Interview: STS-133 pilot Col. Eric Boe

My personal one-on-one interview with STS-133 pilot Col. Eric Boe in May 2011, just weeks following his second space flight aboard Discovery.

Shuttle pilot discusses March flight aboard Discovery

Col. Boe piloted shuttle Discovery's final flight. (Tony Madden)

ATLANTA -- Space shuttle astronaut Col. Eric Boe, who piloted the final flight of Discovery in March, recently returned to his hometown of Atlanta just weeks following his second trip to the International Space Station.

Inside the education building at the Fernbank Science Center in east Atlanta, Col. Boe sat down for a one-on-one interview with this aerospace reporter on May 6. Boe spent several years as a teenager at Fernbank under the leadership of Debbie Huffman, who remains at the science center to this day and attended his shuttle launch and landing at the Kennedy Space Center.

In a candid thirty minute interview, Col. Boe discussed with me the events surrounding his two week flight during March -- the final mission of shuttle Discovery. I asked the two time shuttle flier his personal thoughts on the loss of crew member Tim Kopra from the crew, and what he enjoyed most during his free time aboard the space station.

Charles Atkeison: Now you're back from your second space flight, share with me how the loss of Tim Kopra from your crew and the continued external cracks affected how you and your crew trained in those last months. 

Col. Eric A. Boe: "Well talking about Tim, it was very unfortunate he had a bike accident and broke his hip and we were so close to flight that he wouldn't have enough time to recovery by the time we needed to fly the mission. 

I can't think of a better team player. (Tim) actually designed those EVA's (spacewalks) so when Steve Bowen who was his replacement came in -- he actually flew on my first flight, Steve did -- didn't have enough time to train, Tim and Steve worked hand in hand to go out the door. And, Tim was in mission control" helping out as CapCom during the spacewalks."

Charles: Moments before boarding Discovery all of us smiled during your crew huddle at the base of the launch pad just hours before lift-off.

Col. Boe: "We had a huddle as a team, we just said a quick prayer and just said looking forward to mission and let us do well. It was a good way to get ready for the mission and to give us some focus before we get on the rocket to go."

Charles: During the launch, talk about what the pilot is doing during the ascent.

Col. Boe: "The pilot is basically operating all the major systems that are on the shuttle. The main engines I have the switches for shutdown the engines, starting the engines; (switches) for any type of leaks or any other thing. I monitor the systems for the main engines as we go up hill. Also, all the electrical power switches that we have on one side. Auxiliary power units actually provide all the hydraulic power to basically move the engines bells on ascent. 

We actually move the flight control surfaces to do what we call load relief, but as you're going through the atmosphere because the wings of the shuttle are producing lift because the wind forces blowing on them, we actually move the flight control surfaces as we're going uphill." 

Charles: Share with me your feeling of the Cupola node (aboard the space station). I'm a big fan of the Cupola, you have a big 360-degree field of space... Is it a man-cave? How would you describe it?

Col. Boe: "Yes, that's a good way to describe it. It's an awesome facility to see. The 360-degree field of view, you can't say enough good things about it. One of the things it really helps us do is we do a lot of robotics and spacewalks, and we can set it up to watch through a window. 

One of the things that great view gives us is the ability to move that (station's) arm around and grab things. And, then a secondary benefit of that is when you have some free time, we have a gym there that's right below it and when no one is in front of you you can actually work out and be looking out and see the planet -- it's such an amazing view." 

Charles: What types of music did you bring on board?

Col. Boe: "I brought up a wide selection, I have a a whole bunch of varied songs... I guess, I probably grew up in the 80's, so I have a lot of 80's kinda rock, I have some newer stuff as well. Just a wide variety of different kinds of music. It's very nice at the end of the day you get a little bit of wind down time as you're getting ready to sleep, so a lot of people as they winding down in their sleeping bag usually put their ear phones in and listen to a little bit of music." 

Charles: Now after undocking from space station, you had your chance to fly Discovery around the outpost before heading home. What was on your mind as you navigate what I like to call the 'White Dove' on the ocean of space? 

Col. Boe: (Laughs) "I haven't heard that term, the White Dove, that's good... well put. The (station) is amazingly big. We were actually when we were docked probably the biggest the space station is going to be in the near future cause we had the space shuttle up there, and we had the ATV European vehicle, we had the Japanese HTV which we reached out and grapple with... and we just attached the last module that's going on the space station in the near future. And, we also had the Russian vehicles. And as we're flying around we take the vehicle out, and Discovery flies just a dream, she's a dream ship -- the dream machine is way I like to say -- flies very well very responsive when you put in the controls. The one thing you can't really reproduce on the ground is the 'boom' of the reaction control system jets, it's such a deep bass... It's a good chance to also survey the vehicle." 

Charles: Was the fly around one of your toughest challenges as a pilot?

Col. Boe: "We train over and over again so by the time you do it you feel very comfortable doing it. There's some work involved like most of the tasks on board there very do able... There's the challenge you want to do the best you can do... it's a task you can do it in your sleep is how I like to say it." 

In his teens, Boe joined the Civil Air Patrol which is an auxiliary of the Air Force, which led to learning how to fly and later solo at age 16. 

Col. Boe: "For me I was always interested in aviation, I'm the person when I'm out there and I hear some noise in the sky whether it's a bird or an airplane I'm looking up there checking it out," Boe stated with a smile. "I was very interested in the military and wanted to be a military pilot and Civil Air Patrol was a chance to see those things. I decided to go to the Air Force academy, and CAP was a good place to start." 

Charles: What does Col. Eric Boe's future look like? Will you stay with NASA, are you vying for an future expedition mission aboard space station? 

Col. Boe: "I'm taking Russian language and so I'm leaning towards I would love to do an expedition flight. You have to get selected to do that and there's obviously training to do, but if I'm lucky enough I would like the opportunity to fly on an expedition and do a long duration space flight go up on a Russian Soyuz. 

