Discovery Preparations for September Launch Under Way

During space shuttle Discovery’s final spaceflight, the STS-133 crew members will take important spares to the International Space Station along with the Express Logistics Carrier 4.

Discovery is being readied for flight inside Kennedy’s orbiter processing facility while its solid rocket boosters are stacked inside the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building. STS-133 is slated to launch in September.

Astronaut Tim Kopra sits in the flight engineer's position during a simulation earlier this year for the STS-133 mission. Commander Steve Lindsey is sitting in the left-hand seat in the front of the flight deck mockup as Pilot Eric Boe works in the right seat. Misison Specialist Alvin Drew is sitting beside Kopra. Image Credit: NASA