Cape Canaveral, Fla. - May 5, 2008 — Space shuttle Discovery safely reached the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center early Saturday, as preparations continue for its planned May 31 launch to the International Space Station.
Discovery arrived at the pad at 4:25 a.m. EDT on top of a giant crawler-transporter. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 11:47 p.m. Friday, traveling less than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The shuttle was secured on the launch pad at 6:06 a.m.
The shuttle and crew will now undergo a launch dress rehearsal, known as the terminal countdown demonstration test, from May 6-9.
The seven crew members will deliver the Kibo laboratory's large Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM, and its remote robotic arm system to the ISS. The 32,000-pound JPM will be the station's largest science laboratory, measuring 37 feet long and 14 feet in diameter, or about the size of a large tour bus.
Three spacewalks will be conducted during the flight.
Mark Kelly will command the STS-124 mission and Ken Ham will be the pilot. The mission specialists are Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Greg Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. Chamitoff will remain on the station as a resident crew member, replacing station Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who will return home on Discovery.
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Access platforms at Launch Pad 39A are moved into position after space shuttle Discovery arrived at its launch pad on May 3.
Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder
The STS-124 crew includes, from left, Gregory E. Chamitoff, Michael E. Fossum, both STS-124 mission specialists; Kenneth T. Ham, pilot; Mark E. Kelly, commander; Karen L. Nyberg, Ronald J. Garan and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Akihiko Hoshide, all mission specialists. Credit: NASA
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