For me as a military pilot I was trained during the Cold War days, now we're working together as friends and co-workers up in space. And, if I'm really lucky there's new vehicles that are coming up to replace the space shuttle as we're looking to go beyond low earth orbit. If I'm super lucky I'd love the opportunity to test pilot (the new spacecrafts). I love aviation, I love everything about flying and I'd love the opportunity to do that if I get chosen to go test fly." 

Boe was a lot of fun to interview, he carries a great passion for aviation and America's future in space. It was interesting to witness his asking for a nearby recycling bin for his spent water bottle as he demonstrates his care about trash and waste recycling here on earth much as they do aboard the space station. 

As 2011 moves closer to the new year, the final space shuttle mission will conclude. NASA astronauts are looking today toward their tomorrow as the American space program prepares for a new chapter. Several astronauts are leaving NASA for teaching jobs and to work in the private sector of aerospace. A few are staying with the space agency, like Eric Boe, who enjoys not just being an astronaut but a 21st century pilot.

Shuttle Discovery glides home completing her final flight

Discovery rolls out on runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center. (NASA)

Gliding home to a landing after a successful two weeks in orbit, space shuttle Discovery completed her final space flight after twenty-seven years of service.

As landing approached, Discovery performed what NASA labeled "her victory lap around the globe" as she begun her 202 and final orbit of her last flight.

Discovery commander Steve Lindsey and pilot Eric Boe fired the craft's orbital maneuvering system engines for 157 seconds at 10:52 a.m. EST, to slow Discovery down by 188 m.p.h, allowing Discovery to begin her free fall out of earth orbit.

The burn occurred over the east central Indian Ocean off the coast of Malaysia at an altitude of 218 miles above midway through Discovery's 202 orbit of her flight.

Discovery was flying at this time with the tail in the direction of travel and payload bay toward earth.

As Discovery's final minutes in space tick down, the spacecraft's nose will pitch forward 140-degrees as Lindsey lines up Discovery for reentry into the earth's atmosphere.

As Discovery left the last traces of space, the orbiter hit the upper layer of the earth's atmosphere at 11:27 a.m. Friction caused by the fast speed of Discovery against the atmosphere saw temperatures of nearly 3,000 degrees bake the orbiter's belly, nose and wing leading edges.

The orbiter made landfall crossing Florida's western coastline near Sarasota at an altitude of 22 miles high.

Soaring into the beautiful blue skies over the Kennedy Space Center, Boe then armed the landing gear. As the trio of wheel struts dropped down, Lindsey pitched the orbiter's nose up as the White Dove inched closer to her runway's center line.

With winds gusting to near 25 m.p.h. down runway 15, Lindsey landed Discovery at a speed of 195 knots at 11:57:17 a.m.

Boe then deployed a drag chute to help slow the historic spacecraft down just second before Lindsey brought the nose down.

The spacecraft's wheels slowed and Discovery's movement under her own power come to a final stop at 11:58:14 a.m.

"Houston, Discovery, for the final time - wheels stopped," the ship's commander exclaimed.

"Discovery, Houston, great job by you and your crew," mission control CAPCOM Charles Hobaugh radioed back. "That was a great landing in tough conditions, and it was an awesome docked mission you all had. You were able to take Discovery up to a full 365 degr... days of actual time on orbit. I think you'd call that a fleet leader and a leader of any manned vehicle for time in orbit. So job well done."

As Discovery stopped on the 9,700-foot point of the runway, the most launched manned spacecraft in world history had completed a total of 5,831 orbits of the earth since her first flight on STS-41D in August 1984.

It was the 76th landing upon the Space Coast by a space shuttle orbiter since 1984.

Discovery's odometer now reads 148,221,675 miles flown during thirty-nine space flights.

Her combined missions during nearly twenty-seven years will have kept her flying a full 365 days in space.

On hand near the runway to cheer and witness the beautiful touchdown were dozens of space center employees, several of the mission's flight directors and NASA administrator Charlie Bolden.

Discovery is expected to spend the year being cleaned up of any toxic fuels, and the removal of unneeded weight located inside the craft.

The plan is for Discovery to be located to her new home in Washington, D.C. and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in 2013. There, she will be able to be viewed by the world up close and in person.

Four hours following the landing, Discovery is expected to begin it's three mile journey to the orbiter processing facility bay two, and will be deserviced for the final time.

Discovery's final crew are scheduled to depart the Space Coast for Houston's Ellington Air Field on Thursday morning.

Discovery's crew prepares for for Florida landing today

On the heels of spending thirteen days in space on a resupply mission to the International Space Station, the space shuttle Discovery is in the final hours of her final spaceflight as her crew of six prepare for landing today.

Lead by commander Steve Lindsey, Discovery's all veteran crew includes pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott.

Light scattered clouds at 3,000 and 20,000 feet, with wind gusts near 21 knots down the runway is forecast for landing. A 10-knot crosswind is also within limits for landing.

At 8:12 a.m. EST, the crew will begin closing the shuttle's twin payload bay doors for landing.

Lindsey and Boe will fire the craft's two orbital maneuvering system engines for 151 seconds at 10:52:09 a.m., to slow Discovery down by 188 m.p.h, allowing Discovery to loose speed and begin her free fall out of earth orbit.

Discovery will be flying at this time with the tail in the direction of travel and payload bay toward earth.

As Discovery's final minutes in space tick down, the spacecraft's nose will pitch forward 140-degrees as Lindsey lines up Discovery for reentry into the earth's atmosphere.

Entry interface comes thirty minutes prior to touchdown at an altitude of 400,000 feet on Discovery's 202 orbit of the STS-133 flight.

As Discovery glides over the Pacific Ocean and up over the Caribbean Sea, Lindsey will have the shuttle in a steep dive to prevent drag on the powerless glider.

Discovery will cross over central Florida just south of Tampa Bay and two minutes later south of Orlando, Discovery will head into Kennedy, performing a 252-degree left overhead turn into runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

Touchdown is planned for 11:57 a.m., closing out Discovery's thirty-ninth and final spaceflight which have spanned nearly twenty-seven years.

NASA has not activate Edwards, AFB in California as a back up landing site today, only Kennedy.

Thursday's weather is nearly 100% unfavorable as a frontal system brings storms and possible hail to the Cape Canaveral area. Discovery can stay aloft as late as Friday if necessary.

On hand at the runway to welcome the crew will be one of Discovery's flight director, Royce Renfrew, and NASA asst. administrator Lori Garver to name a few.

Discovery's crew prepares for Wednesday's Florida landing

Pilot Eric Boe practices landing Discovery today. (NASA)

The six member crew aboard the space shuttle Discovery spent today powering up systems and preparing for the spacecraft for landing and closing out her thirty-ninth and final spaceflight.

NASA states favorable weather is on tap for tomorrow's 11:57 a.m. EST, landing at the Kennedy Space Center.

Wednesday's weather outlook for the Space Coast is calling for scattered clouds by late morning, and winds out of the east southeast at about 15 m.p.h.

On Wednesday, Discovery commander Steve Lindsey and pilot Eric Boe will fire the craft's orbital maneuvering system engines for three minutes at 10:52 a.m. EST, to slow Discovery down by 250 m.p.h, allowing Discovery to begin her free fall out of earth orbit.

Discovery will be flying at this time with the tail in the direction of travel and payload bay toward earth.

As Discovery's final minutes in space tick down, the spacecraft's nose will pitch forward 140-degrees as Lindsey lines up Discovery for reentry into the earth's atmosphere.

Entry interface comes thirty minutes prior to touchdown at an altitude of 400,000 feet on Discovery's 203 orbit of the STS-133 flight.

NASA will not activate Edwards, AFB in California as a back up landing site on Wednesday, only Kennedy. Discovery can stay aloft as late as Friday if necessary.

When Discovery rolls to a stop tomorrow, the most launched manned spacecraft in world history will have traveled a total of 5,831 orbits of the earth since her first flight in August 1984.

Discovery's odometer will read 148,000,000 miles flown during thirty-nine space flights.

Her combined missions during nearly twenty-seven years will have kept her flying a full 365 days in space.

At 8:35 a.m. today, pilot Boe sat in the commander's seat and used PILOT software on a laptop to practice a few landing's simulations into the space center's runway. Lindsey looked over his shoulder while commenting as he worked the joy stick.

At noon today, Discovery's crew will pay tribute to their spacecraft as she sails into the sunset of her career.

As Discovery flew into the darkness of space earlier today, Lindsey and Boe fired the ship's reaction control system jets for several seconds to test how plume reacts in space as a test for the U.S. military.

Known as Rambo, the jets were fired at 7:23 a.m. while data was collected by a nearby military satellite in this experiment for future military spacecraft such as the X-37B space plane, which continues to soar in earth orbit one hundred miles higher than the shuttle.

Departure Images: Discovery leaves space station

A White Dove left her nest this morning and flew off into the sunset one last time.

These real time images of space shuttle Discovery's departure of the International Space Station were as dramatic and breathtaking as the orbiter left her port-of-call beginning at 7:00 a.m. EST today.

After performing a 360-degree fly around of the complex by pilot Eric Boe, Discovery fired her jets twice and set sail upon the ocean of space to begin her final two days ever in space.

Discovery, with her payload bay now empty and her robotic arm attached to the orbiter boom sensor in the form of a "7", shown brightly in the blackness of space this morning. All images are from NASA TV.

Discovery soars over the Atlantic 650-feet from space station.

Sunrise splashes across space station as it sails near Discovery.

Shuttle Discovery undocks from the space station

Discovery's view of space station 222 miles above earth. (NASA)

(UPDATED: 8:40 a.m. EST) -- The space shuttle Discovery departed the International Space Station today for the thirteenth and final time, after completing an extended stay aboard earth's outpost in space.

Undocking from orbiting complex occurred on time at 7:00 a.m. EST, as the two space crafts soared 220 miles high in the darkness of space, above an area northeast of Papua New Guinea in the southern Pacific Ocean.

Three minutes later, station commander Scott Kelly rang the traditional bell and announced, "Discovery, departing."

Discovery spent eight days, sixteen hours and forty-six minutes docked to the orbiting lab as the crew of six delivered tones of supplies, a storage module and performed two spacewalks in support of station maintenance.

As the latches holding the two craft together released, Discovery slowly pulled away at .29 fps in the direction of travel with the station, and with the shuttle's belly in the direction of travel.

Nine minutes after Discovery was 110 feet ahead of the space station as she moved out to a distance of four hundred feet.

"Discovery has been a great ship and has really supported ISS more than any other shuttle -- fair winds and following seas," Kelly typed out in a message on Twitter as the shuttle began her fly around of the complex.

Twenty-three minutes after undocking, Discovery pilot and Atlanta native Eric Boe took over and began flying the orbiter in a 360-degree orbital ballet in space.

Boe flew the shuttle to a distance of 650-feet away by 7:38 a.m., and was ninety-degrees of the circle around station.

As Boe flew the White Dove around station even mission control in Houston marveled about the excellent views of the shuttle and station as they passed over the northwest coast of Africa.

At 8:09 a.m. Discovery performed the first of two separation burns as she began her departure of the station.

We really enjoyed your company onboard, and I'm really proud of what we accomplished," Kelly radioed shuttle commander Steve Lindsey as Discovery sailed into the sunset of her storied career.

Ninety-seven minutes after undocking, Discovery's rear and nose jets were fired again in a second separation burn 8,300 feet away from the space station.

Earlier in their morning, Discovery's crew were awoken at 3:23 a.m. with the music from Star Trek, including these special words by actor William Shatner played over the famous music:

“Space, the final frontier," Shatner began. "These have been the voyages of the space shuttle Discovery. Her 30 year mission, to seek out new science; to build new outposts; to bring nations together on the final frontier... To boldly go, and do, what no spacecraft has done before.”

Today's departure concluded the final visit by Discovery to a space station as she sails into the sunset of her 27 year career.

