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Archive for the ‘Kennedy Space Center’ Category

The countdown is on.

Visitors to central Florida will be flocking to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on May 14 for the scheduled launch of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission.

The shuttle is on Launch Pad 39A as crews continue with preparations for the scheduled liftoff at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

Atlantis will be heading to the International Space Station, where the shuttle’s six astronauts will spend a 12-day mission to deliver an Integrated Cargo Carrier and a Russian-built mini research module.

Favorable launch conditions are predicted as a high-pressure system continues to dominate Florida’s weather pattern, bringing plenty of sunshine to the sunshine state.

At 6:21 am on April 5, Space Shuttle Discovery thundered off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, lighting up the early morning sky and sailing effortlessly toward the International Space Station.

This spectacular sight has become something of a central Florida tradition for nearly 30 years since the first space shuttle launch in 1981. Yet it’s also a tradition that is quickly drawing to a close. With the launch of STS-131 Discovery, only three additional shuttle flights remain scheduled before the amazing shuttle fleet is retired by NASA. Those final shuttle flights will truly mark the end of an era.

Discovery is carrying seven astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as a multi-purpose logistics module that is designed to be used as a large storage unit filled with racks for the ISS laboratories. This 13-day mission also has three planned space walks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior, and switching out a gyro.

The launch also marks the second to last mission for Space Shuttle Discovery which is slated to fly the final shuttle mission tentatively scheduled for a Sept. 16, 2010 launch.

Five. Only five space shuttle missions remain on NASA’s schedule, with Endeavour getting prepared now for a planned February 7, 2010 flight from Central Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.

Commander George Zamka will lead the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station - a scheduled 13-day mission designed to increase the interior space for the ISS. The Endeavour crew will deliver the Italian-built Tranquility node, to provide space for crew members and the space station’s life support and environmental control systems.

They will also deliver a 7-windowed cupola, which will be used as a control room for robotics. The cupola offers a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The mission will also incorporate three spacewalks.

While there is plenty of work to be done in space over the final five space shuttle missions, much of the excitement for Central Florida visitors is geared around the remaining launches.

The Endeavour launch on Feb. 7 is targeted for 4:39 am EST, meaning the night skies will be lit up with a brilliant glow seen from as far away as Orlando and beyond.

For more information on the STS-130 mission, visit www.NASA.gov. Or for details on the Kennedy Space Center and discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando accommodations, please visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

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