Space Shuttle Discovery "Return to Flight" launched 2005

STS-114 Crew - Back row (L-R): Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas, Charles Camarda, Soichi Noguchi.

Front Row (L-R): James Kelly, Wendy Lawrence, Eileen Collins

Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off July 26, 2005, the “Return to Flight” since it was the first space shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster in 2003.  During the launch, video footage showed debris separating from the external tank.  NASA decided to postpone future flights until they could make additional modifications to the hardware.  Shuttle flights resumed on July 4, 2006 but part of that delay was due to Hurricane Katrina.

Its crew consisted of Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James M. Kelly, Mission Specialist 1 Soichi Noguchi (courtesy of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA), Mission Specialist 2 Stephen K. Robinson, Mission Specialist 3 Andrew S. W. Thomas (first Aussie in space back in 1996), Mission Specialist 4 Wendy B. Lawrence and Mission Specialist Charles J. Camarda.

They performed 3 EVAs over the course of 8 days, 19 hours and 54 minutes.