This post has been produced by VanessaG for the Young Astronomers
Discovery, with her maiden flight on 30 August 1984, with STS-41D. On the ascent she carried more than 41,000 lbs of cargo which was a record at the time. This cargo was mainly science experiments to study the effects of microgravity. Discovery was also the first shuttle to retrieve a satellite and bring it back to Earth. In 1985 Discovery was the first shuttle to fly four missions in one year.
Discovery as seen from the ISS during STS-128 Credit: NASA
On STS-51D the first sitting member of the US congress blasted off into orbit, Jake Garn, the republican senator of Utah. During the landing she suffered a blown front tire and subsequent brake damage. This then meant that all further flights for five years were directed to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California until nose wheel steering was introduced and brakes improved.
After the Challenger and Columbia disasters it was Discovery who was called upon to return the US to space again and regain their independence. The return after Columbia, STS-114 under the leadership of Eileen Collins; who earlier on STS-63 was the first female pilot. This mission was also the first to do a back flip on approach to the ISS so that the station crew could photograph the underside of the shuttle which then could be studied to check for damage. This was also the first time a repair had been made to a spacecraft while in orbit, the EVA crew removing two protruding spacers in the thermal shielding.
In April 1990, on STS-31, Discovery released the Hubble Space Telescope. This was also the highest ever flown by a shuttle at 380miles. And the ‘scope is still in use twenty years later and continues to provide valuable insights into the beginnings of the universe.
STS-60, February 1994, was the first co operative mission between the then enemies of Russia and the US. This laid the foundations for international cooperation which is one of the fundamental aspects of the International Space Station. With a Russian cosmonaut flying about the American shuttle Discovery. Discovery’s next flight, STS-63 was the first mission to be piloted by a woman, Eileen Collins, who laid further foundations into international cooperation as she piloted Discovery to within 40ft of MIR. Correcting the final approach for the first shuttle docking with the Russian space station.
Discovery has seen many other significant events in international development, the first spacewalk by an African-American, the last shuttle to visit MIR. The oldest astronaut, John Glen on board STS-95 who at the time of the flight was seventy seven, and still is the oldest person to ever fly in space. Discovery also celebrated the 100th shuttle fight on board mission STS-92. And on STS-120 lead by commander Pamela Melroy met Peggy Whitson, commander of Expedition 16 on board the ISS in 2007. This not only was not only the first time the ISS has been commanded by a woman but the first time two female commanders met in space.
In her 26 year lifetime Discovery has achieved many great things in the world. Not only advancing science but also cooperation and technology that you will use everyday. In total 180 people have travelled on board Discovery and a total of 150 million miles have been travelled in orbit.
Discovery Launches to Begin STS-128 Credit: NASA/Jerry Cannon, George Roberts
