Community Corner

Lift Off! Discovery's Last Launch Today!

NASA Ames invites the community to watch the shuttle's last mission today.

After 30 years, today is the beginning of the end for the space shuttle missions.

NASA Ames invites the community to witness history today, Thursday, as the STS-133 space shuttle Discovery launches for the last time at 1:50 p.m. PST. The live televised broadcast of the launch can be seen at the Exploration Center at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, off the Moffett Field exit of Highway 101.

This is Discovery's 39th and final scheduled flight and the 35th shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Getting a lift into space and giving the six astronauts a hand in space will be Robonaut 2 (R2), a robot that will become the ISS's first permanent resident. R2's mission is to test the dexterity of robots in zero gravity.

During Discovery's 11-day mission, the astronauts will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to the ISS. The PMM can hold microgravity experiments in areas such as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The mission will feature two spacewalks to perform maintenance and install new components on the station.

Commander Steve Lindsey leads the veteran crew, which includes Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, Steve Bowen and
Nicole Stott. Bowen replaced astronaut Tim Kopra, who was injured in a bicycle accident last month.

Following the launch, students will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of hands-on educational activities.

NASA's second-to-last space shuttle flight, STS-134 Endeavor, is set for launch April 19. NASA astronaut Mark Kelly will resume training as commander of the STS-134 space shuttle mission. With the exception of some proficiency training, Kelly had been on personal leave since Jan. 8 to care for his wife, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically wounded in a Tucson, AZ, shooting.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here