Arrive at ISS

Discovery docked at ISS. Click on video (related multimedia box) to see arrival. Information updated daily:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

If the clouds part, you may be able to see the ISS in the night sky. Find out how:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/sightings/

As far as this mission is concerned our experience is complete. This is the last blog related to STS-119. Over and out.

Post Launch

We awoke to the blue skies and the warmth to which we have grown accustomed. Our week foray into Florida turned into more than 4 weeks. Driving north up A1A we said good bye to the palm trees, the roseate spoonbills and the pelicans which we so enjoy watching. As we passed over the causeway leaving Cocoa Beach I had the same thoughts of a year ago. Will we ever return to this very special place? It is checked off of my “bucket list”. Does that mean it is behind us?

The view from the causeway showed the empty launch pad 39A which elicited thoughts very much different from a year ago. The weeks of jockeying our schedule, bouncing from place to place, staying in contact with the Steves and, finally, resolution.

Other than the spectacle of the launch two other thoughts flooded my mind. One, the Steves. They are a family full of faith and they live out devotion to others. How fortunate we were to experience this event with them; to share the highs and lows, the fear and frustration, the joy, and the blessing.

Secondly. Space travel - the true project without borders. Seventeen countries are involved in the space station. STS-119 carries a Japanese astronaut to replace one who has been in the space station for four months. They will be housed in modules built and delivered by the Russians and they will use a robotic arm built by the Canadians. A true coalition. As the launch neared yesterday, a small group broke out in song, singing “God Bless America”. But it didn’t catch on and the chorus soon died away. Those gathered included French, Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Indians and others. Somehow the song didn’t fit this time. Patriotic we are. Nationalistic we are not. Perhaps the words of John F. Kennedy were more applicable at that moment.

“We are vowed that we not see it (space) governed by a hostile flag of conquest but by a banner of peace.”

If only that were true on earth and not just in space.

The pictures:

How Barb and I looked before the launch.

What we felt like before the launch.

The Antonelli friends gathering for the view.

Our view just before the launch.

Barb and I arrived in Atlanta in time to have my birthday dinner with Ben and Penny, my first birthday with Ben since he was a senior in high school, 1994. On Tuesday we flew home. As Cailyn picked us up at the airport, the air was chilled and drippy. We could see our breath. Barb starts work tomorrow, Wednesday. We are back to reality.

We Have Liftoff

As we were gathered together at breakfast today, we were more guarded then we were Wednesday. There was still the anticipation of the launch but we all worried about the “Ground Hog Day" movie effect. I went for another long bike ride after breakfast. Barb did the last minute shopping and made one more walk to her beloved beach. By 1 p.m. we drove out to the KSC.

It is Sunday. Most of Orlando must have gravitated to the area to enjoy the weather, the beach, and the launch. Cocoa Beach is one of the best views for a launch.

KSC was much more crowded than Wednesday. By 4 p.m. we stood in line for the shuttle buses. A good sign since we didn’t make it to that point on Wednesday. We were bused to the causeway, the bridge over the Banana River that has a direct view of the launch pad, six miles away. The site was a mix of tourists who had been able to purchase the coveted tickets on line and the gathering friends of the crew’s family. We unfolded our carried in chairs and sat with Cam and Kay, Ceil and Dennis, and Cliff, friends of the Steves. Next to us sat Lisa and Eddie with their two young children. Lisa is a member of a Bible study group with Janeen, in Houston.

The countdown continued over the live feed of NASA audio. We heard what anyone would have heard that watched NASA TV. Launch control and Houston, as well as monitor points around the world checked in as the countdown progressed. The support appendages were pulled from the vehicle, the countdown entered the single digits. Pops, then a cloud engulfed the shuttle. The orange glow in the shape of a spear emerged from the cloud then the noise hit us. At 7:43 PM ( right on time), EDT, almost dreamlike, and with the vehicle emerging from the cloud into the clear blue sky it took on a large smoke trail heading into space. The audio announced separation and the two boosters dropped from the glow, forming their own droplets of light falling to the earth. We stood in awe and did not make haste to leave.

God Speed STS-119 and thanks for a great show and thanks for a great ride.

Pictures: The Causeway, thousands with tickets are 6 miles from launch.

Group gathering. Joe Acaba, former teacher in Florida. Scientist, now astronaut.

Blast off. Escape to orbit. And finally left, boosters drop.

