The U.S. space agency has announced a new launch date for space shuttle Discovery and its STS-124 mission to the International Space Station.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration controllers said the re-scheduling of the May 25 launch to 5:01 p.m. EDT May 31 was necessitated by a delay in the shipment of the shuttle's external fuel tank.
The shipment of the tank from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was delayed by weather. Additionally, NASA said the rescheduling avoids having the launch team work through the Memorial Day weekend.
Discovery's STS-124 mission — NASA's 26th flight to the ISS — is the second of three flights that will deliver components to complete the Japan space agency's Kibo laboratory that will be the space station's largest science laboratory, measuring 37 feet long and 14 feet in diameter. The shuttle also will deliver the lab's robotic arm system that support operations outside of Kibo. The lab's logistics module, which was installed in a temporary location during STS-123 in March, will be attached to the new lab.
