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.