Space Shuttle Discovery makes its way along the crawlerway from high bay 3 to Launch Pad 39B as the sun rises. Image credit: NASA/KSC
With new safety modifications, the Space Shuttle Discovery is back at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Carried by a giant Crawler Transporter, Discovery arrived at the pad at 12:17 p.m. EDT today in preparation for its historic Return to Flight mission (STS-114) planned for July."We've addressed some additional concerns about ice formation on the external fuel tank," said NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator for International Space Station and Space Shuttle Programs Michael Kostelnik. "This is an even safer vehicle for Commander Eileen Collins and her crew, and the new modifications will ensure this important mission to the International Space Station is successful."
The four mile trip took about ten hours instead of the usual four plus, as the Crawler Transporter was frequently inspected for hot bearings. Normally, the crawler has a top speed of one mile per hour.
With Discovery at the pad, workers will begin final preparations for launch. They will close out, test, and install the payload, NASA's Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Raffaello.
They will also load the hypergolic propellants for flight. The process includes adding the propellants, monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, into the Orbiter Maneuvering System and the Forward Reaction Control System.
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