spacetoday.net: NASA sets July 1 launch date for STS-121

Posted: Sat, Jun 17, 2006, 9:38 PM ET (0138 GMT)

NASA announced Saturday afternoon that it has scheduled the launch of the next space shuttle mission for July 1, despite concerns raised by some agency officials. The shuttle Discovery is now scheduled to lift off on mission STS-121 from the Kennedy Space Center at 3:48 pm EDT (1948 GMT) on Saturday, July 1, the first day of a launch window that extends through July 19. The decision to set the July 1 launch date came after two key NASA officials, chief engineer Chris Scolese and associate administrator for safety and mission assurance Bryan O'Conner, argued against the launch because of unresolved issues regarding foam debris shed by "ice frost ramps" on the shuttle's external tank. NASA said that while the two did raise those concerns, they did not object to the decision to proceed with the launch. The launch will be the first in nearly a year for the shuttle and only the second since the Columbia accident in 2003. Discovery will dock with the International Space Station during its 13-day mission, bringing supplies and a European astronaut, Thomas Reiter, who will remain on the station after the shuttle leaves.