NASA Prepares Shuttle Discovery For Launch

Crew Will Deliver $1B Japanese Lab Into Orbit And, For Frustrated Crew, New Pump For Space Station Toilet

(AP)  NASA began fueling space shuttle Discovery on Saturday for a late afternoon launch to the international space station.

Already loaded aboard Discovery was Japan's precious lab, a $1 billion addition for the space station that will be the biggest room by far. It's named Kibo, Japanese for hope.

Also tucked away in the space shuttle: a new pump for the space station's finicky toilet. For more than a week, the three occupants have had to manually flush the toilet with extra water several times a day, a time-consuming job.

NASA and Russian space officials are hoping that the pump - which was rushed to Kennedy Space Center from Moscow just three days ago - gets the toilet back in normal working order.

Japanese journalists and space program officials jammed NASA's launch site, their excitement growing with every passing minute of the countdown. As many as 400 Japanese were expected for the liftoff.

Their enthusiasm was catchy.

"We are on the verge of a very historic event, the launch of this amazing spacecraft, the first major manned element for the Japanese Space Agency," said NASA payload manager Scott Higginbotham.

The Japanese lab is 37 feet long and more than 32,000 pounds, and fills Discovery's entire payload bay. The first part of the lab flew up in March, and the third and final section will be launched next year.

The entire lab, with all its pieces, cost more than $2 billion.

A large political contingent was also on hand led by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who's newly married to Discovery's commander, Mark Kelly. They invited numerous bigwigs from Arizona and Washington.

Kelly's brother, Scott, didn't need an invitation to the launch - he's also a space shuttle commander. They're identical twins.

Three spacewalks are planned during Discovery's 14-day flight, to install Kibo, replace an empty nitrogen-gas tank and try out various cleaning methods on a clogged solar-wing rotating joint.

One of Discovery's astronauts, Gregory Chamitoff, will move into the space station for a six-month stay. He'll replace Garrett Reisman, who will return to Earth aboard the shuttle.


For more information on the Discovery mission, STS-124, visit the NASA Web Site.

[k2994077]

Houston, we have a problem! can somebody please pass the bath tissue; my toilet''s on vacation!!!