Discovery first visited Russia's space station MIR in 1995 in an orbital fly around of the complex, and three years later made the only docking with MIR on STS-91.

That flight in 1998 also marked the final MIR docking by a space shuttle as NASA and Russia joined together to begin construction of the International Space Station. Discovery first visited the new station in May 1999 when it only consisted of two segments -- Russia's Zarya and America's Unity node.

Shuttle Discovery prepares for Monday's undocking

Crew's gather in the closing days of Discovery's flight to station. (NASA)

Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery are spending their final hours aboard the International Space Station today as they load final experiments prior to closing the hatches for Monday's undocking.

Today will see a farewell ceremony as the shuttle crew bids farewell to the space station following eight days docked to the orbiting outpost.

The two crews will begin a brief farewell ceremony at 3:33 p.m. EST, today followed by a final handshake between station commander Scott Kelly with shuttle commander Steve Lindsey.

The three hatches which connect Discovery with station will be closed and sealed as the crews prepare for tomorrow's departure at 7:00 a.m.

Discovery's crew of six have spent the weekend assisting the station's crew of six with the labor intensive chores of unpacking several tones of supplies and equipment which have arrived at the outpost over the past six weeks.

In fact, Discovery's crew were given two extra days in space just to help the station's crew get ahead of unstowing and then unboxing the science equipment, computers and fresh supplies carried up by Discovery in a bus sized module.

The module is known as the Permanent Multipurpose Module, a 21-foot long cylindrical segment which will be used for storage. It will begin to free up more space inside the station's working and living segments for the crew.

For NASA and the space community, Monday's undocking will conclude the final visit by Discovery to a space station as she sails into the twilight of her 27 year career.

Discovery first visited Russia's space station MIR in 1995 in an orbital fly around of the complex, and three years later made the only docking with MIR on STS-91.

That flight in 1998 also marked the final MIR docking by a space shuttle as NASA and Russia joined together to begin construction of the International Space Station. Discovery first visited the new station in May 1999 when it only consisted of two segments -- Russia's Zarya and America's Unity node.

As Discovery prepare to undock from her port-of-call, she completes her thirteenth and final docking to earth's outpost in space.

Discovery and station crews spend quieter day on orbit

Cady Coleman with the carbon dioxide removal system (NASA)

As the space shuttle Discovery remains docked today with the International Space Station, twelve humans continue to live and work 222 miles high above the earth.

On the heels of three days devoted to two spacewalks and the installation of a new 21-foot long pressurized storage module, the crews spent Thursday at a quieter pace as they increased the station's altitude and answered questions from news media.

Station commander Scott Kelly and flight engineer Cady Coleman spent their morning swapping out the front bed of the carbon dioxide removal facility in the Tranquility node.

There are two beds which work in tandem with one another in a black box machine. While one is cleaning the CO2 from the crews atmosphere, the other bed is recharging. There are several other CDRF's throughout the space station.

During the work, shuttle Discovery began firing her thrusters at 9:03 a.m. EST, to reboost the space station into an orbit nearly one mile higher.

Crew members began discussing by radio across the space station if they felt Discovery's thrusters firing and moving the complex, and one said "actually I can feel it".

The reboost of the station is designed to support a March 16 undocking by a Russian Soyuz TMA-01M, which Kelly and Russian flight engineers Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka docked to the complex on October 9.

Discovery's crew this afternoon received word that their flight would be extended yet another day. Discovery is now set to depart the space station on Monday at 7:03 a.m. and return home to the Kennedy Space Center for a landing on Wednesday at about noon EST.

NASA's mission control stated the additional day will give the space station crew more helpers "to unpack and outfit the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fill the (Japanese) H-II Transfer Vehicle with trash before its planned late-March undocking".

The two crews also received a phone call from the White House and President Obama prior to ending their day.

The president enjoyed a light hearted conversation with Discovery commander Steve Lindsey his seventh crew member "Robonaut 2".

Robonaut 2 is a gold humanized robot with hands much like a human including how it can grasp items. It will be placed outside the space station in a few months to perform chores which could be hazardous to a spacewalking astronaut.

VIDEO: Discovery launch views from booster cameras

Space shuttle Discovery lifted off on her final flight on February 24. Watch this thirty-minute video recorded from cameras on the twin boosters and external tank. (NASA)

Discovery astronauts perform second spacewalk

Astronaut Bowen performs an orbital walk in space today. (NASA)

Space shuttle Discovery astronauts Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew left the International Space Station today to complete several chores on this the second planned spacewalk of the shuttle's final mission.

Bowen and Drew switched their spacesuits to internal power at 10:42 a.m. EST, today and minutes later left the Quest airlock and the start of six and one-half hour orbital walk in space.

Today's spacewalk marked Bowen's seventh excursion outside the space station and Drew's second.

The spacewalkers first set out in two different directions. Bowen to the station's 58-foot robotic arm to install a work platform on the end effector; and Drew headed over to the External Stowage Platform No. 2 to complete work from Monday's 'walk' to vent nearly ten pounds of coolant from the ammonia pump.

In the Cupola node, the robotics work station.

Bowen then unbolted the Lightweight Adaptor Plate Assembly (LWAPA) experiment carrier platform, removing it from the European Columbus module while riding the station's arm. The arm then carried Bowen as he carried the platform over to Discovery's payload bay so it can be installed in the aft section for the return trip home.

Eighty minutes into the spacewalk, Bowen installed a new "camera light pan and tilt assembly" on Canada's Dextre robot, and then removed a thermal blanket from Dextre, NASA's mission control at the Johnson Space Center stated.

Bowen placed a new lens cover on a camera on the robotic arm of the space station at the elbow joint, which will protect the lens from erosion that might be caused by visiting spacecraft thrusters.

Drew also placed a light on the Crew Equipment Translation Aid cart to allow for future spacewalkers to work in that dark area, and placed insulation around a "valve module fluid line on a left hand truss segment radiator beam", mission control added.

As the final hour of the orbital walk in space began, the light assembly on Drew's helmet came undone.

