D-Bone
Nov 30th '06, 10:16 AM
Seven astronauts are officially set to ride NASA?s Discovery orbiter towards the International Space Station (ISS) next week even as engineers tackle glitches with the orbital laboratory, top shuttle managers said late Wednesday.
?I think we?re ready to go fly,? Wayne Hale, NASA?s shuttle program manager, told reporters during a press briefing at the agency?s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. ?We?re on track to getting a third flight done by the end of the year.?
Discovery is scheduled to rocket spaceward on Dec. 7 at about 9:36 p.m. EST (0236 Dec. 8 GMT) to continue assembly of the ISS. The planned space shot, which follows successful July and September missions, will mark NASA?s first night shuttle launch since the 2003 Columbia accident.
Veteran NASA shuttle flyer Mark Polansky is commanding the 12-day spaceflight, which includes the delivery of a new portside piece of the ISS, a trio of tricky spacewalks to rewire the outpost?s electrical grid, and an astronaut swap for the station?s Expedition 14 crew.
Read More: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061129_sts116_launchdate.html
?I think we?re ready to go fly,? Wayne Hale, NASA?s shuttle program manager, told reporters during a press briefing at the agency?s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. ?We?re on track to getting a third flight done by the end of the year.?
Discovery is scheduled to rocket spaceward on Dec. 7 at about 9:36 p.m. EST (0236 Dec. 8 GMT) to continue assembly of the ISS. The planned space shot, which follows successful July and September missions, will mark NASA?s first night shuttle launch since the 2003 Columbia accident.
Veteran NASA shuttle flyer Mark Polansky is commanding the 12-day spaceflight, which includes the delivery of a new portside piece of the ISS, a trio of tricky spacewalks to rewire the outpost?s electrical grid, and an astronaut swap for the station?s Expedition 14 crew.
Read More: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061129_sts116_launchdate.html