WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

In the Launch Control Center at NASA Kennedy Space Center, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin (left) presents a gift to Columba Bush, wife of the Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to her left. First Lady Laura Bush, next to Griffin, is one of the distinguished guests who attended the historic launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight mission STS-114. At far left is Center Director Jim Kennedy. The First Lady congratulated the launch team for their success. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 7.