A Trip to Italy

First Poland and then Italy, you might be asking why Italy? Our dear Italian friends built the Cupola so of course, the crew was jazzed to go thank them and tell them how much they loved it. The 130 crew received a first class reception all over the country, from the ruins in Rome to the Vatican to the hillside of Tuscany. From a warm and wonderful people to the beauty of space, thanks to our Italian partners for that incredible view.

STS-130 Visits Poland

As part of their mission tour, the crew chose to visit Poland to celebrate Zambo's Polish heritage. Terry enjoyed speaking to the President, Prime Minister and cabinet, visiting several orphanages, schools and universities, spending time with the Ambassador and making a guest appearance on "Good Morning Poland." One of the highlights was a citywide celebration in the historic town of Zamoch. All of Poland opened their arms to the crew with a symphony and specially made movie about the opening of the Cupola. Again, it was overwhelming to be so honored but Terry returned with a new appreciation for this European country.

Focus on the Family Radio Broadcast

Great news, Terry's interview with Focus on the Family has made the cut and will be aired this Friday, May 14th. You can check your local Christian radio station to find out what time they air the Focus broadcast or go to focusonthefamily.org and it will be played all day. The title of his show is "Col Terry Virts: Mission to Outer Space." I will try to refrain from using the word amazed yet one more time on my blog but wow, oh my goodness, does God know how to give good gifts to His children or what?

A Week in Washington, D.C

The crew has spent weeks on the road now, showing their STS-130 mission movie and speaking to groups all over the world, but one of the most incredible weeks was the one spent in our nation's capitol. Terry accomplished so many things that he has always dreamed of...making a presentation at the National Air and Space Museum, throwing out a pitch at a Nationals game(and it was a strike, by the way), speaking before Congress for 11 hours (someone commented that we should make that a movie title), visiting with wounded veterans at the Naval Hospital, speaking at his old high school and yes, even a trip to the White House to meet the President. I can't even begin to list all the places he has been or people that he has met except to say that it has been exceptional!

A Week in Colorado

In April, Terry was able to spend a week in Colorado Springs making presentations and talking about his mission. First he was able to speak at the weekly chapel service at Focus on the Family, one of our very favorite organizations. Focus President, Jim Daly, was able to come watch our launch in February, and I have to give him praise for sticking around to watch our early morning liftoff, even after a day's slip. Terry also recorded a radio broadcast while at Focus so keep an eye out for further notice of the date. Terry enjoyed several dinners with friends who had been at the launch and spoke to all of Space Command which is headquarterd at Peterson Air Base. The icing on the cake for him, though, was addressing the entire cadet wing at his alma mater, the US Air Force Academy. I can still remember his time as a cadet and I get goose bumps thinking of all the cheering he received from the corps when he returned as a flown astronaut. After presenting a patch to his former soaring squadron, he received a very spectacular glider ride in return, another great highlight for him. One of the items that Terry presented at USAFA was a copy of the poem "The Coming American" by Samuel Walter Foss which he had flown aboard Endeavour. This poem, which speaks so highly of the great leadership, ingenuity and inspiration of Americans, had been removed from the cadet wing but hopefully, Terry's mounted copy will bring renewed interest to our future leaders at the Academy. Judging by the Facebook hits that I saw, I think the cadets were pretty motivated so I had to include a couple of my favorite stanzas here: Bring me men to match my mountains, Bring me men to match my plains, Men with empires in their purpose, And new eras in their brains; Bring me men to match my prairies, Men to match my inland seas; Men to sail beyond my oceans, Reaching for the galaxies; Bring me men to matach my forests, Bring me men to match my shores; Men to guard the mighty ramparts, men to stand at freedom's door.

Opening Day at the Astros

As if this year hasn't been spectacular enough, the STS-130 crew was invited to throw out the first pitch on opening day for the Houston Astros. WOW!! The kids and I tagged along and sat in the front row, in George and Barbara Bush's seats, while the crew took the field to a standing ovation. In the midst of my cheering, I told them to turn around and look at the 43,000 people cheering for their dad and his crew. America really does love the space program!!!

