spacetoday.net: Discovery rolls out to launch pad for STS-105 mission

Posted: Tue, Jul 3, 2001, 9:44 AM ET (1344 GMT)
STS-105 rollout of Discovery

The space shuttle Discovery was rolled out to the launch pad Monday in preparation for its mission to the International Space Station next month. It took six hours early Monday to move the shuttle from the Vehicle Assembly Building to launch pad 39A, where it will remain for the next month in preparation for its August mission to the space station. Discovery is currently scheduled to lift off on mission STS-105 no sooner than August 5, although that date is expected to slip a few days. The main purpose of STS-105 is to exchange ISS crews: the current Expedition Two crew will be replaced by the Expedition Three crew of Frank Culbertson, Mikhail Turin and Vladimir Dezhurov. Discovery was moved to its launch pad while the shuttle Atlantis is on neighboring pad 39B awaiting its July 12 launch on mission STS-104. This marks the first time in 18 months that two shuttles have been on launch pads simultaneously.