Space shuttle Discovery lifts off for final voyage
February 25th, 2011 - 6:28 am ICT by IANSWashington, Feb 25 (IANS) US space shuttle Discovery has lifted off on its own final scheduled flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to deliver a storage room to the International Space Station (ISS).According to NASA TV, the shuttle blasted off at 4.53 p.m. (2153 GMT) Thursday.
“Good to be here”, Discovery Commander Steve Lindsey radioed soon after the three main engines shut off and the external fuel tank was jettisoned.
After eight-and-a-half-minutes, Discovery reached orbit and was on its way to the station, Xinhua reported.
Discovery will deliver to the station the Permanent Multipurpose Module, a spare module that will provide additional storage for the station crew.
The mission will feature two spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components. The Robonaut 2 (or R2), the first human-like robot in space after flying on Discovery, will become a permanent resident of the station.
Discovery was supposed to lift off Nov 1, but gas leaks, electrical problems and bad weather forced NASA to postpone its launch.
This is the 39th flight for Discovery, the first of the three surviving space shuttles to be retired this year. It has logged 230 million km since its first flight in 1984.
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- Shuttle Discovery back to Earth post 13-day final mission - Mar 10, 2011
- Launch of space shuttle Discovery postponed - Nov 06, 2010
- Space shuttle Discovery set to return to Earth for final time - Mar 08, 2011
- Boeing helps prepare space shuttle Discovery's final payload - Nov 03, 2010
- NASA turns on humanoid robot in space station - Aug 23, 2011
- Space Shuttle Discovery waits for its final mission - Sep 22, 2010
- Space shuttle Discovery lands on Earth after final mission - Mar 10, 2011
- Discovery's last mission extended by a day - Mar 04, 2011
- NASA sets farewell shuttle launch July 8 - Jun 29, 2011
- Space shuttle Discovery returns after 15-day mission - Apr 20, 2010
- NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on final voyage - May 15, 2010
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Tags: bad weather, commander steve, electrical problems, external fuel tank, final voyage, first flight, gas leaks, international space station, kennedy space center, maintenance work, nasa tv, permanent resident, robonaut, space shuttle discovery, space shuttles, spacewalks, station crew, steve lindsey, storage room, xinhua