House Of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, from California's 8th District, is greeted by NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana. Pelosi is at Florida's space center to witness space shuttle Discovery make history as it lifts off on its final scheduled mission from Launch Pad 39A. While at the center, Pelosi attended a presentation in the Operations Support Building II and toured Orbiter Processing Facilities 1 and 2 where shuttles Atlantis and Endeavour are being prepared for their final missions respectively.
Discovery and its six-member STS-133 crew will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module, packed with supplies and critical spare parts, as well as Robonaut 2, the dexterous humanoid astronaut helper, to the International Space Station. Discovery will make its 39th mission and is scheduled to be retired following STS-133. This will be the 133rd Space Shuttle Program mission and the 35th shuttle voyage to the space station. For more information on the STS-133 mission, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann