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SHUTTLE WINGING IT

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2009

NASA has begun preparations for a Feb. 12 launch of U.S. space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station, spending this weekend joining the external fuel tank and solid-rocket boosters to the shuttle.

The seven-member crew led by Cmdr. Lee Archambault will ferry a truss sporting two solar wings that each have two 115-foot-long arrays, or panels, NASA said on its Web site.

NASA said the new solar wings will be capable of providing 66 kilowatts of electricity, an amount capable of powering about 30 homes. The installation of the truss will require the station's robotic arm to extend to almost its maximum reach. Four spacewalks are scheduled for the mission, NASA said.

Discovery will begin journeying out to the launch pad on Wednesday. The truss segment and solar wings are scheduled to be delivered to the pad today, the agency said.

The flight will be the 36th for Discovery, the most-used of all of NASAs remaining orbiters.

Bloomberg News

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