A bicycle injury forced an unexpected seat change for a space shuttle

Space · Published 18 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Watch how NASA manages high-stakes crew rotations when life on Earth interferes with plans for orbit. This video documents the intensive training of Steve Bowen as he steps in to replace a sidelined astronaut for the STS-133 mission.

When Tim Kopra suffered a bicycle injury on January 15, he was deemed unable to meet the February 24 launch target for space shuttle Discovery. This necessitated the immediate integration of Steve Bowen into the crew.

The training occurred during the week of January 24 at NASA's Johnson Space Center. To ensure mission readiness, the team utilized three distinct environments: a virtual reality lab, a space shuttle simulator, and the neutral buoyancy laboratory.

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