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| "Based on a very thorough and very
successful flight readiness review, we're currently go for launch of
Discovery on July 13," Griffin said. (Photo:
Xinhua/AFP) | BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA
announced on Thursday it has set July 13 for its first misson of space shuttle
launch since the 2003 Columbia disaster.
"Based on a very thorough and very successful flight
readiness review, we're currently go for launch of Discovery on July 13," NASA
administrator Michael Griffin announced the decision after a two-day
meeting of the US space agency to review Discovery's flight readiness. The
planned launch window is from July 13 to 31.
"We believe this is the cleanest flight we have ever
done," he said, "It's risky; we've done what we can do to minimize that."
The shuttle Columbia, which suffered damage to a wing from
falling debris as it launched, broke up as it reentered the Earth's atmosphere
on Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven crew.
Griffin said NASA's effort over the last two and a half
years was not just to eliminate the possibility of debris damaging the shuttle,
but rather a wider review of the entire spacecraft.
"We went literally from stem to stern of the vehicle ...
to make sure that we did come back smarter and stronger and safer as a
result."
If Discovery is damaged and cannot return to Earth,
NASA has endorsed "safe haven" plan, which calls for the international
space station to be equipped to provide shelter to a shuttle crew in the event
an orbiter is irreparably damaged upon liftoff and cannot safely re-enter
Earth's atmosphere.
In such an emergency scenario, a shuttle crew would live
aboard the station for six to eight weeks while another orbiter is prepared to
undertake a rescue mission. Enditem
(Agencies) | 
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