By Xinhua,
Washington : The U.S. space shuttle Discovery enters its official launch countdown at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) on Wednesday, aiming at a targeted launch on Saturday, NASA TV reported.
The launch team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is tracking no issues as technicians continue preparing Discovery for liftoff on Saturday at 5:02 p.m. EDT (2102 GMT), said NASA’s shuttle program.
There is a possibility for isolated coastal showers on the morning of launch day, but the weather forecast is good overall, with an 80-percent chance of favorable weather at liftoff time.
The seven-member Discovery crew has arrived at Kennedy on Wednesday. “Discovery’s perched on the pad, Kibo (Japan’s laboratory) is ready to go, the weather looks good, and we’re about as ready as we could possibly be,” said Mission Specialist Mike Fossum. “I think it’s time to go fly.”
Discovery’s 14-day flight will carry Kibo’s main part, the largest payload so far to the International Space Station and includes three spacewalks.
It is the second of three shuttle missions that will launch components to complete Japan’s Kibo lab. The crew will install Kibo’s large Pressurized Module and its robotic arm system.
Discovery also will deliver new station crew member Greg Chamitoff and bring back Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who will end a three-month stay aboard the outpost.