CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA managers at Kennedy Space Center in Florida now are targeting the start of space shuttle Discovery’s move to from its processing hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building for no earlier than 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 14. The move was previously planned for Friday.
The delay is due to concerns over expected cold temperatures in the area. Temperatures cannot be below 45 degrees for more than four hours because Discovery will not be attached to any heating purges to protect it from potential damage from the cold. Teams will meet daily to evaluate the weather to determine the best date and time to move the shuttle and attach its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters.
Due to the uncertainty of the move’s timing, rollover will not be a media photo opportunity. Images will be available as soon as possible following the move on Kennedy’s media gallery at:
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/index.cfm
Recorded updates for rollover will be available at 321-867-2525.
Discovery is targeted to launch March 18 on its STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. For more information about the STS-131 mission and crew, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts131/index.html
