STS-114 lifted off from Launch Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, on 26 July 2005 at 9:39 AM CDT (14:39 GMT). This daylight launch was the most watched in Shuttle history, with the possible exception of STS-1, the initial Shuttle launch on 12 April 1981. The timing and solar angle were chosen to maximise opportunities to film the liftoff, and ascent, from every possible perspective. These even included modified old jet bombers from the 1950s (WB-57 Canberras), carrying special camera turrets in the nose for the purpose of photographing Discovery at high altitude as she was on her way to orbit. The reasoning behind all of this was to make sure that if there were ANY debris strikes on the orbiter's sensitive heat shield, like the one which doomed Columbia in 2003, they would be captured on film for detailed analysis before allowing Discovery to re-enter the atmosphere.

The Crew experienced some facets of Shuttle flight that are entirely new. On orbit inspection of the heat shield, manual repairs to that heat shield, and experiments with different methods of on orbit heat shield repair. In addition, Discovery carried over 15 tons of equipment and supplies to the International Space Station ( in the Raphaello MPLM module ), where she was greeted upon arrival by the Expedition 11 Crew. Three EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activity or spacewalk) were carried out. These involved Space Station repairs, improvements, and attending to heat shield problems. A fourth EVA to repair a flaw in the insulation below Commander Eileen Collins window was cancelled as unnecessary.

Space Shuttle Discovery and her crew landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base (NASA's Dryden Research Center) in the California desert at 7:11 AM CDT (12:11 GMT) on 9 August 2005. Total flight duration was 13 days 21 hours 32 minutes. The mission was highly successful, accomplishing every goal set for it.

The sad news is that in the wake of continued problems with external tank insulation breaking away during liftoff, the Shuttle fleet has been indefinately grounded until the problem is solved.

On 6 August 2005, Discovery undocked from ISSy, to fly solo for the rest of her mission. Barely six hours after this operation, the Shuttle was cruising across extreme western Europe, North Africa, The Gulf of Guinea, Southern Africa and into an orbital sunset above the Indian Ocean. This was during a crew sleep period and the INCO was just letting the camera run. These days it's highly unusual to see a payload bay camera run this long. It was over 30 minutes of uninterrupted video from space. In the last year or so, camera time is almost always limited to just a very few minutes before cutoff. For most of the time during this long continuous video segment, the angle of the payload bay camera was a "long" shot looking forward into the direction of travel, with the limb of Earth and the blackness of space in view.

Over the Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the South Atlantic Ocean which is just off the "inner curve" of western equatorial Africa, the INCO seems to have noticed an unusual object far below. He even panned the camera for a better look, and zoomed the lens slightly. What he saw, and we recorded, appears to be a hovering white orb shaped object. There is no way to tell how far below Discovery this object was. Not knowing it's size, we cannot estimate its distance from the lens. Its behavior is reminiscient of an unexplained object captured by a camera aboard STS-113.

We have prepared a visual display for you, in order that you might better understand and appreciate what took place that day.

This animation may confuse, but it's not intended to. All three frames are identical save for the marks I've added. This is the computer generated tracker used in Mission Control Center, Houston

Frame 1. is unmarked for comparison.

Frame 2. the Yellow lines going roughly up and down, outline the ZOE (Zone Of Exclusion). The crude Red circular outline denotes the outer edge of the range for the tracking base on Diego Garcia Island. The ZOE is a continuing NASA myth.

The small yellow arrow indicates not only Discovery's direction of travel, but also how the payload bay camera was oriented. So Discovery was orbiting to the southeast, and her camera was also trained in the same direction. When the INCO noticed the white object far below, he panned the camera in a downward direction during the incident.

Frame 3. The Yellow arrow points approximately where Discovery WAS when the white orb shaped object was sighted in her payload bay camera. She was actually traveling toward the lower right on her orbit, as indicated by the Red arrow. This was the first location image from NASA, around 8 to 10 minutes AFTER the orb event.

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At all times during this event, the camera was under the direct remote control of the INCO.

(INCO - INstrument & Communication Officer - The man in Houston Mission Control Center who is responsible for operating the Shuttle payload bay, and robotic arm, cameras. He also remotely operates the helmet cameras in space suits. In the case of ISS, this officer is referred to as the CATO - Communications And Tracking Officer. In both cases, these persons CONTROL everything which is PERMITTED to go out on broadcast to the public. It is a commonly believed falacy that the cameras are operated by Astronauts & Cosmonauts on the Shuttles, and Space Station. Very little camera work is done by the crews. They're way too busy for that.)

At the end of the day, it's up to YOU to draw your own conclusions.

© 2005 Jeff Challender