...Let the launch week begin!The flight of orbiter Discovery on space shuttle mission STS-119 begins its prelaunch operations today, starting with the arrival of the seven member crew here at the Kennedy Space Center.
The flight crew are scheduled to arrive at the shuttle landing facility this afternoon - with no firm exact time set. Arriving in their T-38A trainer jets, the crew will make a brief statement before boarding a van.
Discovery is set to launch from complex 39-A this Wednesday evening at 9:20 pm EDT. SpaceLaunchNews.com will have complete live launch coverage all week long beginning on Sunday.
Also today, inside the launch control center, the countdown and NASA's Call to Stations will begin at 7PM EDT, at the T-:43 hour mark.
Led by mission commander Lee Archambault, this crew includes pilot Tony Antonelli and mission specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will begin a three month stay aboard the international space station following Discovery's departure.
The crew have been in quarentine at their base at the Johnson Space Center south of Houston, TX for several days. Once they arrive at KSC, they will stay at the Operations and Checkout building up until launch in special rooms.
Keep it here for the latest updates, and join Us on Twitter via your PDA or BlackBerry for quick updates, and our own media links to what's happing during Discovery's flight.
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