Posted by John McHale
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., 27 Jan. 2011. Six astronauts are set to launch aboard the space shuttle Discovery on Feb. 24 for the STS-133 mission to the International Space Station -- the final scheduled flight for Discovery before it is retired.
The 11-day mission will be the 35th flight to the station and the 39th flight for Discovery. The mission will deliver and install the Permanent Multipurpose Module; critical spare components for the space station; and the Express Logistics Carrier 4 -- an external platform that holds large equipment. Discovery also will deliver Robonaut 2, or R2, to become a permanent resident of the station as the first human-like robot in space.
Discovery's first launch attempt on Nov. 5, 2010, was scrubbed because of a gaseous hydrogen leak at the external fuel tank's ground umbilical carrier plate. The spacecraft was rolled off of the launch pad on Dec. 21, 2010, to allow technicians to perform X-ray type scans and repairs to the shuttle's external tank.
Discovery's first motion out toward the launch pad is scheduled for 8 p.m. Est., on Jan. 31. NASA Television will provide live coverage of the shuttle's rollout. NASA TV's Video File will broadcast highlights of the move. The shuttle's 3.4-mile journey atop a giant crawler-transporter is expected to take approximately six hours
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. For more information about the STS-133 mission and crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.
