Discovery Cleared for Countdown to Launch on Monday : Shuttle Ready for Launch on Monday
Space agency engineers Tuesday cleared the shuttle Discovery for blastoff on a flight to launch three communications satellites.
The traditional flight readiness review was the final milestone before the scheduled start of the countdown early Saturday.
A spokeswoman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said no outstanding problems remain and if all goes well, Discovery will take off on the 18th shuttle mission at 7:33 a.m. Monday. Landing is scheduled for June 24 at Edwards Air Force Base.
Touchdowns at the Kennedy Space Center’s concrete runway have been ruled out until the shuttle’s landing-gear system can be modified to reduce the brake and tire damage that has marred virtually every mission.
Discovery’s flight marks the first to include crew members from three nations -- five NASA astronauts, a Frenchman and a prince from Saudi Arabia.
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