Seal Replacement Work Begins on Discovery

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have begun preparations to replace two seals for a fuel line, which had been leaking, for shuttle Discovery’s orbital maneuvering system engines. Crews will pump out propellants already inside the tanks and will replace the primary and secondary seals at a flange located at the interface where two propellant lines meet in the shuttle’s aft compartment.

Replacing the seals allows NASA managers to have the highest confidence in the system and will allow the seals and flange to be inspected.

Work to replace the seals and reload propellants into the orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems should be completed on Oct. 25 and is expected to still support Discovery’s targeted Nov. 1 launch date

Technicians completed a checkout of the Extra-vehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) for the STS-133 mission yesterday. Preparations for the upcoming launch countdown are under way.

The STS-133 astronauts will practice procedures for the mission's first spacewalk in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.