Preparations for the STS-131 mission are under way on several fronts today as Space Shuttle Program managers begin meeting to discuss Discovery’s readiness for flight. The meeting is a precursor to the agency’s executive-level review on March 26, which will establish a firm launch date for this next mission to the International Space Station. The launch is now targeted for April 5.
Launch Pad 39A technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida continue preparations to service Discovery’s hypergolic system in addition to performing leak checks on the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate quick disconnects.
In Houston, the STS-131 astronauts continue their work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center as they participate in robotics and spacewalk system refresher training.