday and transport it into the Vehicle Assembly Building for eventual mating with the solid rocket boosters.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Jan. 5]
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Space shuttle external tank begins journey to launch
The huge, orange external tank that will help launch space shuttle Discovery on its next mission isn't glitzy like the crystal New Year's ball in Times Square. But its journey from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility marks something special for 2005: the Year of Return to Flight.
   NASA PRESS RELEASE [Posted: Dec. 31]
Repair techniques not required for shuttle return
NASA remains on track for launching the shuttle Discovery on the first post-Columbia mission next May or June, managers said Monday. While certified techniques for on-orbit repair of tile or wing leading edge damage may not be available by then, efforts to minimize foam debris impacts, coupled with a variety of other safety upgrades and the "safe haven" provided by the space station, give managers confidence the shuttle can safely return to flight sometime next spring.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Dec. 6]
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Space shuttle launch times no longer a secret
NASA has quietly lifted post-9/11 security restrictions that included keeping shuttle launch times secret until the day before liftoff. In the wake of the terrorists attacks, NASA managers imposed unprecedented security procedures similar in many respects to those once employed for classified military flights.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Dec. 3]
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   VIDEO: 12-MINUTE OVERVIEW OF STS-114 SHUTTLE MISSION QT
   VIDEO: ANIMATION OF CARGO MODULE INSTALLATION QT
   VIDEO: INFORMATION ON SPACE STATION'S GYROSCOPES QT
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Status Summary

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