By Xinhua,
Washington : U.S. space shuttle Discovery’s STS-124 mission to the International Space Station is officially scheduled for launch on May 31, NASA announced Monday after the final Flight Readiness Review.
“Preparations are going really well,” Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach said, pointing out that Discovery’s remarkably smooth processing flow will allow shuttle work crews to take off the Memorial Day holiday.
“Right now we’re in great shape, and we really expect to have a good three or four days off this weekend and come back and launch,” Leinbach said at an afternoon news conference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to NASA TV.
Discovery’s 14-day flight will carry the largest payload so far– the main part of Japan’s Kibo laboratory to the space station and includes three spacewalks. It is the second of three missions that will launch components to complete Kibo laboratory.
Discovery will also deliver new station crew member Greg Chamitoff and bring back Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who will end a three-month stay aboard the outpost.