Mission control radioed the Discovery crew today with news that they will not need to make a fourth spacewalk to fix a thermal blanket near the Commander’s left window. Mission Control and the crew agreed that it was “good news.”
The Mission Management Team, which made the decision based on extensive analysis, is still meeting. More details about the decision will be discussed at a news conference at 3 p.m. EDT today.
Earlier today, the STS-114 and Expedition 11 crews took time out of their schedule to pay tribute to all of the astronauts and cosmonauts who have given their lives for space exploration.
The Expedition 12 and STS-114 crewmembers pose for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Destiny Laboratory.
Wearing red shirts with the STS-107 patch, each crewmember provided words of tribute and remembrance in their native languages – English, Russian and Japanese.
STS-114 is the first Space Shuttle mission to fly since the loss of Columbia and the STS-107 crew. The STS-107 crewmembers – Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Dave Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon – were lost when Columbia broke up over northern Texas during re-entry.
In other activities today, the Shuttle and Station crews have continued loading items into the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module for the trip back to Earth. Crewmembers also participated in media events and spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The crews also enjoyed a joint meal.
Following the Columbia ceremony, the crews entered a well-deserved off-duty period.
From NASA