Shuttle Discovery STS-133

Space shuttle Discovery's final trek to Launch Pad 39A a... on TwitpicShuttle Discovery (Space Transportation System) STS-133 is scheduled to launch at 4:40 p.m. ET, on November 1, 2010. Space shuttle Discovery will deliver the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 4, a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module and critical spare components to the International Space Station.

Shuttle Discovery (Space Transportation System) STS-133 is scheduled to launch at 4:40 p.m. ET, on November 1, 2010. Space shuttle Discovery will deliver the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 4, a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module and critical spare components to the International Space Station.

The STS-133 crew members are Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, Tim Kopra and Nicole Stott.

The Discovery flight will supposedly be the next to the last flight of the Space Shuttle program, which began on 12 April 1981.  This will be the 35th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

NASA had planned to replace the shuttle with the Orion spacecraft, but budget cuts have placed full development of the Orion craft in doubt.

Orion is a spacecraft which was designed by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States. Orion development began as part of the Constellation program, where Orion would fulfill the function of a Crew Exploration Vehicle.