Crew Movie Presentation

We spent an evening at Space Center Houston and it was another incredible and momentous event for the crew. First, we were able to see the awards presentation for all the tremendous employees who put forth huge efforts to ensure the success of our mission. I have to brag on our friend Philip who received an award for his hard work on ascent and entry...he always does a stellar job but we were especially touched that his award has the STS-130 insignia on it. Then Terry and I were totally surprised to find out that Zambo had flown an official astronaut pin on Endeavour which he proceeded to pin on Terry at the ceremony. He is no longer a rookie and I can't think of a better commander to make it official. Thanks Zambo!!! Finally we were treated to the STS-130 movie which was spectacular, awesome, funny and totally moving. I relived all of the last 2 weeks and loved celebrating with a packed stadium and overflow room. Perhaps my favorite comment at the question-and-answer session was when Steve Robinson commented on how fun it was to fly with Terry, the rookie. He said it was like "flying with your 12 year old brother because everything was new and exciting to him. We all loved seeing his response to all the firsts in space."

STS-130 Space Center Houston Event

Well, the crew has been working hard, and the 18 minute STS-130 movie is complete. On Tuesday, March 23rd at 6:30pm, the crew will show the movie at Space Center Houston in the IMAX theater. Each crew member will have a chance to speak and then they will stick around to sign some autographs. The event is open to the public, so come on out and see the show. I personally can't wait to see it all assembled into one movie and relive the adventure.

STS-130 by the numbers

I got a great little email the other day detailing some statistics on Endeavour's mission.... STS-130 was the...

130th space shuttle mission
24th flight of Endeavour
17th night landing at Kennedy Space Center
36,130 pounds of hardware were transferred to the station
5,738,991 total miles were traveled
217 orbits of the Earth were made

Terry Virts was the ...

188th visitor to the space station
and filled the 353rd seat aboard the shuttle

I still don't know how many different people have piloted the shuttle but I'll work on that one.

Home to Houston

Well everyone keeps calling and asking what Terry is doing now that he is home. Most people think that he has time off but actually the crew jumped right back into work. After the return ceremony on Monday, Terry stopped by the church for a little welcome home party with family and friends. It was almost magical being able to see him and touch him less than 20 hours after he had been in space. He came home to find the house and yard decorated by neighbors and then he crashed in the bed for a good 14 hours of hard-earned rest. Tuesday was an off day for the crew, Wednesday Terry stopped by the office for a few things and then Thursday he was back in the robotics simulator with the 131 crew. The STS-130 crew has two weeks of debriefs with all the training teams and also has to download and sort through all of their video and photos. They will use all the best photos and video for their big presentation at Space Center Houston on Tuesday, March 23rd at 6:30pm. After they show the official STS-130 movie, they will then take it on the road for about 60 days, traveling to most of the NASA sites and several other locations as well. Whew, no rest for the weary just yet but our excitement levels are still high and I can't wait to relive every bit of this great adventure.

Welcome Home

Shortly after the postflight briefing on the runway, the crew was whisked back to crew quarters where all the spouses and children were waiting with open arms and big smiles. I can honestly say that it was the most awesome reunion; we were all so proud, happy and thrilled! We only had the chance to visit for a few moments before the crew headed off to medical testing but we all slept well that night knowing they were safely home. Early on Monday, the crew was released to see family and friends before the quick flight back to Houston. Our time with Terry almost seemed surreal as he tried to explain everything that they had accomplished and everything they had seen. All too quickly it was time for the plane to land, and as we headed out the door, we were greeted by hundreds of well-wishers and friends cheering on the runway. I loved seeing all the kids who had signs for Terry, "Welcome Home" and "We love STS-130" and my favorite, "We love the Rookie!" Again we were whisked away, into the hangar, where the crew changed and the spouses were all handed beautiful bouquets before we marched out to the stage. I was so overcome as I sat there, looking at the crowds and all of dear friends who had come out, seeing the trainers, mission control team, management and of course, the crew. Everyone has asked how we felt and the first word that comes to mind is blessed. My family has been so fortunate and blessed to be a part of this great adventure. The crew tried their best to thank everyone but the list would literally include thousands so for everyone who worked on any part of this incredible mission, who built even a tiny piece of equipment, who supported the crews and the families, you have my deepest and most heartfelt thanks.

Walk Around

Right after landing, a funky looking white bus called the CTV, or crew transfer vehicle, pulled up to Endeavour's hatch and began the task of unloading the crew. Zambo and Terry remained in the shuttle to shut down her systems while the mission specialists unloaded first. Terry said that he felt great until the astronaut support personnel told him to go ahead and climb out of his seat and he realized that his leg felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Once out of Endeavour and in the CTV, the crew members began to strip down out of the orange flight suits and put on their trusty blue suits. Doctors were on hand to give them a quick checkup, they ate a little fresh fruit, which Terry said smelled and tasted delicious and then they stepped out the back door for the walk around. Lots of folks were on hand to shake their hands and welcome them home, and then the 130 crew got a few minutes to walk around and under their vehicle. I noticed that they all looked a bit unsteady on their land legs but that is very typical. All six were well enough to walk under Endeavour and then give a quick postflight briefing. What a thrill it was to see them walk off their spacecraft just over an hour after they had been in space.

Perfect Landing in Florida

I have to pinch myself to wake up from this incredible dream. Terry had an amazingly historic and successful 14 day mission aboard Endeavour culminating in a picture perfect landing at Cape Canaveral. All day long, mission control had been planning for a wave off to either the next day or to California, but again, with just 10 minutes left in the critical window, you all lifted up some mighty prayers and we heard those magic little words from the capcom, "Endeavour you are GO for deorbit burn." Once the crew has begun the burn, you know they are going to land in just 1 hour and 6 minutes. So we all threw on our shoes, jumped in the family bus and headed out to the runway for landing. Of course, it was a 10:20pm night landing so everything was dark and we couldn't see the shuttle from far away like you can for a day landing. But just 4 minutes before touchdown, Endeavour circled overhead and we all cheered when we heard that big sonic boom. We knew the shuttle was out there but we couldn't see it until it crossed into the lights at the end of the runway, and suddenly there was an enormous shuttle whooshing by right before our eyes. Zambo set her down with perfect precision to our thunderous cheers and applause. Congratulations STS-130!!!!! We are so proud of all of you!

Flight Day 14

Well the crew is asleep aboard Endeavour with hopeful plans for a landing tonight. We'll have to wait and see if the weather cooperates. I watched the crew's final interview last night on the shuttle flight deck and boy, do they look cramped in there. Of course, they are excited about every minute in space, regardless of the tight quarters or bad food. You can tell by the constant smile on his face that Terry is having the time of his life.

Flight Day 13 - A Loop Around the Station

During a sensational sunrise on flight day 13, Terry backed Endeavour away from the station and flew a giant loop around it before rolling out and pulling away. I couldn't believe my eyes as we watched the colors of the sunrise against the solar panels of the ISS with a perfect shadow of the shuttle just resting in the corner of our view. Later in the day, they performed another heat shield inspection with the robotic arm and began preparations for landing. On flight day highlights this morning, NASA showed footage of the crew sleeping on the middeck...my friend commented that they looked like a bunch of bats hanging from the ceiling. One day to go before landing!

You Just Have to See This

A number of people have emailed me this photo taken from Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida which shows the entire trajectory of Endeavour as it lifted off from Cape Canaveral. What a spectacular shot!

Flight Day 12 - the Hatch is Closed

In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Cupola, the STS-130 and station crews held their final joint press conference, transferred their final items back to the shuttle (honey I hope you didn't forget anything), said their goodbyes and closed the hatch between the shuttle and station. When TJ sealed that big metal door, I felt a bit sad to say goodbye to the ISS. It has been a wonderful and truly amazing 9 days watching the crews complete construction on the station. But, my excitement peaked right back up again when I heard Terry call from the cockpit of the shuttle that he could see the Aurora Borealis over North America. Again, I am wowed! (is that even a word?)

The Cupola is Open

Just a little over an hour ago, I wept floodbuckets at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Cupola. Jeff and George dedicated the new window, placed the Apollo moon rocks on board and cut the bright red ribbon announcing that the Cupola was officially open. As Zambo so aptly put it, "mankind has been pursuing that view for centuries." I loved Hal Getzelman's speech so much that I have to put the entire thing here and yes Hal, I noticed that you have been wearing your yellow STS-130 Terry Virts wristband every night at console. Thanks for the tremendous speech. "We weren't around in Promotory, UT to drive in the final spike on the trans-continental railroad, none of us were there when they switched on the dynamos at the Hoover Dam, and we weren't around when they topped out the steel on the Empire State Building, but I think I speak for the whole flight control team in Houston and the flight control teams around the world, that we are really pleased to be working these last 2 weeks when we attached the final module to the US segment of the one million pound space station that was built by thousands of people around the world. We only wish we could be up there with you now."

