KSC-05pd-1749

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Apollo_SaturnV Center, First Lady Laura Bush and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (right) greet other guests attending the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Return to Flight mission STS-114, scheduled to lift off at 10:39 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39B with a crew of seven. At left is KSC Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. Mrs. Bush is only the third First Lady to witness a Space Shuttle launch at KSC. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 7.