Yesterday, the clocks measuring the time left until space shuttle Discovery launches for the International Space Station began ticking. STS-119, consisting mainly of carrying solar panels to the ISS in order to increase the hosting capacity of the station, is NASA’s most important mission of the year and was already delayed four times due to technical issues.
The aforementioned clocks will stop ticking at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, when space shuttle Discovery will blast into the sky from the Kennedy Center in Florida. The weather report for Wednesday is favorable for a launch. Meteorologists said there are 90% chances of a good weather, perfect for take off.
STS-119 mission commander Lee Archambault said that the team of astronauts is “ready to get going.” Besides installing solar panels and completing ISS’ exterior beams, the mission also includes the delivery of Japan's first station crewmember.
Archambault thanked the teams of engineers who worked on the valve issue. The launch of the space shuttle was delayed due to fears that a valve that had cracked during a previous mission could cause a malfunction in the shuttle’s main propulsion system and jeopardize the whole mission and most likely endanger the lives of the crew members. After in-depth analysis, NASA engineers decided that is safe to launch the shuttle despite the fact that the valve, which has the role of keeping the fuel tank pressurized, has cracked.
"We're very happy it's been resolved successfully,” said Archambault.
However, space agency engineers will carry out a final review on Monday.
The shuttle’s crew includes commander Lee Archambault, pilot Dominic Antonelli, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, spacewalkers Steven Swanson, Richard Arnold and Joseph Acaba, and mission specialist John Phillips.
Today, besides the engineers’ final review of the Discovery shuttle, it is scheduled the loading of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the fuel cells.
STS-119 mission will last two weeks during which Discovery’s crew will install the two solar panels and will work to complete ISS’s skeletal backbone.
However, if we are to take a peak at the larger picture, NASA’s short term future is a bit hazy. In less than two years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will face the retirement of its shuttle fleet. There are plans to renew it, but the money promised by President Barack Obama during his presidential campaign hasn’t arrived yet.
Considering the current economic situation of the country and the fact that NASA has plans to spend about $50 billion to build a new fleet of rockets and space capsules, the money may take a while to arrive in the space agency’s account.
Meanwhile, America’s competitors in space – China, Russia, India, Japan and the European Union – are closing in. China in particular has stepped up its space program and in a few years might send their firs taikonaut on the Moon.
