KSC-05pd-0611

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle Discovery, atop the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP), casts a shadow on the crawlerway as it makes its way east to Launch Complex 39B close to sunset. In the background is the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where Discovery began the rollout at 2:04 p.m. EDT. The rollout marks a major milestone in the Space Shuttle Program’s Return to Flight. The MLP is moved by the Crawler-Transporter underneath, which stands 20 feet high, 131 feet long and 114 feet wide. It moves on eight tracks, each containing 57 shoes, or cleats, weighing one ton each. Loaded with the Space Shuttle, the Crawler can move at a maximum speed of approximately 1 mile an hour. A leveling system in the Crawler keeps the Shuttle vertical while negotiating the 5 percent grade leading to the top of the launch pad. Launch of Discovery on its Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is targeted for May 15 with a launch window that extends to June 3. During its 12-day mission, Discovery’s seven-person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the International Space Station.