Discovery set for Friday launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Space shuttle Discover is tentatively scheduled to lift off early Friday after weather problems and a faulty valve scrubbed Tuesday's launch, NASA said Tuesday.

NASA managers, at a meeting following a decision to put off Tuesday's launch, scheduled 12:22 a.m. Friday as the new target, Mike Moses, chairman of the management team, said

The shuttle was originally scheduled to lift off early Tuesday but bad weather forced a postponement to just after midnight Wednesday. Later in the day, problems were discovered with a liquid hydrogen valve.

Moses said engineers will examine test data on the valve.

The STS-128 mission will carry the Leonardo supply module to the International Space Station, along with a new ISS crew member, Nicole Stott, who will take the place of Tim Kopra, who boarded the station during STS-127.

Discovery, commanded by veteran astronaut Rick Sturckow, will deliver refrigerator-sized racks full of equipment, including the Colbert treadmill, an exercise device named after comedian Stephen Colbert, NASA said. Pilot Kevin Ford and astronauts Patrick Forrester, Jose Hernandez, John Olivas and Sweden's Christer Fuglesang round out the crew.