Image above: Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, STS-120 crew members familiarize themselves with Harmony in preparation for their mission to deliver the module to the International Space Station. From left are Mission Specialist Scott Parazynski, Commander Pam Melroy and Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson. Image credit: NASA/Kim Shifflet

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Four Radio hams in Discovery's crew to deliver Harmony module

Discovery remains on target for October

Even with the work in progress on the external tank, the STS-120 launch remains targeted for October 23rd.

Since the schedule leading to Discovery's liftoff contains about five extra days, mission managers believe it provides enough room to make the changes and still launch on time.

During the STS-118 launch, foam loss from the liquid oxygen feedline brackets on the external tank caused thermal tile damage to Endeavour.

While a change to the brackets was already in progress on tanks now in production, the problem on the tank for STS-120 is being remedied by using different foam on the brackets.

At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are replacing the existing foam and underlying thermal protective agent on the brackets with lightweight foam. The process should take approximately nine days.

Image above: Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, the STS-120 crew members await the start of a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. From the left are astronauts Pamela A. Melroy, STS-120 commander; Daniel M. Tani, Expedition 15 flight engineer; George D. Zamka, STS-120 pilot; Douglas H. Wheelock, Scott E. Parazynski, Stephanie D. Wilson and European Space Agency's (ESA) Paolo Nespoli, all mission specialists. Image credit: NASA

STS-120 is the 23rd shuttle mission to the International Space Station, and will launch an Italian-built U.S. multi-port module for the station.

Air Force Col. Pamela A. Melroy will command the STS-120 mission to take the Node 2 connecting module to the station. Melroy, a veteran shuttle pilot, is the second woman to command a shuttle.

Marine Corps Col. George D. Zamka will serve as pilot. The flight's mission specialists will be Scott E. Parazynski, KC5RSY, Army Col. Douglas H. Wheelock, Stephanie D. Wilson, KD5DZE, and Paolo A. Nespoli, IZ0JPA, a European Space Agency astronaut from Italy. Zamka, Wheelock and Nespoli will be making their first spaceflight.

Daniel Tani, KD5DXE

Expedition 15/16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson, KD5PLA, will return to Earth from the space station aboard shuttle mission STS-120.

That flight will carry his replacement, Daniel Tani, KD5DXE to the station. Tani will return on shuttle mission STS-122.