By RIA Novosti,
Washington : The launch of the shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station is scheduled for 1:36 a.m. EDT [05:36 GMT] on Tuesday, a NASA spokesman told RIA Novosti on Monday.
The spokesman said Discovery’s technical systems are in order and the launch could only be delayed due to a sudden change in the weather.
According to shuttle weather officer Kathy Winter, there is an 80% chance the shuttle will be launched on Tuesday.
The agency has four windows between August 25 and August 30 to launch the Discovery, should weather or other technical reasons keep the shuttle on the ground.
Space shuttle Discovery will carry the Leonardo supply module to the International Space Station during STS-128, along with a new crew member for the station, Nicole Stott, according to NASA’s official site. Stott will replace Tim Kopra, who moved into the station during STS-127.
Veteran astronaut Rick “C.J.” Sturckow will command the Discovery flight, with pilot Kevin Ford and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Jose Hernandez, John “Danny” Olivas and Sweden’s Christer Fuglesang rounding out the crew.