Discovery space shuttle scheduled for April 5 launch

The US space agency held a countdown status briefing on April 2 and an official from NASA informed, “Test Director Steve Payne reported that all launch preparations continue to go well as the official countdown is now under way, saying, we’re eager to get Discovery flying on Monday morning.”

“Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters also reported good news, saying that the launch-time conditions continue to be very favorable. The only reason for a remaining 20 percent chance of "no-go" weather is the possibility of early morning fog. The weather would be similar if a 24-hour turnaround was necessary,” reported NASA authorities.

Discovery to carry cargo
The space shuttle is going to ISS with seven astronauts, including three women astronauts and 12,000 kg cargo consisting of science experiments and spare parts for the space station.

Experiments like studying how orbiting in space can affect the human body and plant growth are also part of the mission set for the shuttle crew.

The ST-131 will be onboard the International space station for 13 days after which they will return back to Earth.

Metcalf-Lindenburger and Naoko Yamazaki who are first time travelers to space will become the 53rd and 54th women to fly in space.

NASA informed, “Commander Alan Poindexter is set to lead the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery.”

“Joining Poindexter will be Pilot Jim Dutton and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clay Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace.”

Women astronauts to ISS
Talking about launching more women astronauts, space operations chief, Bill Gerstenmaier says, “Maybe that's a credit to the system, right? That I don't think of it as male or female, I just think of it as a talented group of people going to do their job in space.”

Metcalf-Lindenburger and Naoko Yamazaki who are first time travelers to space will become the 53rd and 54th women to fly in space.

Stephanie Wilson who will be making her third flight to space says, “I'd love to have those numbers be higher, But I think that we have made a great start and have paved the way with women now being able to perform the same duties as men in spaceflight.”

The fourth women is already on her way to space in a Soyuz rocket that hurled into the space from Kazakhstan on Friday and are expected to reach ISS on Sunday.

After this mission, only three more shuttle flights are left before the close shuttle program tentatively scheduled for September 2010.