Flight Day 11

The big excitement on day 11 was the crew's interview with President Obama. Terry did a nice job answering his physics question on artificial gravity. But most of this day was spent on the tiresome task of transferring racks into the Tranquility module. I noticed that poor Stevie Ray spent hours installing the toilet, ugh, and it took about 6 crew members to move the urine processor to its new destination, another ugh! I'm just happy that Terry didn't have to be the first one to test the water on that processor.

Can Astronauts Call Home?

Why, yes they can! Terry has called 2 or 3 times from the phone on the space station and believe it or not, the connection is awesome. It sounds just like a local phone call. All the crew members also have access to email so we have received several messages as well. The only limiting factor seems to be time. The crew is working so hard that they rarely have time to call or email. Isn't modern technology amazing?!

Flight Day 10 - the Crowning Touch

After a long day's work inside the Cupola removing bolts and a 6 hour spacewalk to remove the cover from the outside, Terry finally opened the window on the world. I have to confess to tears when I read his email this morning. He said that the overpowering majesty and beauty of the Earth left him humbled and speechless. There were simply no words to describe the panoramic view of the beautiful earth that the Lord has given us. All the astronauts, including the spacewalkers, were floored by the view. Only one verse comes to my mind as I try to envision it, "This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it-the Lord is his name. 'Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know,'" Jer 33:2-3.

Flight Day 9

This day was largely a manual labor work day for Terry as he continued to outfit Tranquility and the Cupola. I noticed he had some bolt issues that he worked through and also got some free time in the afternoon. He put that free time to good use by taking pictures, working out on the ARED, or advanced resistance exercise device, and putting together a mini-space Olympics for the flight day highlights. I laughed so hard I cried. It was good to see the crew having a bit of fun.

How do Astronauts Sleep in Space?

The answer is . . . they sleep in special sleeping bags that are velcroed to the wall. How cool is that? The sleeping bags actually have arm holes that they slide their arms through and this keeps them from floating out of the bags during the night. The astronauts also velcro their heads to the wall to hold them in a steady position. Before the shuttle reached the ISS, all 6 crew members were crammed into the shuttle middeck and cockpit. Once they reached the station, they all spread out. Terry has been sleeping in the Columbus module for the last 8 days or as my kids like to say, he's having a sleepover with his friends Mr. Jeff and Mr. TJ.

Flight Day 8

Team Virts was cheering quite loudly on flight day 8 as we watched Terry and Kay move the Cupola. After hours of work removing bolts inside the window, Terry floated up to the robotic arm station and grappled the Cupola, then pulled it off and swung it underneath Tranquility. The kids were screaming, "Go Daddy Go!" as he inched it closer and closer to the node and finally grabbed hold of Tranquility. The window is now ready to be opened on flight day 10 with a perfect vantage point staring directly at Earth. We really enjoyed the interviews that Terry did that night as well, particularly the one with the school kids where he kept flipping around and spinning his notebooks and the node looked like grand central station with all the crewmembers floating through. AWESOME JOB HONEY!

Flight Day 7

Another monumental day aboard the ISS!! Bob and Nick had another supremely successful spacewalk to help outfit the Tranquility module and install those troublesome ammonia lines which are used for cooling. Terry says that those two are amazing machines, they have been working so hard and have never faltered. Day 7 was pretty special for me too as Terry squeezed in happy birthday wishes during his press interview. It's a bit of a strange feeling to have everyone in the whole world know its your birthday. Let's just say my facebook account had quite a few hits that day and yes it is my 29th birthday (again)!

Flight Day 6

Another spectacular day aboard the station, the crew opened the hatch to Tranquility and climbed aboard. Of course, it was dark inside and I was quite thankful that I had run to the local sports store and bought a head lamp to stash in Terry's gear. On the video, you could see him and Kay entering the node with goggles, masks and head lamps as they first pumped air into the node and then set to work getting the cupola ready for the next spacewalk. Most of the Endeavour and station crew spent the entire day outfitting the new node, or running critical systems to it. Once again, Terry could be spotted in his Air Force baseball cap as he worked. I loved his comment to mission control that it "smelled like a new car."

Flight Day 5

What a tremendously successful day aboard Endeavour!! Nick Patrick and Bob Behnken completed EVA 1 with perfect precision and ahead of the timeline, and Terry was able to lift Tranquility out of the shuttle payload bay and attach it to the station. WOW!!! Again, I am more than amazed. The spouses were able to watch most of the first spacewalk from mission control and I just loved it. I could see all 4 different camera views and listen to each individual audio loop instead of just viewing what was on the NASA channel at the moment. I have to confess to feeling a bit of tension when the spacewalkers pulled the last pin from Tranquility and it listed a smidge to starboard. But Terry pulled it straight out and got it attached without a hitch. Thanks to my escorts for staying up late with the spouses yet again. You guys are awesome!

Flight Day 4

Wow, Terry looks great floating around in there! It hardly seems real to watch him in space while we continue to do such ordinary things down here. Today was a bit more relaxing for the crew... they got their equipment ready for the big spacewalk on day 5, had their first joint press conference and actually had their first bit of free time. While I was doing homework with the kids, I watched Terry eating lunch. Was that chocolate pudding I saw you eating Honey? We got to laughing as we watched him trying to compact everyone's trash, it just seems so strange. The press conference was great too, everyone looks happy and we're all looking forward to the big day tomorrow.

Flight Day 3

Flight Day 3 was a critical day as Terry and Zambo performed the rendezvous or docking with the space station. Throughout the day, the shuttle performed a series of burns to catch up to the ISS. It was so cool to see the burns from the cameras mounted on the station, there would be a huge flash and burst around Endeavour as it raced closer and closer to the ISS. Endeavour closed the last 8 miles in about an hour and a half and then went out about 600 ft. in front of the station. Zambo then performed a full flip in the shuttle while all the crew members aboard the ISS photographed the underside of Endeavour to check for damage to the heat tiles. Then Terry and Zambo flipped the shuttle 1/4 turn and slowly backed her in to the station at a rate of one inch per second. I could finally breathe after I heard Terry say those happy little words "Confirm capture." After the successful docking, the crews opened the hatches and came aboard the station. I love that Terry wore his Academy shirt and hung upside down during the first press interview. That is so typical! The great news is that now we will be able to see footage of the crew floating around every day.

Flight Day 2

Due to Terry's totally reversed schedule, I have to confess that I feel like I'm in a whirlwind. I'm up all day and all night, snatching sleep where I can. Anyway, Terry had the tremendous fortune to get the first wakeup music of the mission, "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. He totally won my heart again, by saying good morning to his beautiful wife and kids. In an email later that day, he said that he had woken up and quickly rolled back the window cover to "look straight at Hawaii and the Pacific Ocean. It was my first view of the earth looking up at the whole thing. It was indescribable! The lyrics were perfect. We can't even imagine how amazing God is for creating this universe." Brandon was able to watch the launch and follow along, so it was exciting to hear him on the local Christian radio later that day. WOW, this whole experience has been phenomenal. Oh, yes Terry did work all day on flight day 2, he fixed the TV/audio/video equipment and worked the robotic arm for the heat shield inspection. But he had me at "good morning."

First Day in Space

Hard to believe that I just watched that launch yesterday morning and right now, Terry is already asleep after his second day in space. WOW! I'm still amazed. Shortly after liftoff, Bob and Kay jumped out of their seats to film and take photos of the external tank as it fell back to Earth. Terry and Zambo stayed in their seats for a while to monitor all the shuttle systems and configure everything for orbit. If you saw Terry's interview, he commented that he actually has to fly 3 different types of spacecraft when he flies the shuttle. So at that point, he transitioned Endeavour from a rocket to a spaceship. The crew then began removing and storing their bulky orange suits, ate their fresh sandwiches and hurried off to initialize many systems. Terry's job was to get all the TV and video equipment going and if you listened to the audio loop, you heard that they had some problems with the equipment. He had to find and install several backup cables and backup systems before they could get a good downlink but now everything is rocking and rolling. They crew went to bed just 7 hours after liftoff and that was Day 1. A good way for me to visualize it was to draw a line down the middle of each day on my calendar and write DAY 1,2, etc across the lines. Well I couldn't finish off my fist day without a photo, thankfully Terry got things working just in time for me to get one photo of his first day in space. I think he looks pretty happy!

