Space Shuttle Discovery preps for final flight

Published on September 14th, 2010 | by sylv3rblade

NASA‘s shuttle Discovery is preparing for it’s 39th and final mission to the International Space Station on November 1 (hey, at least it’s not Friday the 13th).

The final mission for the Discovery has been put off as an internal nut on the left side of the shuttle slipped out of position and fell into the aft compartment during the preparations for the flight. As it turns out, this bolt was part of the structure that ensures that the fuel tank separates from the orbiter after the craft pierces the atmosphere.

Technicians reattached a main separation nut and the orbiter has now been bolted to its external fuel tank, ready for launch preparations once more.

The STS-133 crew, headed by commander Steve Lindsey, will deliver spare parts, supplies and a storage room to the International Space Station along with a humanoid robot assistant for the outpost’s astronaut crew.

The astronauts plan to fly to the Kennedy Space Center on 12 October.

The Discovery is NASA’s oldest Space Shuttle still in operation. Next year marks the end of the Space Shuttle program with the Endeavour orbiter is scheduled to head for the skies on 26 February. This will mark the 140th launch of the Space Shuttle program and will be it’s last voyage into space.

I’m pretty sure when this happens, geeks around the world will have a part of them die with the end of the Shuttle Program.