Hanging by it's electrical cords, Bowen transitioned over to Drew and worked to reattach the dangling light back to his helmet. Bowen had no luck and Drew headed to the airlock.

The spacewalk ended at 4:56 p.m., completing the second of two spacewalks on Discovery's mission and the fourth of this year aboard the space station.

The spacewalk was delayed earlier when leak checks of Bowen's suit discovered a small leak.

Discovery crew member Mike Barratt helped dressed the spacewalking astronauts in their space suits discovered a worn blue O-ring seal (right) on Bowen's Lithium Hydroxide canister at 8:37 a.m. He radioed mission control in Houston the likely source of the leak.

The fourteen-inch long narrow black box is stored in the life support region on the back pack of the spacesuit. It is designed to remove carbon dioxide from the astronauts oxygen.

After the crew's in the Quest airlock and nearby on station could not find a replacement blue o-ring, mission control approved the use of an orange o-ring which is shaped the same in size.

A leak check ten minutes later found no leaks and the crew pressed on running fifteen minutes late.

Today's spacewalk also marked the 155th spacewalk in support of the construction and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory complex. A total 973 hours and 53 minutes of combined spacewalking time have been accumulated since 1998.

Thursday will be less busy for the duel crew of twelve in space.

Unstowing items from Discovery's middeck for placement on the space station, and several interviews by news media and a call from President Obama at 5:03 p.m. are planned.

Leonardo storage module docked to space station

A new storage module is docked to space station today. (NASA)

An Italian-built pressurized storage module was plucked from the space shuttle Discovery's bay and firmly docked to the International Space Station this morning to become a permanent storage facility on the orbiting complex.

The new pressurized module addition means extra storage for the crew of six living and working aboard the orbiting lab. The storage module is also the final American addition to the space station ending 13 years of space shuttle delivered construction.

The Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module was known as Leonardo on it's first seven visits to the space station beginning in 2001 and is owned by NASA. This will mark Leonardo's eighth and final trip to the space station as it will now stay as a permanent storage facility.

The space station's 58-foot robotic arm grappled the storage module at 8:26 a.m. EST, today and twenty minutes later slowly began to lift it from the aft section of Discovery's payload bay.

Working inside the 360-degree viewing room known as the Cupola, Discovery astronauts Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott used the robotics work station to guide the module attached to the arm from the shuttle and across to the Unity module for docking.

In the bask of sunlight, the module just centimeters from the common berthing mechanism, Stott radioed down to mission control, "We see four good rtl's". Station crew member Cady Coleman then replaced Stott on the arm, and she and Barratt were then go for docking the module to the common berthing mechanism which attaches Leonardo to station.

The 28,353-pound module was then docked to the earth facing port of the Unity module at 10:05 a.m., located adjacent to the Cupola node, as the station-shuttle complex flew 222 miles high over Western Sahara, Africa (above).

Minutes later, as the bolts were driven in to firmly secure the module, the space station flew over central Italy, and above where the module was constructed in the mid-1990's.

Once fully docked, Coleman then swung the station's arm from the module beginning at 10:30 a.m. and over to a holding position.

Measuring 21 feet by 15 feet in diameter, the PMPM is carrying 14 different racks inside filled with science, equipment and supplies.

Leonardo last flew to station in April 2010, following that flight the module was refurbished to support a longer duration is space.

New reinforced protective blankets were added on the outside of most of the module to help block micrometeorite hits as the station speeds through earth orbit at 17,300 m.p.h.

"Thank-you for the new storage module, Houston", station commander Scott Kelly radioed mission control in a dry-tone voice. "It's much needed."

Later today, crew members will open the hatches between station and the module as it begins active duty during the next decade in space.

Also, of interest Discovery was given a go last evening for an extra day in space docked to the station.

However, Russia this morning stood firm and turned down NASA's request to have a Soyuz TMA-M undock and fly out to take a last portrait of Discovery docked with her international partners.

Discovery astronauts wrap first of two spacewalks

Drew (left) and Bowen work outside station today. (NASA)

Two spacewalking astronauts wrapped up several long awaited chores outside the International Space Station today, the first of two planned walks in space this week.

Shuttle Discovery crew members Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew concluded a six hour, thirty four minute orbital walk in space this afternoon at 5:20 p.m. EST, as the station-shuttle complex flew 222 miles off the Newfoundland coast and out over the northern Atlantic Ocean.

On the agenda first was the installation of the J612 power cable, a back up which runs from the Unity to the Tranquility nodes.

The combined twelve crew members of both the shuttle and station over came a few issues during the spacewalk.

First, Bowen's helmet video camera failed to work. Controllers on the ground in talking with spacewalk coordinator Nicole Stott spent over an hour to troubleshoot the issue. It looked to be working halfway through the walk.

Just over 100 minutes into the spacewalk, the Robotics Work Station computer in the Cupola node shutdown, stopping control of the station's robotic arm.

Arm operators station commander Scott Kelly and Discovery astronaut Mike Barratt were told to switch to the Destiny module's backup work station to resume using the arm to translate Bowen around the truss segment.

As Bowen rode the end of the arm holding the ammonia pump section, Barratt swung the arm over to the Quest airlock. Drew then screwed in four bolts to secure the 780-pound pump module to a storage platform as Bowen held it in place.

Mission Control states that the ammonia pump will be returned back to earth on the final space shuttle mission aboard Atlantis this July.

In the closing minutes of the spacewalk, the astronauts approached the Japanese Kibo module and removed a bottle-styled container and opened the lid.

As the crew inside played The Police's "Message in a Bottle" over the radio communications channel, Drew filled the Japanese metal container with the elements of 'space'.

It will be returned to earth and handed over to JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency, and placed in a museum in Japan in support of space flight. It's designed to inspire future engineers and space voyagers.

"You guys did an excellent job today, you rocked," Stott radioed her crew mates as they concluded work outside the station.

Today's spacewalk was the 154th spacewalk by Americans, Russians, Japanese and Europeans to both construct and maintain the space station. A total 967 hours and 39 minutes of spacewalking since the orbiting lab complex began construction in 1998 have been completed.

This was lead spacewalker Bowen's sixth trip outside a spacecraft and has now logged 41 hours, 04 minutes. For Drew, this was his first trip outside and into the vacuum of space.

NASA's station control room capcom Stan Love spoke to station commander Scott Kelly and Discovery's commander Steve Lindsey at 6:00 p.m. to say that Discovery will receive an extra day docked to the space station.

The extra day in space may mean a special photo opportunity as a Russian Soyuz TMA could undock and fly out to photograph the visiting shuttle as she and several international unmanned craft sit parked at the complex. Russia may be uneasy with the idea.

NASA's Johnson Space Center informed this reporter tonight that NASA is "awaiting a formal decision on a Soyuz fly around which will be made tomorrow at the space station Mission Management Team meeting".

Landing will now be rescheduled for March 8 at about 11:35 a.m. at the Kennedy Space Center.

Discovery astronauts begin first spacewalk of mission

Discovery astronauts work outside space station today. (NASA)

(UPDATED: 2:05 p.m. EST) -- Shuttle Discovery astronauts Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew left the comfort of the International Space Station this morning to perform several chores in support of earth's orbital outpost.

Today's spacewalk began at 10:46 a.m. EST, and is Bowen's sixth orbital walk having accumulated 34 1/2-hours of spacewalking time on two shuttle flights.

Drew became the 200th person to perform a spacewalk in human history as he set out on his first walk in space.

Bowen and Drew paused prior to departing the airlock to acknowledge former Discovery crew mate and lead spacewalker Tim Kopra who will help the duo from Mission Control during the spacewalk.

"I'm really looking forward to working with you guys," Kopra radioed astronauts Bowen and Drew moments before the walk began. "You're a good man for the job," Kopra addressed to Bowen his replacement on the mission.

Bowen was added to Discovery's crew on January 19 to replace Kopra following a bike accident by Kopra a few days earlier in which he suffered a fractured hip in January.

As the crew worked 222 miles above earth, Discovery astronaut and former station resident in 2009 Nicole Stott is serving as the coordinator of the spacewalk.

The spacewalk is the first of two planned during Discovery's week long visit to the space station, and is the 154th 'walk in support of space station construction and maintenance.

Today's walk also marked the 234th venture outside a spacecraft by an American astronaut since Ed White first left his Gemini IV craft in 1965.

The duo will install a power extension cable to the Unity; relocate a failed ammonia module which failed last year to a storage platform for it's return to earth; and a Japanese "Message in a Bottle" experiment which will be released into space and return to earth.

The first issue in the early minutes of the spacewalk was Bowen's spacesuit helmet camera failed to work. Controllers on the ground along with Stott trouble shot the camera issue. It was later fixed a bit later.

"I think we're moving along pretty well here...", Stott radioed the astronauts as they completed the installation of the J612 power cable, a back up which runs from the Unity to the Tranquility nodes.

Bowen then transitioned over to the space station's 58-foot robotic arm followed by Drew to install a work platform on the end of the arm. Bowen will ride the arm as the pair moves the ammonia tank to a new storage location.

Just over 100 minutes into the spacewalk, the Robotics Work Station computer in the Cupola node shutdown, stopping control of the station's robotic arm.

Arm operators station commander Scott Kelly and Discovery astronaut Mike Barratt were told to switch to the Destiny module's backup work station to resume using the arm to translate Bowen over the lab complex.

By 2 PM, the astronauts were running fifteen minutes behind schedule.

Shuttle Discovery docks with Space Station

Shuttle Discovery at 600 feet from space station today. (NASA)

The International Space Station welcomed six astronauts and a new storage module today as shuttle Discovery docked to the outpost this afternoon.

Like a white dove soaring to her nest upon the black vastness of space, Discovery cruised up to and slowly backed in to dock one last time with a space station.

On this her final space flight, Discovery had docked with two different space stations beginning with Russia's MIR in 1998.

Discovery's commander Steve Lindsey steered the shuttle to the station's forward section and docked to the end of the Harmony node on time at 2:14 p.m. EST, after completing a 46 hour chase of the outpost.

Docking occurred during an orbital sunrise as the two spacecraft flew 225 miles above southern Australia.

One hour earlier, Discovery performed a rendezvous pitch maneuver in which the nose of the shuttle is pitched up and performs a 360-degree back flip so that the belly of the shuttle can be photographed from the space station.

As Discovery soared 219 miles high over the cloudy Amazonian jungles of central South America, station astronauts Cady Coleman and Paolo Angelo Nespoli in the Zvezda module began snapping several hundred detailed images of Discovery's heat shield during an 89 second period.

A post-Columbia standard, the space shuttle pitch maneuver has happened on each shuttle flight to station beginning in 2005.

In two hours, the station's crew of six will greet the shuttle's six astronauts as they begin nearly eight days of resupply work, spacewalks and the transfer of a new cargo module to the station.

The new arrivals will receive a station safety briefing and tour during the next hour.

The now 1.2 million pound space station-shuttle complex could see a Russian Soyuz TMA craft separate and perform a fly around maneuver later during Discovery's visit.

Shuttle Discovery closes in on space station

Station astronauts prepare today for Discovery's arrival. (NASA)

Shuttle Discovery's astronauts are fine tuning their orbit in preparation for today's docking to the International Space Station and one week of supply transfers, two spacewalks and the delivery of a new pressurized module.

Discovery's all veteran crew includes commander Steve Lindsey, pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Mike Barratt and Nicole Stott. Barratt and Stott spent nearly six months aboard the station nearly two years ago.

Two trim burns by Discovery will increase and correct the shuttle's orbit followed by a critical burn at 11:33 a.m. by astronauts Lindsey and Boe. A fourth planned burn at 12:50 p.m. known as the NC-4 burn will place Discovery at the space station.

The post-Columbia standard space shuttle pitch maneuver is planned to begin at 1:16 p.m.

