KSC-2011-1633

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the White Room at Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United Space Alliance spacesuit technicians help STS-133 Mission Specialist Michael Barratt put on the parachute for his launch-and-entry suit before he enters space shuttle Discovery through the crew hatch in the background. Michael Barratt is making his first flight aboard a space shuttle. Barratt has called the space station home before, though, after spending 199 days as a crew member of Expeditions 19 and 20 in 2009. Scheduled to lift off Feb. 24 at 4:50 p.m. EST, Discovery and its crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Discovery, which will fly its 39th mission, is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This will be the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. For more information on the STS-133 mission, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell