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Cold weather is only worry for shuttle launch

Discovery
Discovery on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center on Monday  

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Payload ready to go

Mission highlights:

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- Cold weather is the only concern for the upcoming launch of the space shuttle Discovery, NASA mission managers said Tuesday.

Discovery is scheduled to liftoff at 6:42 a.m. EST on Thursday from Kennedy Space Center on a mission to the international space station.

"The only thing we're concerned about somewhat is the cold temperatures on Thursday," said Ed Priselac, shuttle weather officer.

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Priselac said the temperature at launch time would be around 44 degrees. Cold weather could cause ice to form on the shuttle's external fuel tank. NASA is concerned the ice could break off and damage the orbiter during launch.

Priselac said there is a 30 percent chance the cold temperatures could delay the launch.

Payload ready to go

As of Tuesday afternoon, the shuttle's cargo had been loaded and the payload bay doors closed.

"We're working right on the timeline with no issues," said Pete Nickolenko, NASA test director.

NASA has only a few minutes to get Discovery off the ground on Thursday. Nickolenko said the nine-minute launch window runs from 6:37 a.m. to 6:48 a.m., with 6:42 a.m. the preferred launch time.

Mission highlights:

  • The primary objective of the 12-day mission is to carry up the first replacement team for space station Alpha. Cosmonaut Yury Usachev and astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms will replace U.S. commander Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev. Usachev will assume command of the space station once Discovery undocks.

  • Discovery will deliver the Italian-built Leonardo Multipurpose Logistics Module (MPLM). The module is a NASA-style moving van loaded with the first scientific experiments for the space station's new Destiny science lab. Leonardo will be attached to Destiny while the crew unloads its contents. Later in the mission, the module will be reloaded into Discovery's cargo bay and returned to Earth for re-use.

  • Two spacewalks are planned to help dock Leonardo and to configure the space station for the arrival of a robot arm in April.

Discovery will spend about eight days attached to the space station. The shuttle is scheduled to land at 2:02 a.m. on March 20 at Kennedy Space Center.



RELATED STORIES:
Discovery countdown under way
March 5, 2001
Atlantis, Columbia back in Florida
March 5, 2001
Shuttle successor shot down before takeoff
March 2, 2001
Discovery a true shuttle on next mission
March 1, 2001

RELATED SITE:
NASA
International Space Station - Science Operation News

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