Discovery to start space mission on Nov 1

NASA made it official that Shuttle Discovery will launch on an 11-day mission to the International Space Station next Monday. If all goes according to plan, it will be Discoverys last scheduled flight before becoming a museum piece. Discoverys launch date was announced at the end of a flight readiness review at Kennedy Space Center. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and the necessary equipment, support systems and personnel were ready. Over the weekend, engineers successfully replaced suspect seals in the orbital maneuvering system the twin engines in the shuttles tail that are used to steer the ship on orbit. Workers noticed an on-again, off-again fuel leak in the engines last week but believe they have fixed it. Discoverys flight will include two spacewalks and delivery of a cylindrical module that will help create more storage on the station.