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United Space AllianceSpace ShuttleLaunch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
STS-131
Launched
April 5, 2010
Summary
STS-131 launched on an United Space Alliance Space Shuttle from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on April 5, 2010. It was United Space Alliance's 47th launch, 2nd this year and humanity's 5,044th orbital launch attempt. It was the 131st Space Shuttle flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). It reached a 235 × 267 km orbit inclined 51.6°. 7 crew members flew: Richard Mastracchio, Naoko Yamazaki, Stephanie Wilson, Alan G. Poindexter, Clayton Anderson, James Dutton and Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger. The spacecraft was Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103). One object from this launch is catalogued.
- Watch
- STS-131 Launch via Space Shuttle Discovery in HD - 04/05/2010Spacevidcast (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
- 131st Space Shuttle flight · 2nd this yearUnited Space Alliance's 47th launch2nd this yearhumanity's 5,044th orbital launch attempt12th orbital launch attempt this year
Crew
Richard MastracchioMission Specialist · NASA · age 50 · 3rd flight
Naoko YamazakiMission Specialist · JAXA · age 39 · first flight
Stephanie WilsonMission Specialist · NASA · age 43 · 3rd flight
Alan G. PoindexterCommander · NASA · age 48 · 2nd flight
Clayton AndersonMission Specialist · NASA · age 51 · 2nd flight
James DuttonPilot · NASA · age 41 · first flight
Dorothy Metcalf-LindenburgerMission Specialist · NASA · age 34 · first flight
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: 15 days
- Docked April 7, 2010 at Harmony forward
Space Shuttle Discovery successfully landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility after this mission.
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Discovery (STS-131) · NORAD 36507 · 2010-012 · Space-Track
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2010-012A
- Epoch
- 2010-04-05 11:15:00 UTC
- Mean motion
- 16.1119444 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0023878
- Inclination
- 51.6474°
- Ascending node
- 244.0628°
- Arg. of perigee
- 197.8024°
- Mean anomaly
- 36.2765°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0.0000087587
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
1 catalogued: 1 payload
- Discovery (STS-131) · NORAD 36507 · docked April 7, 2010
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
STS-131 was an ISS assembly flight with the primary payload being a loaded Multi-Purpose Logistics Module - Leonardo. The mission began on April 5th 2010 at 1021:22 UTC launching Commander Alan Poindexter, Pilot James Dutton, Mission Specialist 1 Richard Mastracchio, Mission Specialist 2 Dorothy M. Metcalf-Lindenburger, Mission Specialist 3 Stephanie Wilson, Mission Specialist 4 Naoko Yamazaki & Mission Specialist 5 Clayton Anderson to orbit. They docked with the ISS 2 days after launch. The mission was the final Space Shuttle launch with a seven person crew and was the longest flight for Discovery. STS-131 also marked the first time 4 women have been in space at once. During the mission 3 spacewalks were conducted to replace an ammonia tank and to retrieve a seed experiment from outside the Japanese laboratory. The mission concluded after 15 days & 2 hours on April 20th 2010 at 1308:35 UTC after 2 waved off landing opportunities on the 19th at the Kennedy Space Center.
Pad
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
92nd launch from Launch Complex 39A, 2nd this year · 149th from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
224 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
56 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did STS-131 launch?
STS-131 launched on April 5, 2010. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch STS-131?
Coverage: STS-131 Launch via Space Shuttle Discovery in HD - 04/05/2010. Watch the replay
What rocket launched STS-131?
Space Shuttle, flown by United Space Alliance. Space Shuttle spec sheet
Where did STS-131 launch from?
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.
What orbit did STS-131 reach?
It reached a 235 × 267 km orbit inclined 51.6°.
Which program is STS-131 part of?
International Space Station and Space Shuttle. About International Space Station