Discovery launch set for next week – Nasa

The shuttle Discovery will be launched with a six-member crew on November 1 on its last scheduled flight to the International Space Station, according to Nasa.

The launch date was announced after a meeting of Nasa officials at the Kennedy Space Centre to determine whether the orbiter and crew were ready for the 11-day mission, the space agency said.

“We’re in great shape out at the pad,” Launch Director Mike Leinbach told reporters.

It would be Discovery’s last flight before its scheduled retirement, and the fourth and last shuttle flight of the year.

The three US shuttles are due to be sent off to become museum pieces after a last shuttle mission to the ISS in late February.

However, Nasa’s recently approved 2011 budget has left the door open to an additional shuttle flight in June 2011.

The Discovery crew, which includes female mission specialist Nicole Stott, will deliver a pressurised logistics module called Leonardo, which will be permanently attached to the space station to give it more storage space.