STS-133

STS-133
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Mission name	STS-133

STS-133 was the 133rd NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the 39th and final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery. The mission was crewed by Steven Lindsey, Eric Boe, Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Stephen Bowen, and Alvin Drew, who launched from Kennedy Space Center on February 24, 2011, and docked with the International Space Station on February 26, 2011. The mission was a significant milestone in the Space Shuttle program, as it marked the final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery, which had been in service since 1984, and had previously flown on missions such as STS-95 and STS-114. The crew of STS-133 worked closely with European Space Agency astronauts, including Roberto Vittori, and Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonauts, such as Alexander Kaleri.

Mission Overview

The primary objective of STS-133 was to deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 4 and the Permanent Multipurpose Module to the International Space Station. The mission also included a series of spacewalks, which were performed by Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew, to maintain and upgrade the International Space Station's systems, including the Canadarm2 robotic arm, which was built by MDA Ltd. and launched on STS-100. The crew of STS-133 also worked with NASA's Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center to test new technologies, such as the Robonaut 2 robot, which was developed in partnership with General Motors and Oceaneering International. The mission was supported by United Launch Alliance, which provided the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters, and Boeing, which built the Space Shuttle's orbiter.

Crew

The crew of STS-133 consisted of six experienced astronauts, including Steven Lindsey, who commanded the mission, and Eric Boe, who served as the pilot. The mission specialists were Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Stephen Bowen, and Alvin Drew, who all had previous experience on Space Shuttle missions, including STS-128 and STS-132. The crew worked closely with NASA's Astronaut Office, which is led by Pamela Melroy, and European Space Agency's Astronaut Corps, which includes astronauts such as Thomas Reiter and Hans Schlegel. The crew also received support from NASA's Flight Directors, including Ed Van Cise and Katherine Robinson, who worked at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Mission Objectives

The primary mission objectives of STS-133 were to deliver the Express Logistics Carrier 4 and the Permanent Multipurpose Module to the International Space Station. The Express Logistics Carrier 4 was built by Boeing and contained several spare parts and equipment, including a Ku-band antenna, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies, and a high-gain antenna, which was built by L3 Technologies. The Permanent Multipurpose Module was built by Thales Alenia Space and provided additional storage and laboratory space for the International Space Station's crew, including NASA astronauts such as Scott Kelly and Russian Federal Space Agency cosmonauts such as Sergei Krikalev. The mission also included a series of spacewalks to maintain and upgrade the International Space Station's systems, including the Canadarm2 robotic arm, which was built by MDA Ltd..

Mission Timeline

The STS-133 mission began on February 24, 2011, when Space Shuttle Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A at 4:53 PM Eastern Standard Time. The crew spent the first two days in orbit, conducting checks on the Space Shuttle's systems and preparing for docking with the International Space Station. On February 26, 2011, Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station at 2:14 PM Eastern Standard Time, and the crew began transferring cargo and equipment to the International Space Station. The mission included two spacewalks, which were performed by Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew on February 28 and March 2, 2011, and lasted for 6 hours and 34 minutes, and 6 hours and 14 minutes, respectively. The crew also worked with NASA's Mission Control Center and European Space Agency's European Astronaut Centre to conduct scientific experiments, including the Fluids Integrated Rack, which was built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Spacewalks

The two spacewalks performed during the STS-133 mission were conducted by Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew, who worked together to maintain and upgrade the International Space Station's systems. The first spacewalk began on February 28, 2011, at 10:46 AM Eastern Standard Time, and lasted for 6 hours and 34 minutes. During the spacewalk, Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew installed a new cooling system for the International Space Station's electronics, which was built by Hamilton Sundstrand, and replaced a failed Remote Power Control Module, which was built by Boeing. The second spacewalk began on March 2, 2011, at 10:42 AM Eastern Standard Time, and lasted for 6 hours and 14 minutes. During the spacewalk, Stephen Bowen and Alvin Drew installed a new ammonia tank for the International Space Station's cooling system, which was built by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and performed several other maintenance tasks, including the replacement of a failed Navigation sensor, which was built by Northrop Grumman. The spacewalks were supported by NASA's Johnson Space Center and European Space Agency's European Astronaut Centre, and were monitored by NASA's Mission Control Center and Russian Federal Space Agency's Mission Control Center.