Space Industry and Business News  
Discovery Ready For Final Assembly And Checkout

Space shuttle Discovery is lowered into position beside its external tank and solid rocket boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossman
by Staff Writers
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Apr 29, 2008
Space shuttle Discovery rolled into the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, where the shuttle's external tank and two solid rocket boosters awaited. Discovery was then lifted to vertical inside the building's 50-story-tall transfer aisle, lowered into a high bay and joined with the tank and boosters atop the mobile launcher platform.

The fully assembled space shuttle will remain in the Vehicle Assembly Building for a week, undergoing final checkouts before rolling out to Launch Pad 39A on May 3.

STS-124 is the second of three flights to deliver the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory to the International Space Station. Primary payloads are the tour-bus-sized Japanese Experiment Module-Pressurized Module and the lab's robotic arm system.

Mark Kelly will command the seven-member crew, which includes Pilot Ken Ham, Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. Chamitoff will replace Expedition 16/17 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman and remain aboard the station as a member of the Expedition 17 crew.

The crew will visit Kennedy for the three-day Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, which culminates in a countdown dress rehearsal May 9. Launch is targeted for May 31.

Related Links
STS-124 Mission Summary (PDF)
Shuttle at NASA
Watch NASA TV via Space.TV
Space Shuttle News at Space-Travel.Com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


NASA faces long odds in shuttle schedule
Washington (UPI) April 25, 2008
The United States' three-ship space shuttle fleet faces "significant challenges" in its future orbiter work, the U.S. government has warned.







  • Microsoft takeover deadline for Yahoo expires without comment
  • China world's largest Internet market
  • World's Fastest Satellite Internet Connection To User Terminal Via KIZUNA
  • Microsoft threatens proxy battle against Yahoo

  • Israeli communications satellite launched
  • Military And Civilian Telecom Satellites Are Readied For Third Ariane 5 Mission Of 2008
  • AMOS-3 Communications Satellite Launched
  • PSLV Launches Ten Satellites

  • Belgian airline says it will cut costs, emissions by slowing down
  • Airbus, Boeing sign accord to cut air traffic impact on environment
  • Oil spike, cost of planes led to Oasis collapse: founders
  • Airbus boss says aviation unfairly targeted over climate change

  • BAE To Develop Military Communications Network
  • 3rd SOPS Makes Historic WGS Transition
  • Lockheed Martin Opens Wireless Cyber Security Lab
  • Northrop Grumman Team Bids To Bring Order To Missile Defense

  • Boost For Green Plastics From Plants
  • Broken Heart Image The Last For NASA's Long-Lived Polar Mission
  • Expand Networks Improves Application Performance Over Satellite Communications
  • First Responders Educated On Importance Of Testing Satellite Phones

  • NASA names science directorate deputy
  • Northrop Grumman Names Terri Zinkiewicz VP Sector Controller For Its Space Technology Sector
  • Northrop Grumman Appoints Scott Winship To VP And Program Manager - Navy Unmanned Combat Air System
  • NASA Names John Shannon New Space Shuttle Manager

  • NASA's Polar satellite ends its mission
  • Successful Cooperation Extends Dragon Programme
  • NASA Web Tool Enhances Airborne Earth Science Mission
  • NASA Satellites Aid In Chesapeake Bay Recovery

  • First Interactive Location Aware Sports Application Is Launched At The 112th Boston Marathon
  • Backpacker Magazine Launches Fully Redesigned Website With GPS-Supported Content
  • GPS Devices And Systems Will Generate Revenues Of 240 Billion Dollars By 2013
  • Europe Moves Closer To GPS Independence With Latest Satellite Launch

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement