Saturday 27 March 2010

Discovery STS-131 Launch Preps in Final Stretch

Discovery STS-131 Launch Preps in Final Stretch

Crews at Launch Pad 39A finished installing the STS-131 payload into space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay as launch preparations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida reach the final stretch. Technicians are working to connect the necessary electrical connections today and closeout procedures on the vehicle's aft compartment are expected to be completed tomorrow.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Discovery's astronaut crew members are set to begin their gradual sleep shift today in preparation for the mission. Commander Alan Poindexter and Mission Specialists James P. Dutton Jr. and Clayton Anderson will fly T-38 jets to Kennedy for additional flight training time in the Shuttle Training Aircraft.

Tomorrow at Kennedy, shuttle program managers will conduct the agency-level Flight Readiness Review. At the conclusion of the day-long meeting, officials will set the official launch date for the STS-131 mission, which currently is targeted for April 5.

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