ENDEAVOUR IS IN ORBIT

My heart is full, but my mind can't come up with the words to describe the beautiful launch that we witnessed at 4:14:07 this morning. Indescribable, awesome and amazing!!! All night long, the weather was red until just before the 9 minute hold. You all must have lifted up some mighty prayers because the skies cleared and we were GO FOR LAUNCH! Not only did it take my breath away, it felt like it took my socks and hair too!!! WOW, I am positively speechless. Thank you God for a safe journey for the entire STS-130 crew.

Trying Again

Well, tonight we are specifically praying for clear skies since the clouds rolled in last night and scrubbed the launch with only 9 minutes to go. It was a bit disappointing but I'm just as excited tonight and so is the crew. The 130 crew just finished lunch and are in the suit room as I type. Shortly we should start getting video of them in the orange suits and then we'll see them as they stroll out to the astrovan and tap their patch over the doorway for good luck. Terry was in great spirits when I got to speak to him tonight and yes, he had cereal again for breakfast, corn chex and cocoa puffs. GO ENDEAVOUR!!!!!

Headed out to the Launchpad

I can't believe my countdown clock is now missing a column, the day column. We are just 6 hours and 14 mins from liftoff and we are pretty excited. No one is getting any sleep tonight. I had the most beautiful morning at the top of the launchpad with Terry, it was AWESOME, outstandingly beautiful and special. I took the best picture of us in front of Endeavour but can't figure out how to download it from my hotel room, ugh! Where are you Mike? Anyway, weather and systems look good so we will head to our viewing site shortly. Terry called me earlier this evening after he had eaten breakfast, Cocoa Puffs for those who want to know, and believe it or not, he slept over 8 hours last night. His TPS classmates will vouch that he can sleep almost anywhere. The crew ate breakfast and then they are headed for some final briefings, a quick lunch and finally to the suit room, where they will put on their official orange spacesuits at 12:09 and head to launchpad 39A at 12:49. I stand amazed as I stare at the picture of Endeavour on the TV screen, that Terry will shortly ride that rocket into space. God has surely blessed our lives. One final question from my dear friend Kathleen, she asked if Terry is sneaking any chocolate into space? No, he doesn't even have to sneak it up, he made his own menu for the trip and amazingly enough, he has a chocolate dessert scheduled for every single lunch and dinner of the entire mission. GO ENDEAVOUR!!!

Prayer Support

Tonight I had the chance to talk to Terry for a few brief moments before he went off to a robotics review but we both talked about how overwhelming and humbling it is to have so many people praying for us. It is truly an honor and a blessing and it gives me goose bumps even now just thinking about it. We tried to count the number of people praying and when we passed the 2000 mark, we threw up our hands and said that surely God has heard!! All of you are a joy! What man is so blessed to have so many dear friends that would lift us up by name to the Creator of all the universe. We have felt such peace throughout this whole process, and we know that it is your prayers that have supported us. Thank you friends and family! "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective," James 5:16

Last STA

Tonight I had the priviledge of watching Terry and Zambo complete their final STAs, or simulated landings in the shuttle training aircraft. It was astounding, the thrill of a lifetime. The shuttle actually lands without engines as all the fuel is used for liftoff, so it lands like a 10 ton glider, or like a ton of bricks as my husband likes to say. It approaches at a very steep dive angle, 20 degrees to be exact and to put that into perspective, a standard airliner lands at a 2 1/2 degree dive angle. So that baby is humming!!! It roared over our heads, put out the gear for a perfect landing and then tookoff again for another run. Can't wait to see the real thing.

3 Days and Counting

Since the crew has fully shifted their sleep schedules, hopefully they are all snoozing in their beds about now. Tonight, they will do some suit checks, practice landings and work on their crew notebooks. I forgot to mention in an earlier blog, that the STS-130 crew will be bringing some moon rocks from the Apollo 11 mission to the ISS. Astronaut Scott Parazynski climbed Mt. Everest last year with these moon rocks in his pocket and then also picked up some rocks from Everest. Both rocks have been mounted on a plaque which will be attached inside the Tranquility module. Pretty amazing to think of....it reminds me of the verse in Isaiah "Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name." This beautiful photo was taken by Terry from the cockpit of a T38.

