Discovery's return to space

“One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The words of astronaut Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the moon’s surface July 20, 1969, are a part of the history of space exploration.
Even those of us who were not alive at the time recognize the words and photographs of this defining moment.
Historical moments are still being made in space exploration and people young and old share stories about “where they were” during these defining moments.
As a child I was in awe of space travel and the life of astronauts. My uncle worked for National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where my brother and I would often visit. As children we explored Space Center Houston, eating lunch in the shadows of rockets at Rocket Park and learning hand-on about the world of space exploration.
The walls in my room were covered with photographs of space travel images taken during these flights. Patches and other memorabilia that my uncle sent were opened with reverence and proudly shown to friends.
For me space was a world of endless possibilities, limited only by the imagination.
The reality of the dangers of this life was discovered early in my childhood as I watched the launch tragedy of the Challenger unfold.
The launch was initially scheduled for Jan. 22, 1986, my eighth birthday. For me it was the greatest birthday present. Even after delays forced rescheduling of the launch, I could not be deterred from my delight.
The flight was to be a first in the educational world. Sharon Christa McAuliffe would be the first teacher to fly in space as part of the new Teacher in Space Program and my second grade class was given permission to watch the launch.
Jan. 28, 1986, was an exciting day for me. After settling on the floor, I watched in amazement as the shuttle launched, leaving a fiery trail left in its wake. I unaware of the danger involved. I continued to watch as 73 seconds into flight the shuttled exploded.
The shuttles’ demise was unimaginable to me, my classmates and teachers. Once aware of the problem, the teachers quickly sent us back to the classroom amid unanswered questions and confusion.
Later that day President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation saying, “Today is a day for mourning and remembering ... the Challenger Seven were aware of the dangers and overcame them and did their job brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes."
The space program had suffered a tragic loss, but was determined to continue in the memory of the Challenger Seven.
Through the next several days I listen to hushed conversations as those around me and others struggled to come to terms with what had happened.
Thirty-two months later on Sept. 29, 1988, the space shuttle Discovery launched, as the first shuttle mission after the Challenger explosion. The five-person crew successfully deployed a satellite and performed a variety experiments before returning home Oct. 3.
Over the next few years, I breathed a sigh of relief as various missions launched, fearing a repeat of the Challenger’s fate. Once the launch was a complete, I felt the danger was over.
But again I would be awakened to the dangerous nature of space exploration as another tragedy struck the aeronautics community Feb. 1, 2003.
Space shuttle Columbia launched its 28th flight Jan. 16, 2003, with a seven member crew; Rick Husband, commander, Willie McCool, pilot, Mike Anderson, payload commander, Ilan Ramon, payload specialist and representative of the the Israeli Space Agency and mission specialists Dave Brown, Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman in space.
Once again I was struck with childlike fascination as the crew prepared for launch. As an adult, I understood the complexities of the mission and space travel, which only fed my scientific interests.
The crew endured 16 days of round-the-clock research as they worked in two shifts. As they prepared to return home, there was no sign of the impending tragedy.
As the shuttle reentered the atmosphere after the 16-day scientific mission, NASA lost radio contact at about 9 a.m. Eastern standard time, minutes before the expected 9:16 a.m. landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Video footage would later reveal the crew’s final moments as the Columbia broke apart in flames. The crew was merely 16 minutes from landing.
As I watched countless news reports of debris spread through New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Louisiana, I was overwhelmed with loss.
The impact was heavy. At the time I was living 30 miles away from the space center in Houston, and minutes away from the homes of many crew members. The grief felt by the community was overpowering. The Johnson Space Center had always been a pillar of pride for the community in every aspect. Even the city’s sports teams called upon the space center’s reputation for names such as Astros, Rockets, Comets and others.
The city joined the nation in mourning the loss of these brave men and women.
Despite the loss, NASA was determined to go on, adding the memory of the Columbia Seven to its list.
The space shuttle Discovery was again called upon to help NASA and America in their desire to “return to flight.”
On July 13, two years, five months and 12 days after the Columbia loss, NASA again prepared to launch the first space shuttle since a tragedy, but faced delays.
Two and a half hours before liftoff, a pre launch test showed that one of Discovery’s four sensors in its hydrogen fuel tank was not working, so the launch was delayed.
After 12 days of troubleshooting, officials said they were ready for launch, even though the problem had not been figured out. They deemed that the other three sensors could compensate if it failed again.
July 26, at 10:39 a.m. Eastern standard time, space shuttle Discovery launched on a 12-day mission.
I watched in the early morning hours from the comforts of my living room as Commander Eileen Collins boarded with a wave of confidence.
I watched as the astronauts, wearing the familiar orange flight suits were strapped in for what I can only imagine is the ride of a lifetime.
Japanese Astronaut Soichi Noguchi found humor in the event as he held up a “get out of quarantine free” sign designed to look like a card from the game monopoly with the back side reading “out to launch.”
Over the next two weeks, I checked NASA’s web site frequently and rushed home from work to catch the latest updates on the news.
Unlike times before Columbia’s loss, my worries about the crews’ safety did not subside until their feet once again touch the ground.
I watched as video clips showed debris falling from the fuel tank, praying that it would not result in a tragedy for the crew.
I felt like a kid again as I watched the Discovery crew inspect the exterior of the shuttle once in space and Robinson’s work as he plucked pieces of filler material from between tiles on the craft.
I envied the crew as I watched footage and read reports of the three space walks.
After brief delays for the return flight, I watched with excitement and a little fear as the shuttle transformed from a while ball bouncing across the dark sky into the familiar shuttle shape Tuesday. I listened as the shuttle crew and NASA’s Mission Control talked to each other calling out gauge readings for speed and distance.
As I watched the amazing footage of Discovery’s nose dive descent towards Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., I wondered why something like this was taken for granted before the Columbia tragedy.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the 16-minute mark came and went, recalling how close the Columbia crew was to home.
I could hardly contain my excitement as the shuttle touch down on the runway at 8:11 a.m. I still found it hard to believe the crew was safe as I heard mission control say, “Discovery is home.”
As with the Challenger, it is NASA’s space shuttle Discovery which carried the burden of bring a sense of restored hope in the aftermath of a tragedy. Once again, shuttle and crew came through.
No matter how many safe voyages are made there will always be the fear of tragedy, but it is important to remember those lives lost and the cause they believed in.
The space program has been a large part of the history of America. Despite the tragedies, I think the space program has had a positive impact on the nation.
I smile as I think of today’s children gathered around to watch another remarkable achievement by the space program.