God Speed STS-119. GOD SPEED

Prelaunch Again

While engineers and technicians work furiously at pad 39A, and while the STS-119 crew resumes training for their upcoming mission, tourists continue to inundate this area. The Best Western is full every night. Some are on spring break. Some are here with sports teams. As I sat after my bike ride, a party of young men descended on the beach. I noted that they looked like PLU types. That they were. A NCAA division 3 baseball tournament was held here this week. The young men were the baseball team from Gettysburg College, the Lutheran School there in Pennsylvania.

We continue to watch for NASA updates each morning. To keep us from watching other reports, Visa bills, car rental fees, hotel charges, etc., we try to concentrate on the gifts of our environs. After my run in with manatees yesterday, Barb, Phil, Virginia, Shauna, and Jessica (Virginia’s relatives from Moses Lake) encouraged me to drive them out to the pond.

I was relieved that I was able to repeat the trip in the car. However, the manatees were not lying by the bank as they were yesterday. Barb, not wanting to give up, sought the aid of a neighbor. Lewis and his wife jumped to our aid. “They are over in the corner. See them there.” The pig-like snouts were visible. “I wish you would have been here earlier. They were very active and there was a pod of dolphins here too.”

Lewis, a few years younger than us, grew up in Key Largo. An engineer by trade, he moved to Cocoa Beach to subcontract for NASA. “Don’t miss the launch,” he related. “There is nothing like it. Your first percussion is the exploding hold down bolts. After that, the boosters kick in. Noise and waves of power overcome you. Powerful.”

Thanks, Lewis. Just one more expert letting us know we must ride this out. Barb and I, carrying out our own personal domestic economic stimulus project, with no hesitation.

Pictures: Mother manatee and her young. Phil, Virginia, Shauna and Jessica.

Between Scrub and ...

After 23 of us met for dinner last night, 9 of us met for the hotel’s free continental breakfast this a.m. We sat and talked until 10:30, then congregated in front of the TV in the lobby. The NASA news conference committed to a launch on Sunday, or Monday, or Tuesday, or…

Mike Mullane’s book, Riding Rockets, “the outrageous tales of a space shuttle astronaut” refers to NASA as meaning, “Never A Straight Answer”. (Thanks for the recommendation, Rosey) Although we have had many interpretations, delays and redirections over the last month, I can identify with all of the above. Space flight is not a perfect science and “failure is not an option”, thus delays and redirection are part of the business. I guess I see that as strength, not a weakness.

We are staying. Some of the group went home today. All of us went our own way. Phil, Virginia, and family, including Janeen and the kids, went to Orlando’s Disney World. Barb walked the beach, read on the beach, and did laundry. I, for the 5th time, rented a bike. In retrospect, I could have bought one in Georgia, strapped it to the car, and saved a bunch of money. However, like NASA, you look back to see where you have been but you look at today’s situation to determine your future.

I rode for 3 hours today. Traffic is heavy on the main roads of the cape so I started out south. Located there are the communities that were constructed when NASA was first developed. The 1960’s housing (post Sputnik) is situated between the tourist Atlantic beach and the Banana River. The narrow streets meander through quiet neighborhoods, interspersed with canals and inlets. At one time I stopped to access my water bottle at a spot between a house on my right which bordered the Banana River, and a pond on my left. As I tipped my bottle I heard a gurgling sound. I turned to the pond to see 4 giant manatees lounging near the bank. Didn’t have a camera.

I also stopped at a 1950’s style cluster of ocean side cottages that were south of the tourist area. The one story flat roof structures with single paned wooden framed windows with 43 coats of paint, grass, beds of flowers, and narrow sidewalks that led to the sea would be a pleasing setting if we ever return here sans the RV. The 70 ish lady manager talked on and on about her time here. “Forty three years since I moved down here from Michigan. Every time there is a launch scrub, phone calls from relatives and engineers ask if we have openings. We seldom do this time of year. It is the busy season. I love it here. However, in August, I miss Michigan.”

I guess there would be worse places to be hold up in February/March. Michigan, this time of year would be probably confining. It is not confining here. In fact, at every stop on my bike ventures I ask, “Why were we given the gift of being here?”

Post Scrub Plans

Like Bill Bennett and John Daly at the craps table, Barb and I continue to roll the dice, hoping to hit the big one. We are staying on. We’ve rescheduled our plane tickets and extended the rental car agreement. The launch is now “set” for Sunday or Monday. This is a surprise to us since NASA earlier explained that if the launch did not occur before March 14, it would be delayed till April. Now that has changed.

Some of our party left for home today. Commitments at home, expenses in rearranging travel plans, hotels and cars caused them to pull up stakes. Barb and I are fortunate that we have some flexibility.