Crew Arrival at Cape Canaveral

Earlier this evening, the STS-130 crew landed at Cape Canaveral and began the final leg of their journey. We went out to Ellington Air Base here in Houston to see them off and I have to say that it was really exciting. The jets were roaring on the Gulfstream and the crew members waved from the ladder as they jumped in. I barely had time to grab some dinner and get home before their arrival in Florida...not long after I walked in the door, there they were waving from the runway down at the Cape. Col Zamka gave a great little speech and they were whisked off to crew quarters for believe it or not, more training. I wonder if Terry will one day, long after this mission is wrapped up, sit around twiddling his thumbs?

T-38 Trainer

Another question that I'm frequently asked is what type of plane does Terry fly and how often does he fly. Well, NASA uses the T-38 Talon, a two seat, supersonic jet, for pilots to maintain their flying currency. Since he is still an active duty Air Force pilot, Terry maintains all the Air Force standards of proficiency and takes regular check rides (or evaluations). I love seeing those sleek blue and white jets flying in the area and Terry loves flying them. Another great thing is that it only takes an hour and a half to get from here to Cape Canaveral, and there are no lines, no security check-in and he can park his car right next to his plane.

Countdown

As I'm typing tonight, I noticed the countdown clock on my computer reading 5 days, 4 hours and 11 minutes until launch. Time is just going to fly by. Today the crew had an ascent simulator and rehearsed more procedures. Terry also reviewed the locations of where his personal items will be stowed on the orbiter. One of the first questions I was asked was "What are they eating in quarantine?" Well, the crew has a team of ladies that cook for them, and I believe he mentioned ham and hashbrowns for breakfast and roasted chicken and asparagus for dinner. Terry also mentioned that they take fresh sandwiches up with them on launch day to eat after they reach orbit. I got a laugh out of that thinking about someone running to Subway an hour before liftoff to get fresh sandwiches to stash in the orbiter.

Quarantine

Yes Terry officially went into full time quarantine yesterday. There is a facility here in Houston and one in Florida so he starts out in quarantine here and then the entire crew moves to Kennedy Space Center later in the week. They continue to train, fly the shuttle training aircraft and work in the simulators up until bedtime on the 6th. The crew has been sleep shifting all week and now they are already on a fully reversed schedule, sleeping from 8am to 4pm and working all night. Special thanks to all the teams who are coming in during the middle of the night to work the simulators and run training programs.

Press Conference Today

The STS-130 crew will be hosting their final prelaunch press conference today, Jan 29 at Johnson Space Center sometime between 1:00 and 2:00 CST. All of the major networks will be represented but each network will choose when they want to air the interviews. My guess is that some of it will be shown on NASA TV and the other networks will record and edit the interview for later use. At any rate, it might be a good afternoon to switch on the NASA channel.

Schedule

I've been getting lots of questions about Terry's schedule lately so here is the latest. Yesterday he spent alot of time (about 8 hours) reviewing his equipment and procedures and updating his crew notebook. Today the crew is practicing landings at our alternate landing site on Edwards AFB in California. Terry will begin sleep shifting this Thursday and officially check in to quarantine on Saturday. I love the setup they have at crew quarters...the rooms don't have windows and there are white noise machines in the room. He certainly wouldn't be able to get any sleep at our house during the day with kids running in and out and basketballs thumping in the driveway. The crew will officially takeoff from Ellington Air Field at some time on Tuesday to head to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final training push. They will continue to train in simulators and the shuttle training aircraft right up to Feb 6th.

More TCDT Photos

Well it would be impossible to show all 417 pictures that Terry took last week at TCDT, but here are a few good ones. NASA.gov has some fantastic photos as well. Tonight, I'm crazy busy finalizing the guest list and all the plans for traveling to Florida while Terry has been studying, studying, studying. I have to say a big thank you to everyone for all the thoughtful emails, letters, phone calls, and hits to my Facebook. We are so appreciative of all your prayers and good wishes - we are blessed beyond measure.