Space Shuttle Discovery to launch pad for May 31, 2008 liftoff

William Atkins
Wednesday, 30 April 2008 04:53

Science - Space

The STS-124 mission will deliver the Kibo laboratory's large Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) and its remote manipulator system (RMS) to the International Space Station.

This is the second of three shuttle mission that will carry components of the Kibo laboratory inside its cargo hold.

Three spacewalks are scheduled to be conducted during the flight by the crewmembers.

The space shuttle Discovery will be commanded by Mark E. Kelly. Kenneth T. Ham will be the pilot for the STS-124 mission.

Its mission specialists are Karen L. Nyberg, Ronald J. Garan, Michael E. Fossum, Gregory E. Chamitoff and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.

Chamitoff will remain on the station as a resident crew member, replacing ISS Expedition 17 flight engineer Garrett E. Reisman, who will return home on Discovery and its STS-124 crew.

Chamitoff will end his stay on the ISS when the STS-126 crew returns home after its mission, which is now scheduled to launch no earlier than October 16, 2008.