FOXBORO – Over the next 11 days the local Education Channel (Comcast 12/Verizon 37) will air NASA TV coverage of Discovery mission STS-133.  Live stream video will also be available on the FCA website: https://www.fcatv.org/live

NASA Shuttle Mission Overview

The space shuttle is heading to the International Space Station on its final mission, it will be taking with it two key components – the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) and Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) – that will provide spare parts and storage capacity to the orbiting complex.

Discovery also will deliver Robonaut 2, which will become the first humanoid robot in space.  The 39th flight of NASA’s most flown shuttle is scheduled to last 11 days, beginning at 4:50 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 24. The flight is designated Utilization and Logistics Flight 5 (ULF5) in the assembly sequence of the space station.

The commander for Discovery’s final flight  is veteran astronaut Steve Lindsey (Col.,  USAF, Retired).  He will be joined by  Pilot Eric Boe (Col., USAF) and Mission Specialists Steve Bowen (Capt., U.S. Navy),  Dr. Michael Barratt, Nicole Stott and  Alvin Drew (Col., USAF Retired).

Discovery will spend two days heading toward its rendezvous with the International Space Station.  On the second day of the flight, the crew will perform the standard scan of the shuttle’s thermal protection system using the orbiter boom sensor system attached to the end of Discovery’s robotic arm.  While the inspection is underway, Bowen, Drew and Stott will work on preparing the spacesuits onboard the shuttle that will be transferred to the station after docking and will be used during the mission’s two spacewalks.

Foxoboro Cable Access has been providing NASA TV launch-to-landing coverage of NASA shuttle missions as a public service to the community for more than 15 years.  For more information about FCA or training programs that are available to town residents at no charge, please contact Executive Director Michael Webber at 543-4757 or email info@fcatv.org.