Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
March 11, 2009

US Shuttle Poised for Another Mission
-------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=22CB1C8:A6F02AD83191E160A743628DEE8E65B021A4E82C900CD027&
 
NASA says 90 percent chance weather will cooperate for launch, Wednesday
evening 
'Discovery' performs flyaround of International Space Station after
undocking (File photo)The U.S. space shuttle Discovery is preparing for
lift-off Wednesday on a mission to boost the power supply of the
International Space Station. The U.S. space agency, NASA, says there is
a 90 percent chance the weather will be favorable for the launch from
Kennedy Space Center in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida Wednesday
evening. If the launch goes as planned, the shuttle will arrive at the
International Space Station on Friday. The 14-day mission will include
four spacewalks, as crew members install another set of solar panels for
the orbiting outpost. They will also inspect the station's heat shields
and perform maintenance work. Tuesday, two space station crew members
completed a spacewalk to install and adjust equipment and photograph the
Russian segment of the space station. The Discovery mission will also
deliver a new space station crew member. Koichi Wakata will be the first
Japanese crew member at the space station. He will replace American
astronaut Sandra Magnus, who is scheduled to return to Earth on the
shuttle.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.


.