NASA Television and the agency’s home on the Internet, http://www.nasa.gov, will provide extensive pre-launch and launch day coverage of the space shuttle Discovery’s mission STS-121 to the International Space Station, currently scheduled for a July 1 launch.

A pre-launch webcast is scheduled for 11 a.m. EDT Friday, June 30, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Internet broadcasting network, known as NASA Direct. It will feature a mission overview hosted by Discovery Flow Manager Stephanie Stilson. Highlights will include an interview with NASA astronaut and STS-116 crew member William Oefelein, who will discuss the STS-121 mission and astronaut training.

Live countdown coverage from NASA’s Launch Blog begins at 10 a.m., July 1. Coverage features real-time updates as countdown milestones occur, as well as streaming video clips highlighting launch preparations and liftoff.

A panel of experts has answered questions about NASA’s preparation for the STS-121 mission. Those responses are available online and in Podcasts.

To access these interactive features and more, go to NASA’s Space Shuttle main page at http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle and follow the links provided in the right column under the “Mission Information” section. For more information about mission STS-121 online events, contact Dennis Armstrong at 321-867-4493.

On launch day, NASA TV will begin broadcasting at 5:30 a.m. and mission commentary begins at 10 a.m. For detailed television scheduling information, visit the web at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.