Space Shuttle Discovery Liftoff (STS-133) – 2/24/2011
Lets go back to the (STS-133) Space Shuttle Discovery’s Liftoff in 2011. As the Space Shuttle Program was winding down I had several requests for viewing passes from friends and family. On this particular day I was able to bring out to the launch an old high school classmate and his family and we were able to view the launch form the NASA Causeway.
Space Shuttle Discovery successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A at 16:53:24 EST on February 24, 2011.
The mission transported several items to the space station, including the Permanent Multipurpose Module Leonardo, which was left permanently docked to one of the station’s ports. The shuttle also carried the third of four ExPRESS Logistics Carriers to the ISS, as well as a humanoid robot called Robonaut.
Working Space Station Payloads and helping with ISS simulations on how to pack Robonaut – before final packing was complete they let KSC employees have a visit with Robonaut. See the pictures below.
STS-133 Crew: NASA announced the STS-133 crew on September 18, 2009, and training began in October 2009. The original crew consisted of commander Steven Lindsey, pilot Eric Boe, and mission specialists Alvin Drew, Timothy Kopra, Michael Barratt, and Nicole Stott. However, on January 19, 2011, about a month before launch, it was announced that Stephen Bowen would replace original crew member Tim Kopra, after Kopra was injured in a bicycle accident.
STS-133 Facts:
Crew: Commander Steven Lindsey; Pilot Eric Boe; MS1 Nicole Stott; MS 2 Alvin Drew; MS3 Michael Barratt; MS4 Stephen Bowen.
Mission Duration: 12 days, 19 hours, 4 minutes, 50 seconds.
Landing: March 9, 2011
Mission Patch:
Liftoff – Liftoff of Discovery and STS-133
Robonaut Photos
About the Author and Photographer: Alden Pitard has over 40 years experience working in the Aerospace Industry at Cape Canaveral, The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Boeing locations throughout the country. He has supported the Space Shuttle Program, International Space Station, 787 Dreamliner and most recently the Artemis Program. During his time at "The Cape" he photographed a majority of the Launch Sites at KSC and Cape Canaveral. As the Space Shuttle program was coming to a close in 2011, the author decided to bike to all the Launch Complexes he could and capture the Space Center and Cape Canaveral as it was - thus "Biking through Space Ruins".