Shuttle Program Assigns Nov. 1 Launch Date

[ErnstBlofeld]

Aviation Week and Space Technology/Mark Carreau :

NASA space shuttle program managers approved a Nov. 1 launch date for the 11-day STS-133 mission aboard the shuttle Discovery, following a Oct. 6 review of mission preparations.

John Shannon, the shuttle program manager, received a unanimous “go” from the team members to continue with launch preparations.

NASA will host an agency-wide Flight Readiness Review on Oct. 25 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to set a formal launch date. The FRR will assess the readiness of the International Space Station as well as Discovery for the STS-133 flight.

During the mission, Discovery’s six-member crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module to the station for additional equipment storage. The PMM also will carry Robonaut 2, a humanoid robot that will undergo evaluation as a future external as well as internal assistant to station astronauts.

STS-133 is one of two scheduled missions remaining for the shuttle program. STS-134, using the shuttle Endeavour, is tentatively scheduled for a Feb. 27 launch on the final slated flight.

However, NASA managers are making plans to convert the STS-134 “launch-on-need” rescue mission assigned to Atlantis into an operational mission — if Congress and the White House agree on funding. Atlantis and a crew of four astronauts would carry supplies to the station as STS-135, which would launch in late June if funding is approved