CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA managers will hold a prelaunch news conference no earlier than 3 p.m. EDT on Saturday, March 14, to discuss the status of space shuttle Discovery’s mission to the International Space Station. The briefing will air live on NASA Television and the agency Web site.
Launch is scheduled for 7:43 p.m. on Sunday. Saturday’s news conference will follow the conclusion of a NASA mission management team meeting that starts at 1 p.m.
Discovery’s 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 the latest information about the STS-119 mission and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