As Discovery's nose is pitched up and around 360-degrees, station crew members Cady Coleman and Paolo Angelo Nespoli will use 400 and 800-mm cameras to photograph the belly of Discovery as they look for any tile damage following Thursday's dramatic ride to orbit. Station commander Scott Kelly will be nearby to time the pitch maneuver.

Discovery's crew will only have fifteen minutes in which to perform the maneuver as the sun begins to set behind the earth.

At about forty-five minutes prior to docking, Discovery will transition to the front of station will flying in an orbital ballet with the outpost nearly 600-feet away.

Discovery is due to dock to earth's orbiting outpost in space at 2:16 p.m. EST, as the two crafts soar into an orbital sunrise.

Two hours later, the station's crew of six will greet the shuttle's six astronauts as they begin nearly eight days of docked operations.

Discovery's crew of six were awoken at 6:54 a.m. today, to the music from Disney's Toy Story, "Woody's Roundup", for mission specialist Alvin Drew, as the shuttle flew high over the southern Atlantic Ocean.

At the same time, Discovery was some 2,300 miles behind the space station, and closing at a rate of 500 miles per each 90 minute orbit of the earth.

Discovery will remove from it's payload bay the final American segment known as the Permanent Multipurpose Module, a bus sized cylindrical segment which will be used for storage. It will begin to free up more space inside the station's working and living segments.

Formally known as the Leonardo logistics module, the PMM has actually flown to the space station several times most recently two flights ago.

Inside the PMM will be 6500 pounds of cargo, spare parts, R2 - a robo-naut which will be used outside the outpost; and personal crew supplies to help resupply earth's orbiting outpost in space. Discovery's middeck will carry another 1500 pounds of supplies, too.

Robonaut 2 will remain in the PMM through Discovery's flight, and weeks later will later be moved so that it's two halves can be mated together and placed outside the station.

Bowen and Drew will perform two spacewalks during this 35th shuttle flight to earth's outpost in space, during flight days 5 and 7, Monday and Wednesday respectively.

The duo will install a alternative power cable between the Tranquility and Unity modules on the first spacewalk; relocate a failed ammonia pump module to another part of the station; and perform work on a camera and the railway system on the truss segment.

Former astronaut times skydive with launch

Fred Leslie skydives as Discovery launches behind him. (Leslie)

The Huntsville Times broke the story moments ago of former astronaut Fred Leslie and his perfectly timed skydiving jump as space shuttle Discovery lifted-off from Cape Canaveral on Thursday.

While over Deland, Florida -- some sixty miles northeast of the Kennedy Space Center -- Leslie and his wife Kathy made a special jump at 4:45 pm EST, to coincide with the shuttle's launch trajectory.

However, a nearly three minute delay in Discovery's launch almost kept the jump from happening as the shuttle's launch window began to run out due to a faulty Air Force computer which controls the eastern test range.

Discovery launched with only three seconds left in her window.

As the couple soared over 13,000 feet above Deland, Leslie informed this reporter that the photographs were "taken by skydiving photographer Curt Bartholomew".

As The Times Elizabeth Hoekenga described it, "The jump had a special meaning to Fred, who is a former astronaut and works for NASA. He wanted a picture of himself wearing the flight suit he wore on a 1995 mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia."

Leslie's single spaceflight of nearly sixteen days included astronaut Cady Coleman, who is currently living aboard the space station.

Both Leslie and his wife are veteran skydivers with nearly 8,000 jumps between them.

This reporter recalls visiting with Leslie, Coleman and the crew during their launch training in the autumn of 1995, and later at several crew walk outs related to the several mission scrubs.

Leslie works as a researcher at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

Discovery crew begins shuttle inspections with arm

Discovery pilot Eric Boe during a engine burn today. (NASA)

The crew aboard the space shuttle Discovery nudged their craft a bit higher as they prepare for Saturday's arrival at the International Space Station.

Discovery fired the ship's right orbital maneuvering jet at 9:44 a.m. EST, to help adjust the craft's orbit as it trailed the station by several thousand miles.

Commander Steve Lindsey and pilot Eric Boe fired the engine for 13 seconds to increase the shuttle's speed by 7 mph.

A small increase as the shuttle flies at an average speed of 17,300 mph or 5 miles per second.

Minutes later, crew members began work to use the Discovery's robotic arm to survey regions of her thermal protective tiles and blankets.

The fifty-foot Canadian-built robotic arm grappled an extension boom known as the Orbiter Sensor Boom which carries an infrared camera at the opposite end.

It's this camera which is used with a laser to scan both the thermal tiles and blankets which cover the skin of Discovery, and check for any debris hits or punctures during her dramatic launch yesterday.

The crew began scanning the spacecraft's right side before moving over to the left side late. In all the scans take about six hours to complete.

The second day of the final flight of Discovery began on a musical note this morning.

Discovery's six member crew awoke to the music "Through Heavens Eyes" for crew member Mike Barratt, as Discovery flew over the southern Pacific at 6:54 a.m.

Discovery's crew of all space veterans include commander Lindsey, pilot Boe and mission specialists Alvin Drew, Steve Bowen, Barratt and Nicole Stott.

Discovery is expected to close in and dock to earth's orbital outpost in space at 2:19 p.m. on Saturday.

Shuttle Discovery launches on her final voyage

Discovery soars toward space on her final launch. (NASA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Discovery lifted-off today on one last voyage upon the ocean of space.

Carrying a crew of six astronauts and one robonaut, Discovery leaped skyward and along a path up the eastern coastline of the United States.

"For those watching, get ready to witness the majesty and the power of Discovery as she lifts-off one final time," Discovery's commander Steve Lindsey announced minutes before lift-off.

The countdown was halted at T-5 minutes in an unplanned hold due to an Air Force Range Safety computer issue which is needed to communicate with the spacecraft during launch.

With nearly three minutes of available time to hold the count, the range worked the issue with style and coolness. The countdown was held and the launch team waited.

Two minutes went with no update from the range.

