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Print This StoryDiscovery Returns To Launch Pad
Shuttle Trip Took 9 Hours
POSTED: 9:14 am PDT June 15,
2005
The space shuttle Discovery is back on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center.NASA is gearing up for the first shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster in 2003.
Interactive: How Shuttles Work
Video: Discovery Crawls To Launch Pad
Crews returned Discovery to the pad after replacing the external fuel tank with a new model designed to prevent dangerous ice buildup.Shuttle managers are aiming for a liftoff as early as July 13, though the window will remain open until July 31.Discovery's 4-mile trek from the assembly building to the launch pad aboard the giant shuttle transporter took more than nine hours.The trip was halted several times because of overheated bearings in the transporter, and the speed fell below the usual 1 mph.On the return-to-flight mission, cargo includes a new stabilizing gyroscope for the international space station.
Interactive: How Shuttles WorkVideo: Discovery Crawls To Launch PadCrews returned Discovery to the pad after replacing the external fuel tank with a new model designed to prevent dangerous ice buildup.Shuttle managers are aiming for a liftoff as early as July 13, though the window will remain open until July 31.Discovery's 4-mile trek from the assembly building to the launch pad aboard the giant shuttle transporter took more than nine hours.The trip was halted several times because of overheated bearings in the transporter, and the speed fell below the usual 1 mph.On the return-to-flight mission, cargo includes a new stabilizing gyroscope for the international space station.
Previous Stories:
- June 13, 2005: Space Shuttle Cargo Heads For Launch Pad
- May 13, 2005: NASA Pushes Shuttle Launch Date To July
- April 28, 2005: Debris Review Could Delay Shuttle Launch
- April 22, 2005: Paper: NASA May Be Downplaying Shuttle Dangers
- April 20, 2005: NASA Moves Target Date For Shuttle Launch
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