NASA managers will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, March 13, to discuss the status of space shuttle Discovery’s launch to the International Space Station. Launch currently is targeted for no earlier than March 15 at 7:43 p.m. The briefing will air live on NASA Television and the agency Web site.
The shuttle launch was postponed Wednesday due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.
Discovery’s STS-119 flight will deliver the space station’s fourth and final set of solar array wings, completing the station’s truss, or backbone. The arrays will provide the electricity to fully power science experiments and support the station’s expanded crew of six in May. The flight also will replace a failed unit for a system that converts urine to potable water.
For information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For information about the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station
For the latest information about the STS-119 mission and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
