The Mission of Space Shuttle Discovery
Space
Q&A: Lessons from Discovery's Flight()
August 10, 2005 Discovery's safe return to Earth Tuesday was a win for NASA. But the mission also raised questions about the future of the shuttle program and the challenges it still faces. Space historian and author Andrew Chaikin addresses some of those issues.
Space
Discovery Makes Safe Return to Earth()
August 9, 2005 The space shuttle and its seven-person crew make a safe landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, successfully conclucing the first shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster. The shuttle was diverted from a Florida landing by bad weather.
Space
Mission Timeline: Discovery's Return to Flight()
August 8, 2005 NASA has postponed Discovery's return until Tuesday due to weather concerns. The crew will have several landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Edwards Air Force Base and White Sands Space Harbor. Here's a look at what the crew's been up to, and information on possible landing opportunities.
Space
Q&A: What's Next for the Shuttle?()
July 29, 2005 Space historian and Morning Edition commentator Andrew Chaikin answers questions about the challenges facing NASA and the shuttle program, and the future of manned spaceflight.
Space
Foam Debris Surprises, Disappoints Shuttle Crew()
July 29, 2005 The crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery was "very surprised" to learn that foam debris had come off the shuttle's external fuel tank during liftoff Tuesday, Commander Eileen Collins says. She and Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas speak with NPR's Michele Norris from space.
Space
Timeline: Women in Space()
July 26, 2005 Hundreds of humans have flown in space. Only 40 women have made the journey — including Eileen M. Collins, who commands the Space Shuttle Discovery on NASA's historic return to flight. NPR explores the long road that women like her have trod into space.
Space
At a Glance: NASA's Space Shuttle Fleet()
July 25, 2005 Since its inception in the 1970s, NASA's space shuttle program has included six orbiters. Here's a brief overview of each.
Space
Launch Windows: How NASA Decides When to Fly()
July 25, 2005 The Space Shuttle Discovery only has a narrow slot of time to launch, and calculating that window of opportunity is complicated stuff. NPR's Gisela Telis explains how it works.
Space
Timeline: America's Space Program()
July 12, 2005 In 1961, President John F. Kennedy promised U.S. astronauts would land on the moon before the decade was over. NPR offers a brief look at America's manned spaceflight program, from Alan Shepard's 1967 flight above Earth to the Columbia disaster of 2003.
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