Barb was scheduled to start teaching on Monday, the 16th, for a colleague going out on maternity leave. She has received ongoing support from her former school to “go the distance”. Thus, we shall, maybe. Of course, I am in no hurry to go home. I, as Barb goes back to work, take on the role of househusband, a position I don’t mind delaying.

We met for dinner tonight, sharing stories and plans. Janeen and the boys joined us, a special time with a special group. Discovery stood on its pad just 10 miles away. Hopefully, next week, Discovery will be a sparkling orb, connected to the space station, traversing the night sky.

Scrubbed

They called it at 2:30 p.m. just 7 hours before the scheduled launch. Hydrogen leak. It could be minor (few hour repair job) or major (weeks). Thus, our chance to see the launch hangs in the balance tonight.

It has been a special 24 hours. This morning we met with the Steves (pilot inlaws) family and friends for breakfast. Jim, Janeen’s brother , related how Janeen had called him Monday night and asked him to be at the NASA center by 10 a.m. Tuesday. There he was given a medical check up to make sure he was not carrying any infections, and was, with his brother, transported to the “Beach House” to spend the afternoon grilling hamburgers and playing on the beach with the crew. The brother in laws of the pilot and other screened family visitors offered diversion to the crew as they awaited the next day’s launch.

After the gathering last night, the immediate family was loaded into buses and taken to the launch site. There, in the seemingly daylight of the pad’s illumination, and at 1 a.m., they were able to view the processes of the last stages of preparation and they received detailed explanations from the accompanying astronauts.

Today, we arrived at Kennedy (KSC) around 2 pm. The Center was bustling with the normal influx of tourists but this time it included school kids on field trips, families and friends of the crew dressed in team-like matching colors, and hoards of space zealots gathering for the launch. The air of expectation rose with each minute. Then it deflated as the “scrubbed” announcement was made.

The leak, external to the craft, will take at least two days to repair. Sunday, the day we were to fly home, is the nearest launch date. We have some decisions to make but right now Barb and I linger toward what was written on a coffee cup we saw at KSC today, "Let's do Launch". Are we close? We can't say yes. Until the launch is permenantly scrubbed we are resolved to be here.

Pictures: rocket garden last night and today; and the space shuttle mock up at KSC.

Prelaunch

I know that sometimes the Boeing workers refer to their place as the “Lazy B”. Here, the workers call Kennedy “The Rocket Ranch”. We spent the entire today touring it again. We took much the same tour as last year and found it even more meaningful this time. In the evening we gathered in a conference room at Kennedy to meet Tony’s family and share in a preflight celebration. Discovery, the crew, and the families are ready for the launch, hopefully tomorrow at 9:20 pm EDT.

Pictures: Discovery on the launch pad.

Barb, Virginia (Janeen's mom) and Janeen, Tony's wife.

Norm, Barb and "flat" Tony. Tony is in quarantine with the other crewmembers and could not attend the party.

Janeen and son Danny speaking to the gathering. Danny will turn 5 on the day, if all goes as scheduled, his Daddy will help land the shuttle at Kennedy.

Barb and Mike Foreman who has flown one shuttle mission, made 3 space walks, and is scheduled for the next shuttle flight. As is NASA custom, astronauts are assigned to escort the present crewmembers' families during the pre and post launch activities.

Countdown

The astronauts are here. They flew in from Houston yesterday. This is a huge sign. Launch is near, God willing.

Canaveral is a cape. Kennedy is the Space Center located on the cape. Cocoa Beach is the long stretch of white beach that stretches south of Canaveral. We opted, this time, for the Best Western Cocoa Beach.

They give it a 90% chance of lift off on Wednesday night. Conditions indicate it as such. Relatives are arriving. Friends are filling the local hotels. The launch is near. Local businesses are booming. But most of the booming is due to spring break.

Barb and I optioned for a local hotel this week. Tony’s family is gathering here. We wanted to be a part of that. Barb overheard the front desk responding to an inquiry, “We have no rooms available Tuesday through Friday. The shuttle is launching.”

Most of the party arrives this evening. Tomorrow we meet for breakfast then drive to the Kennedy Space Center for a tour. We gather together tomorrow, Tuesday evening, at the center, for a reception hosted by the Antonelli family. Then on Wednesday, we drive to Kennedy to board a NASA bus to see the launch, God willing.

It has been a long journey. But in no way has it been difficult. Finally, we sense completion. God willing.