Word finally came that the range would be go for launch. The range safety disabled the hold fire button.

The countdown picked up at T-5 minutes giving the launch team only three seconds to spare before launch control would have had to scrub for the day.

The eastern range enabled the hold fire switch so that launch control could not launch with the down computer.

"The inhibit had to be removed and then we had to instruct the GLS (ground launch sequencer) operator (George Thomas) to pick up the count," Mission Management Team chairman Mike Moses stated.

"They are the launch decision authority for launch," Mosses added.
Today marked Thomas' last day at NASA as he is one of several beginning a volunteer lay-off due to the scale back of the shuttle program with only two shuttle flights left after Discovery.

NASA's oldest space shuttle launched at 4:53:24 p.m. EST, from launch complex 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin an 11-day flight to resupply the International Space Station.

An external tank camera witnessed several foam pieces shake free from the tank, the largest at just before the four minute mark into the launch. The 8-inch x 10-inch piece of foam was likely not haven impacted the orbiter since it was above the dense region of the atmosphere.

Mission control radioed the foam loss to the crew at 7 PM, stating that there was no strong concern.

None of Discovery's burns to catch up with the station will change, NASA states.

NASA and it's international partners will likely elect to have a Russian Soyuz TMA spacecraft fly around the space station for an out of this world photo opportunity on the last day of docked operations.

A decision to have the Soyuz fly around will come midway into Discovery's mission, and it will also add an additional day to shuttle's flight.

Today's launch marked Discovery's thirty-ninth and final climb to space. The most traveled of any of the five space-flown orbiters, Discovery has traveled over 143 million miles and will add nearly five million more upon touchdown in twelve days at Kennedy.

Huge crowds gathered along the Space Coast, from north Titusville south to Jetty Park and Port Canaveral, and across the space center, to watch the final launch of the storied spacecraft.

Guests included Florida Gov. Rick Scott and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.


(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace, science and technology. Follow his updates via Twitter @AbsolutSpaceGuy.)

Science and flying inspired Eric Boe to aim high

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle astronaut Eric A. Boe grew up in the Peach State involved in sports and flying planes while having a strong focus on science and education.

Boe will make his second trip into space as pilot of the space shuttle Discovery tomorrow on a voyage to resupply the International Space Station.

Born in Miami, Florida, his parents moved soon after to a home in east Atlanta, a city which became a launching pad for his future goals in life.

"I grew up in Atlanta, and it had a big influence on me," the 46 year-old Air Force Colonel said. "It kind of put in motion the kind of goals and objectives, and obviously the schooling was a real important part of having the opportunity of working here at NASA."

The seeds of science and flying were planted in his life's ambitions as the Apollo astronauts explored the moon in 1969.

"I remember specifically when the moon landings happened," Boe recounted. "I was 5 years old and I remember my parents calling me into the room and telling me 'Hey, watch this. This is really important stuff.'"

Sports was a strong foundation while attending Henderson high school in metro Atlanta in the early 1980's.

"I enjoyed soccer. I participated in cross country and I also was on the wrestling team," Boe said proudly of his high school career.

But one person helped give the young lad the gift of science.

"I had a teacher at Fernbank Science Center which is in my local community, Debbie Huffman," Boe discussed. "She works encouraging youth in aviation and other scientific fields so she really helped me out along the way."

Mrs. Huffman continues her long career at Fernbank today.

Boe also served as a cadet in Georgia's Civil Air Patrol, which promotes aerospace education and emergency management including search and rescue. The north Atlanta resident received the Patrol's highest honor, the General Carl A. Spaatz Award.

At 16, he flew solo for the first time as a part of the CAP. "That was my first real opportunity to fly an airplane by myself," Boe remembers. "CAP gave me that opportunity." He continues to serve and support the Florida branch of the Civil Air Patrol.

Upon graduating from high school in 1983, Boe left Atlanta for the United States Air Force Academy, and four years later received a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering.

The Air Force called upon Boe and his 60th Fighter Squadron based out of Eglin, AFB in Florida, for duties in Kuwait and Iraq during Operation .

A flight commander for the F-15C, Boe and his crew would fly fifty-five combat missions across southern Iraq in 1994. A year later, he returned home to Atlanta.

Ten years after completing his first degree, Col. Boe received his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech, located just twelve minutes from his boyhood home.

That year also included a trip out to Edwards, AFB in California and the Air Force's Test Pilot's school. While living at Eglin, Boe was selected as a pilot astronaut during July 2000, while at the same time his wife Kristen and Eric were expecting a son.

During the years of astronaut training and assisting with future spacecraft design projects at the Johnson Space Center near Houston, Boe left for a year in Star City, Russia to serve as NASA's director of operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Then while on a working trip at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 2007, Boe received the call he had long waited to hear.

Boe remembers the day so clear, "The chief of our office, Steve Lindsey, called me up on my cell phone and I was talking to him and he goes, “Hey, how would you like to fly on STS-126?” It was a great day."

During the second half of November 2008, Col. Boe made the trip of a lifetime when he spent nearly sixteen days in space, including over a week spent docked at the space station.

"I did get the chance to see the Atlanta area in space, and one of the things that was pretty cool was that they were having a Georgia Tech game," Boe said of his flight aboard Endeavour. "The shuttle actually flew over the top of Atlanta, and we were looking down while they were looking up and they actually talked about it at the football game."

Boe and his crew made the November 20 night time pass over northern Georgia as Tech played ACC rival Miami in a game shown on ESPN. And, yes, Georgia Tech later won 41-23 that night.

On Thursday, Lindsey will command Boe and four mission specialist astronauts on a nearly two week mission aboard Discovery.

Boe will become the last person to serve as pilot aboard the storied spacecraft on this, the thirty-ninth and final flight of Discovery. As the mission winds down, Boe's focus will turn toward space station undocking.

Boe will get the chance to 'fly' Discovery in a 360-degree revolution around earth's orbiting outpost before firing twin engines to separate and begin the crew's return trip home.

(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)