I have been wanting to write about this since the launch, however, something called “a life” has been in the way.
As the whole world knows, Discovery has lifted off and is now carrying out its mission, sporting new equipment, including a special boom to aid in inspecting the shuttle for damage that may have occured during launch, and a heat tile repair kit.
STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins had this to say in her signoff message for day 1:
Collins continued, “As our crew looks back at our beautiful planet and then outwards toward the unknown of space, we feel the importance, today more than any time, of space exploration to all those who are living on Earth. Our flight is the next flight of many in the human exploration of the universe.”
“And finally,” she concluded, “we reflect on the last shuttle mission, the great ship Columbia and her crew — Rick, Willie, Mike, K.C., Dave, Laurel and Ilan. We miss them, and we are continuing their mission. God bless them tonight, and God bless their families. Good night.”
A fine tribute to the crew of the Columbia, which exploded on re-entry two and a half years ago. And a reminder that space travel is far from safe.
Using date and images collected by the inspections made today, engineers on the gorund continue to evaluate the nature of any damage that Discovery may have suffered during its launch. I hope and pray that it is insignicant at worst.
Discovery is scheudled to dock with the International Space Station at 7:18 a.m. EDT.
NASA will be posting updates on their website.
