discovery-set-for-monday-launch

The space shuttle Discovery is under preparation for an early morning launch to the International Space Station (ISS). Discovery is projected to be launched at 0621 local time (1021 GMT) from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. With its launch it would carry up along with it equipment and supplies to the station it a container used to be called as a multi purpose logistics module (MPLM).

Within the space shuttle there three spacewalk has been planned out, in which astronauts would carry out maintenance and carry out an experiment outside the space station. According to NASA, the space shuttle has been fuelled and predicted with an 80% chance of good weather for the launch. It is for the first time a space shuttle is carrying with it three female astronauts. This Saturday’s launch has been agreed despite anomalies witnessed into the ground tests of shuttle hardware. According to engineers, these anomalies would hardly have any impact over launch of the flight.

According to Mike Moses, the space shuttle launch integration manager, “We’re really excited about this mission… and the science we’ll be able to get on board for the ISS to do what it needs to do and demonstrate its true ability as a national laboratory.”

“hree multi-purpose logistics modules (MPLMs) provided by the Italian space agency Carry equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the ISS aboard the space shuttle The MPLM is berthed to the space station using the shuttle’s robotic arm after docking Once berthed, supplies are unloaded; old cargo is then loaded on to be returned to Earth Module is then detached from the station and positioned in shuttle’s cargo bay for the trip home. Spacewalkers Rick Mastracchio and Clay Anderson will replace one of the space station’s gyrosopes, which has failed, and switch an ammonia tank.”

In order to remove excess heat from within the space station to the radiators outside Ammonia is used over there. The astronauts will also carry a seed experiment that was placed on the exterior of the Japanese laboratory, Kibo. The pressurised MPLM, named as “moving van” by Nasa, will carry around 7,700kg of cargo to the station, involving, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks which will be transferred to the station’s laboratories.