NASA shuttle launch set for next April 5

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – NASA on Friday cleared space shuttle Discovery launch on 5 April in one of his last missions cargo to the ISS before the fleet is retired later in the year.

The launch of the spacecraft and seven crew is scheduled for 06.21 am EDT (1021 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The shuttle will carry a container full of scientists and equipment racks for the space station, which is nearing completion after more than a decade of construction of 350 miles above Earth.

NASA has four flights remaining before finishing the space station, a project of 16 nations worth U.S. $ 100,000 million.

The U.S. space agency hired the commercial service providers Space Exploration Technologies California and Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia to deliver cargo to the station starting next year.

SpaceX, founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, plans to debut its rocket Falcon 9 with a demonstration mission in April from the launch pad of the revamped Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, south of the complex off the ferries.

is expected to the Orbital Taurus 2 launcher make its first flight next year.

Cargo Ships operated by Russia, Japan and Europe will also maintain the supply for the orbital outpost, consisting of food and equipment for the six crew on board.

All transportation of astronauts will be delivered to Russia in preparation for the retirement of the shuttle fleet later this year.

NASA has been preparing to develop a capsule-style spacecraft to send astronauts to the space station, besides the moon, but the U.S. president, Barack Obama, call to cancel the program.

&b56amp;lt;/p> Instead, the White House hopes that commercial firms do not provide an alternative to relying solely on the Russians, who can charge $ 51 million per seat on its Soyuz capsules.

(Editing by Jon Boyle Spanish)