Discovery is scheduled to lift off for the last time at 4:25 PM est ending an incredible era of space technology.
Space Shuttle Discovery Fueled for Final Flight
By Marcia Dunn AP Cape Canaveral
Space shuttle Discovery is poised to make its last flight.
NASA began fueling its most traveled shuttle shortly after sunrise Thursday. The weather outlook has improved to 90 percent "go" for the 4:50 p.m. liftoff.
This time, NASA is confident no hydrogen gas will leak and no cracks will develop in the fuel tank. Both problems cropped up during the initial countdown in November. The repairs took almost four months.
This will be the 39th flight for Discovery. It first blasted off in 1984, and has since logged 143 million miles.
A huge crowd is expected in Florida for Discovery's farewell launch.
"Discovery will head to the International Space Station with a crew of six, as well as a load of supplies and a humanoid robot; a 330-pound humanoid robot called Robonaut 2, or R2 for short. It's the first humanoid robot to be sent into space, and it may eventually be bound for the moon. R2 is designed to help astronauts perform tedious and dangerous missions. It's designed so that it will eventually be able to vacuum air filters, do space walks, flip switches, and go into dangerous toxic environments. The robot has no legs, and is hence only 3 feet four inches tall. It is designed for a one-way mission, never to come back. That's the advantage of robots" they are cheap, need no life support, and don't need a return ticket. The only drawback is that R2 is incapable of real human thought. It has no consciousness, and can barely recognize simple objects in its environment.It is a far cry from the humanoid robots of science fiction." - Michio Kaku
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