Discovery Set For Launch Next Thursday

NASA officially set Feb. 24 -- next Thursday -- as the firm launch date for shuttle Discovery and six astronauts on the fleet-leader's 39th and and final flight.

Liftoff is set for 4:50 p.m. next Thursday.

Mission commander Steve Lindsey and his crewmates will arrive at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday afternoon.

A three-day countdown will start up at 3 p.m. Monday.

External tank fuel-loading operations will begin at 7:25 a.m. Thursday.

The launch date was firmed up during a flight readiness review here at Kennedy Space Center.

A news briefing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on NASA TV. You can watch live coverage here in The Flame Trench. Click the NASA TV box on the right to launch our NASA TV viewer and live coverage.