After several bumps in the road, the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch on February 24 at 4:50 pm. The shuttle was originally scheduled to launch in November, but cracks were found on the shuttle’s external fuel tank when it was filled with cryogenic fuel, delaying the launch.
Crews at Kennedy Space Center are addressing the problem by adding strips of metal to the shuttle’s support beams, or stringers. These modifications will ensure more structural support in key areas of the external tank.
Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon said “we’ve come a long way into how to get this tank to the 100% confidence level.”
