NASA Sets Launch Date for Space Shuttle Discovery Mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin
an 11-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at
4:50 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 24, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center
in Florida. The STS-133 mission is Discovery's final scheduled flight.

Discovery's launch date was announced Friday at the conclusion of a
flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA
and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the
mission and determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support
systems and personnel are ready.

The six astronauts for the mission will deliver the Permanent
Multipurpose Module (PMM) to the station. The PMM was converted from
the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo and will provide
additional storage for the station crew. Experiments in such fields
as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology may be
conducted inside the module.

The PMM also carries Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space,
which will become a permanent resident of the station. In addition,
the flight will deliver critical spare parts and the Express
Logistics Carrier 4, an external platform that holds large equipment.

STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey and his crew are scheduled to arrive
at Kennedy on Sunday, Feb. 20, for final launch preparations. Joining
Lindsey are Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Steve
Bowen, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. Bowen and Drew will conduct
two spacewalks to install new components and perform maintenance.

Discovery's launch will occur six hours after the planned docking of
the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle-2 "Johannes
Kepler" to the space station.

STS-133 is the first mission planned for 2011. It is Discovery's 39th
flight and 35th shuttle mission to the station. There are two other
flights planned before the shuttle retires this year. For the
schedule of upcoming missions to the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/stationflights

For more information about the space station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

Stott will send mission updates to her Twitter account:

http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Nicole

For more information about the STS-133 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Source: NASA

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