It Is A Go but First, Caladesi Beach

An interesting day with extending circumstances dominating our thoughts as we, again, experienced a very special part of Creation.

First, Ben had surgery today. Last summer Ben literally landed on his ear as he attempted an in air somersault on his wakeboard at Oconee. The impact broke his eardrum. It has been healing but not completely. Today surgery was done to graft some of his skin over the eardrum to fill a gap that had not healed. The surgery went well and the recovery should be short. Hopefully and thankfully.

Secondly, we received word that the shuttle is now scheduled for lift off on March 11, at 9:20 pm EDT. Barb and I will head over to Canaveral tomorrow.

This week, we couldn’t have planned it better. Today it was 80 degrees and no wind. Our last day here found us at two natural preserves, just 5 miles from our condo. Honeymoon Island was originally named Hog Island until 1935 when a New York developer constructed thatched roof bungalows there and marketed them toward honeymooners. The bungalows are gone. Just beach, natural vegetation, the roads and parking lots remain.

From that island one can take a passenger ferry (actually, just a pontoon boat) to Caladesi Island State Park, which over the years, has been rated as the top state park in the nation. The weather was perfect. However, due to the storms and wind last week, dead sea grass had washed up on the beach giving blemish to the otherwise perfect beach. Thankfully it did not have the odor of the washed up grass we experienced in the Keys a year ago. Shell collection was the main activity while pausing to marvel at the turquoise gulf, white beach, and the antics of pelicans as they, in kamikaze style, dove headlong into the sea for fish.

There are many reasons that we find Florida our favorite state. And there are more reasons that we find this area personally attractive. The weather, the unique communities, the beaches, the baseball and the arts. Our condo this week is located on the outskirts of an unincorporated community where most homes were constructed in the '50's. The houses on the gulf have been purchased, torn down, and replaced with huge homes. A few have for sale signs. But for the most part, the community of Crystal Beach remains what it has been - a close community that supports commerce, the infastructure, the bike trail that runs through it and the arts. The sign above is the community bulletin board and the message, as we drove by it, changed every day. The message today says it all. Florida - what a state.

You can click on pictures to enlarge them.

Clearwater Beach

It was just a short 9 mile picturesque drive to Clearwater Beach. It was 80 and some colleges are on spring break so the beach was busy. Picture of beach and Clearwater.

Spring Training

There are several teams that spring train in this area. We enjoy baseball and we chose a Phillies game. They won the World Series last year. The team includes former Mariners, Jamie Moyer, Raul Ibanez, Greg Dobbs, and Miguel Cairo. They also have Jake Woods (Tacoma).

It was sunny and warm in the sun, cool in the shade in the local stadium. The World Series trophy was available for us to approach. The champions were just a few rows from us. Spring Training. Intimate. Local. Just what baseball used to be.

Then we drove to watch the sun set over Clearwater Beach. Florida, what a state.

We wait for the launch but we also wish Lyndsey the best. Go Freeman. If it were not for the possibility of the launch, we would be there with you all.

The latest from NASA

Family and Friends of STS-119,
Managers and engineers from the Space Shuttle Program and several other offices within NASA met today at the Johnson Space Center to discuss progress on the flow control valve issue which has delayed the launch of STS-119. After another lengthy meeting, Wednesday, 11 March appears to be a strong possibility. As always, the Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR) has the ultimate authority to officially set the launch date. The FRR will reconvene at the Kennedy Space Center this Friday, 6 March, to consider the results of today’s Space Shuttle Program decision.
If STS-119 launches on 11 March, launch time will be approximately 9:20 p.m. EDT. Based on today’s decision, the crew will enter quarantine again tonight at the Johnson Space Center crew quarters. If the Agency FRR approves an 11 March launch, we will fly to the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday afternoon. There, we will perform a final review of flight procedures and perform flight training in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
Please contact our crew secretary, Nuria Aguilar, if you have any changes to your plans to attend our launch.
Thanks for supporting STS-119 and have a great week.
Lee J. Archambault, Colonel, USAF
STS-119 Commander

Sun Coast

They call it the “sun coast” and it has been sunny. In fact, the St. Petersburg Times once had a guarantee. If the sun did not shine any time during the day, the Times would give away free papers the next day. The guarantee is no longer valid but the weather is still the same.

Well, for the most part. It rained for about an hour on Sunday morning but then the sun came out with a biting wind. It has not been above 65, the wind has lessened but it is still cool. Therefore, Barb and I have put off visiting some of the local pristine beaches.

This area has been in the national news. The boat carrying 4 men, 2 of which were NFL players, which capsized in the Gulf, launched just a few miles from us. Also, the drought looms large here. One river which is usually a major supplier to the local water supply is flowing at 1% of normal. Needless to say, water restrictions are in place.

After church on Sunday, we drove 5 miles north to Tarpon Springs, which, in 1890, became the sponge capital of the US. Greeks flocked here to participate in the business and the town still reflects that culture. A beautiful Orthodox church sits near the Greek restaurants, curiosity shops, sponge factories, and marinas full of charter boats and, still, a few sponge boats ready to take anyone out in the Gulf.

Monday, we drove the 20 miles to St. Petersburg. The bike rentals were closed due to the cool weather so a ride on the popular waterfront trail was not possible. Thus, I accompanied Barb to the Salvador Dali Museum. An excellent choice. I now have a new found appreciation for his talent. He is a man who defied convention in his art and in his life style. However, the museum brought it all together in reflecting this man’s genius.

On Tuesday it only warmed to the mid 60’s. But the blue skies and sun warmed us as we rode the Pinellas Bike Trail to Dunedin. The 34 mile trail travels from St. Pete’s to Tarpon Springs passes by our condo. We rode the 6 miles, with a few side trips, to Dunedin, a small town with a Scottish heritage. Typical of urban trails, the trail snaked between commercial districts, marinas, and neighborhoods.

Interestingly, the term “Pinellas” is common here. We are located in Pinellas county. Lou Piniella grew up in Tampa but there is no connection with his name and the area. Pinellas means, in Spanish, “piney point” which the early explorers designated this area as such.

Our current setting is in stark contrast to the last two weeks in Daytona. It is so quiet. We are staying in a 3 bedroom house nestled within a group of about 40 similar structures. The units are set between a bayou, lake, and the gulf and look out into tall stands of mangroves. There is a central clubhouse that includes a pool, kayaks for the gulf, and other amenities but we find no time to gather as there is so much to see in the area.

Many pristine beaches and a spring training game are on our schedule for the next 3 days. Again, NASA will determine where we go on Saturday.

Pictures: St. Petersburg skyline and the bike path causeway out to Honeymoon Island.

Update

Note from Janeen, the pilot's wife...

While Tony and his crew await completion of NASA's plans to fix the flow control valves, a moderate training schedule has been put in place to maintain the crew's readiness for the moment when NASA finally says, "Go for Launch!"Simulated ascent/entry runs, flights in the Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA), robotic arm practice, and suit-ups at the Neutral Bouyancy Lab (NBL) for simulated Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVAs) have kept the crew focused on their pending mission, despite the many slips -- six total, so far; four since the Feb. 12th date.As I write, the tentative target date for Space Shuttle Discovery’s launch to the International Space Station --Thursday, March 12th -- remains on track. However, an exact target launch date will not be determined until at least March 6th when the next Flight Readiness Review (FRR) is expected to reconvene. Tony and the STS-119 crew plan to return to quarantine this Thursday evening, March 5th, in anticipation of a launch on the 12th.As work progresses with the shuttle’s three gaseous hydrogen flow control valves, we continue to pray -- and hope you will, too -- for every single administrator, engineer, technician, and support personnel involved in tackling this problem -- and for their families who, undoubtedly, are sacrificing an inordinate amount of quality time with their loved ones in support of the STS-119 mission and all future shuttle flights. We thank them for their tireless dedication to and conviction in "getting it right."

On an even more personal note, we are often asked how we feel about "all of this." Like everyone else, we are reminded by the current flurry of activity that exploring space is, in fact, a very risky business. Are we scared? You betcha. Do we worry? Of course! But we don't dwell. The truth is, our family believes in and is fully committed to the challenge of space flight as one definitively worth pursuing. Without question. Without regrets. We love Daddy and want him to return to us to live out a long, meaningful life! But, ultimately, that's not our call. Tony is doing what he was born to do, and we're proud of him. Part of what makes this life worth living is actually LIVING it -- doing what you were created to do. What a gift -- both to receive and to give! We put a huge amount of faith in God's providence -- and trust in the promise of a purpose bigger than ourselves, beyond our immediate circumstances and personal desires.

"What I saw was just too beautiful to have happened by accident." ~ Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo Astronaut

"Man must rise above the Earth -- to the top of the atmosphere and beyond -- for only then will he fully understand the world in which he lives." ~ Socrates, 469 - 399 B.C.

"The eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding.... I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours." ~John F. Kennedy, speech at Rice University, 1962