June 12, 2008

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4715
michael.curie@nasa.gov

Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-118

SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY SET TO LAND SATURDAY

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle Discovery crew is expected 
to complete its 14-day flight to the International Space Station with 
a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:15 a.m. EDT 
on Saturday, June 14. 

The STS-124 mission began May 31 and delivered two new sections of the 
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory to the station. 
During three spacewalks, the crew installed the Japanese Pressurized 
Module, or JPM, and Kibo's robotic arm system. Kibo's logistics 
module, which had been attached temporarily to the Harmony node 
during the STS-123 mission in March, was attached to the JPM. The 
flight also delivered station resident Greg Chamitoff to the outpost. 
Discovery will return with Garrett Reisman, who spent three months 
aboard the complex.

NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before 
permitting Discovery to return to Earth. Saturday landing 
opportunities at Kennedy are at 11:15 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. Two hours 
after landing, NASA officials will hold a media briefing to discuss 
the mission. The participants will be:

- Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations
- Kaoru Mamiya, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Vice President
- Mike Leinbach, NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director

After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and 
meet with their families. The STS-124 crew is expected to hold a news 
conference at 4:15 p.m. Saturday. Both news events will be broadcast 
live on NASA Television. Media interested in participating must 
pick-up their accreditation badges on Saturday. 

The Kennedy News Center will open for landing activities at 7 a.m. 
Saturday and close at 6 p.m. The STS-124 media badges are in effect 
through landing. The media accreditation building on State Road 3 
will be open on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The last bus will 
depart from the news center for the Shuttle Landing Facility one hour 
before landing. For updated information about the landing, call 
321-867-2525.

If landing is diverted to one of the shuttle's backup runways after 
Saturday, media should call the Dryden public affairs office at 
661-276-3449 or the White Sands Missile Range public affairs office 
at 505-678-1134. Dryden has limited facilities available to 
previously accredited journalists for landings at Edwards Air Force 
Base. Journalists with STS-124 mission badges from NASA will be 
issued credentials at White Sands Missile Range.

For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming 
video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For the latest information about the STS-124 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

For more on the International Space Station, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/station

	
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