Discovery, Weather Look Good for Thursday Launch

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:49:53 -0600


The launch team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida continues to set up space shuttle Discovery for its last flight into orbit, scheduled to begin with a liftoff Thursday at 4:50 p.m. EST.

"She still has a few more miles before she sleeps," said Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director. Discovery has flown more than any other shuttle, including two return-to-flight missions and the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Launch day weather is also shaping up nicely, with the current forecast calling for an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

"It's been really nice weather for prelaunch
 
Keep up to date with the front page Florida space news here!
 
STS-133 Patches, Pre Crew Change

Discovery, Astronauts Continue Preparations for STS-133

Shuttle Discovery is inside its processing hangar at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, undergoing standard launch processing for the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. Technicians today will begin removing hydrogen tank No. 5 from Discovery's power reactant storage and distribution, or PRSD, system. The system's oxygen tank No. 5 is planned for removal this weekend. Part of the shuttle's electrical power system, the PRSD stores hydrogen and oxygen at supercool temperatures for the fuel cells.

At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the STS-133 astronauts are meeting today with the STS-132 crew for a mission debrief, and practicing entry skills in the motion-based simulator.