First flown on August 30, 1984, Discovery is the third operational space shuttle, and the oldest remaining in service. It has performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions.

Rollout of the orbiter Discovery, 1998 (NASA)

The spacecraft takes its name from previous ships of exploration named Discovery, primarily HMS Discovery, a ship that accompanied explorer James Cook on his third and final major voyage. Others include Henry Hudson's ship Discovery which he used in 1610–1611 to search for a Northwest Passage, and RRS Discovery, a vessel used for expeditions to Antarctica in 1901-1904 by Scott and Shackleton (and still preserved as a museum). The shuttle shares a name with Discovery One, the spaceship from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Latest Return to Flight Information Get the latest information on NASA's Return to Flight and the STS-114 mission. STS-114 Flight Briefing Materials STS-114 Preflight Briefing Materials STS-114 crew interview transcripts STS-107 Crew Memorial Web Pages STS-114 preflight imagery The Return to Flight Reference Page		Space Station Updates in New Location Updates on the International Space Station are moving. Please go to the new Space Station page on the NASA Web for continuing International Space Station coverage. Space Station Archives Expedition 11 Preflight Briefing Materials Expedition 11 Press Kit Interactive: View a history of space stations (requires Flash Player).
Behind the Scenes of Human Space Flight Human space flight starts on the ground, where thousands of NASA employees, contractors and industry partners work together to send humans safely into space. Meet the people who make it all happen and visit the unique facilities where they work. Follow the progress of NASA’s newest astronaut candidates in the Astronaut Candidates 2004 - Training Journals. Also, visit the Gallery for portraits of the 2004 class of astronaut candidates. Visit the Readers' Room for important documents and information about NASA. ISS Status Reports Get the Latest Information on NASA's Return to Flight Efforts Astronaut Phillips Provides Congressional Testimony from Space NASA Reopens Shuttle Return to Flight Media Accreditation Joint Statement by International Space Station Heads of Agency NASA Signs With Yahoo! and Akamai to Bring Shuttle Mission Online Yahoo! Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., will provide live streaming of NASA TV mission coverage in Windows Media format and be the only other official online host of NASA TV footage beyond the NASA website. Visit NASA's SkyWatch to get Space Station viewing times in your area. Interactive: See how the ISS orients itself (requires Flash Player). Check out the updated Saturn V Rocket Interactive.

Discovery was the shuttle that launched the Hubble Space Telescope. The second and third Hubble Space Telescope service mission was also conducted by Discovery. It has also launched the Ulysses probe and three TDRS satellites. Discovery has been chosen twice as the return to flight orbiter, first as the return to flight orbiter after the Challenger Disaster in 1986, and as the orbiter for the return to flight mission in July 2005, after the Columbia Disaster. Discovery also carried Project Mercury astronaut John Glenn, who was 77 at the time, back into space during STS-95 on October 29, 1998, making him the oldest human being to venture into space.

Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-114 lands safely

on August 9, 2005

STS-114 mission

On July 26, 2005 at 10:39 EDT, Discovery launched into space on mission STS-114, marking the first shuttle launch since the February 2003 Columbia Disaster. Video taken during the minutes after the launch revealed that a piece of foam insulation came off Discovery's external fuel tank, although it apparently did not damage the shuttle. After the problem was discovered, NASA suspended all future launches until the problem is solved.

Discovery was set to return on August 8, 2005, but their mission was extended due to unfavorable weather conditions. The shuttle returned from orbit on August 9, 2005, landing at Edwards Air Force Base at 8:12 AM EDT after travelling 5.8 million miles.

Flights

Space Shuttle Discovery has flown 31 flights, spent 241.95 days in space, completed 3,808 orbits, and flown 98,710,673 miles (158,859,429 km) in total, as of July 2005.

Discovery is set for retirement in 2010.

Notable missions

• STS-41-D: First Flight
  

• STS-51-D: Carried first sitting United States congressman into space, Senator Jake Garn (R-UT)

• STS-26: Return to space after Challenger disaster (STS-51-L)
  

• STS-95: Second flight of John Glenn, oldest man in space
  

• STS-114: Return to space after Columbia disaster (STS-107)

List of space shuttle missions :

External links

Orbiter Vehicles

Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (OV-103)

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