NASA Gives 'Go' for Space Shuttle Launch on Oct. 23

[Guest Chainsaw]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.: NASA senior managers Tuesday completed a detailed review of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and selected Oct. 23 as the official launch date. Commander Pam Melroy and her six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 11:38 a.m. EDT on the STS-120 mission to the International Space Station.Tuesday's meeting included a discussion about concerns raised by the

 

NASA Engineering and Safety Center regarding the reinforced carbon

 

carbon on three of Discovery's wing leading edge panels. This issue

 

initially was brought before the Space Shuttle Program during a

 

two-day, preliminary review held last week to assess preparations for

 

Discovery's mission.

 

"After a thorough discussion and review of all current engineering

 

analysis, we have determined that Discovery's panels do not need to

 

be replaced before the mission," said Associate Administrator for

 

Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who chaired Tuesday's meeting.

 

During the shuttle's 120th mission, the shuttle and station crews will

 

work with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston,

 

to add a module to the station that will serve as a port for

 

installing future international laboratories. The Harmony module will

 

be the first expansion of the living and working space on the station

 

since 2001. The upcoming mission also will move the first set of

 

solar arrays installed on the station to a permanent location on the

 

complex and redeploy them.

 

The 14-day mission includes five spacewalks - four by shuttle crew

 

members and one by the station's Expedition 16 crew. Discovery is

 

expected to complete its mission and return home at 4:47 a.m. EST on

 

Nov. 6.

 

Joining Commander Melroy on STS-120 will be Pilot George Zamka and

 

mission specialists Scott Parazynski, Stephanie Wilson, Doug

 

Wheelock, Daniel Tani and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency.

 

Tani will remain aboard the station and return with the STS-122 crew,

 

which is targeted to launch Dec. 6. Current Flight Engineer Clayton

 

Anderson will return to Earth on Discovery after nearly five months

 

on the station.

 

For more information about the STS-120 mission, including images and

 

interviews with the crew, visit:

 

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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