Space shuttle Discovery continues its preparations for the STS-133 mission this week after technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida successfully wrapped up leak checks on the left orbital maneuvering system pod. The APU gearbox also passed a leak check.
The astronauts who will fly the shuttle into orbit are taking spacewalk training today at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab outside Johnson Space Center. That is the large swimming pool outfitted as a specialized training facility which allows spacewalkers to rehearse all their procedures before a flight. The pool is large enough to hold full-size mock-ups of space station modules. Discovery is targeted to launch Nov. 1 to the International Space Station.