NASA has given the go ahead for the relaunch of the space shuttle program. The first liftoff for the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled for July 13.
'Based on a very thorough and very successful flight readiness review, we're currently go for launch of Discovery on July 13,' NASA administrator Michael Griffin announced to reporters.
The Discovery had just been put through two days of 'flight readiness review' by senior NASA officials.
This will be the first trip for the shuttle program since the Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry to earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003. All seven astronauts on board were killed.
Earlier this week, NASA admitted it had not met three of the 15 return-to-flight recommendations made after the Columbia disaster. However, the committee said the shuttle was 'safe enough' to go forward with the launch.
Among the new plans NASA has endorsed to address safety concerns is the 'safe haven' plan which would allow future shuttle astronauts to stay at the International Space Station if a shuttle is damaged and is pronounced unsafe to return to earth. The crew would stay at the space station for roughly eight weeks until another shuttle can be launched to bring them home.
