The newly installed radius blocks to Discovery's external fuel tank's support beams are seen in this image.

In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the newly installed radius blocks to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank's support beams known as "stringers" near the intertank’s thrust panel area are seen in this image.

The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for liftoff Feb. 24. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller