NASA targeting at first night liftoff since Columbia

Elated over three consecutive successful shuttle launches after the Columbia tragedy in 2003, NASA has eyes set on its next expedition. The agency plans to put its shuttle Discovery into orbit by December 7.

Preponing the scheduled launch of Discovery by a week, NASA officials plan to give its crew a christmas break. Ealier it was scheduled for December 14 liftoff, the shuttle would have returned to Earth around December 25.

Jessica Rye, spokeswomen at the Kennedy Space Center said, "It was an opportunity to allow employees to have more time with their families over the holidays.”

Although, December 7 has been disclosed as the probable launch date, but this may interfere with a scheduled launch of Air Force’s Atlas 5 rocket ,carrying satellites to space. Discovery’s window period closes on December 26.

Discovery’s second assembly mission to International Space Station since the 2003 Columbia accident maybe a night launch, revealed officials at the space agency.

Scheduled for a liftoff at 9:38 p.m. EST (0238 GMT), Discovery's launch would be the first in four years since the Columbia disaster to take place at night.

The day launch aids cameras a clear view of the shuttle's fuel tank and any debris that might fall off and strike the spaceship. Inability to detect such foam stike during Columbia’s night launch led to its disaster in 2003, killing its seven crew member.

Though Discovery’s night launch is still awaiting a green signal from agency, engineers claim to have developed new inspection equipment and technique for checking such damage during night liftoffs.

The authorities claim that they have designed new methods for inspecting holes or cracks in the shuttle while it's in orbit.

Engineers will now depend upon radars to detect any potentially hazardous debris. In day launches, sunlight facilitates such detection. Moreover, lighting from the shuttle's solid rocket boosters is also expected to assist camera views.

The itinerary of the Discovery's 11-day mission includes rewireing of the space station's electrical system. Also, flight engineer Suni Williams will be dropped off for her six-month stay aboard the orbiting outpost.

Eager to finish the half-way through construction of the $100 billion International Space Station, NASA plans for 14 more flights before the shuttle fleet retires in 2010.