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United Space AllianceSpace ShuttleLaunch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
STS-128
Launched
August 29, 2009 · 03:59 UTC
Summary
STS-128 launched on an United Space Alliance Space Shuttle from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on August 29, 2009 at 03:59 UTC. It was United Space Alliance's 44th launch, 4th this year and humanity's 5,002nd orbital launch attempt. It was the 128th Space Shuttle flight and the 4th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Discovery (STS-128), one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 162 × 244 km orbit inclined 51.6°. 7 crew members flew: Christer Fuglesang, José Hernández, Frederick W. Sturckow, Patrick G. Forrester, John D. Olivas, Kevin A. Ford and Nicole Stott. The spacecraft was Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103). 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- Launch of STS-128 from T-9 minutes to MECO (HD)Spacevidcast (now TMRO -- see new channel)
- Vehicle
- Space Shuttle · United Space AllianceInternational Space Station, Space Shuttle
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Human Exploration · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 128th Space Shuttle flight · 4th this yearUnited Space Alliance's 44th launch4th this yearhumanity's 5,002nd orbital launch attempt48th orbital launch attempt this year
Launch crew
Christer FuglesangMission Specialist · ESA · age 52 · 2nd flight
José HernándezMission Specialist · NASA · age 46 · first flight
Frederick W. SturckowCommander · VG · age 48 · 4th flight
Patrick G. ForresterMission Specialist · NASA · age 52 · 3rd flight
John D. OlivasMission Specialist · NASA · age 43 · 2nd flight
Kevin A. FordPilot · NASA · age 49 · first flight
Nicole StottMission Specialist · NASA · age 46 · first flight
Landing crew
- Christer FuglesangMission Specialist · ESA
- José HernándezMission Specialist · NASA
- Frederick W. SturckowCommander · VG
- Patrick G. ForresterMission Specialist · NASA
- John D. OlivasMission Specialist · NASA
- Kevin A. FordPilot · NASA
Timothy KopraMission Specialist · NASA
Spacecraft
Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103)
Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of the orbiters from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the third of five fully operational orbiters to be built. Its first mission, STS-41-D, flew from August 30 to September 5, 1984. Over 27 years of service it launched and landed 39 times, gathering more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. Discovery became the third operational orbiter to enter service, preceded by Columbia and Challenger. It embarked on its last mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011 and touched down for the final time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of almost a full year in space. Discovery performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. It also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and then Atlantis.
- Destination: International Space Station
- Mission length: 13 days
- Docked August 31, 2009 at Harmony forward
Space Shuttle Discovery successfully landed at Edwards Air Force Base after this mission.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Discovery (STS-128) · NORAD 35811 · 2009-045 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2009-045A
- Epoch
- 2009-08-29 04:39:59 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.28810367 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0062529
- Inclination
- 51.6391°
- Ascending node
- 292.5507°
- Arg. of perigee
- 342.8445°
- Mean anomaly
- 198.0599°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.000086542
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 component
- Discovery (STS-128) · NORAD 35811 · docked August 31, 2009
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
STS-128 (ISS assembly flight 17A) was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) that launched on 28 August 2009. Space Shuttle Discovery carried the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo as its primary payload. Leonardo contained a collection of experiments for studying the physics and chemistry of microgravity. Three spacewalks were carried out during the mission, which removed and replaced a materials processing experiment outside ESA's Columbus module, and returned an empty ammonia tank assembly.
Pad
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
89th launch from Launch Complex 39A, 4th this year · 145th from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Aug 28, 11:59 PM EDT, at night
224 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
44 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did STS-128 launch?
STS-128 launched on August 29, 2009 at 03:59 UTC.
Where can I watch STS-128?
Coverage: Launch of STS-128 from T-9 minutes to MECO (HD). Watch the replay
What rocket launched STS-128?
Space Shuttle, flown by United Space Alliance. Space Shuttle spec sheet
Where did STS-128 launch from?
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA. Liftoff was Aug 28, 11:59 PM EDT local time at the pad.
What orbit did STS-128 reach?
Discovery (STS-128), one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 162 × 244 km orbit inclined 51.6°.
Which program is STS-128 part of?
International Space Station and Space Shuttle. About International Space Station