Shuttle Discovery moved to VAB ahead of May launch
{{date|April 26, 2008}}
[[Image:STS-124 patch.svg|STS-124 mission patch|right|200px|thumb]]
Today at 11:07 GMT (07:07 local time), [[United States|US]] {{w|Space Shuttle}} ''[[Space Shuttle Discovery|Discovery]]'' departed its hangar at the [[Kennedy Space Center]] {{w|Orbiter Processing Facility}} (OPF), and was towed into the {{w|Vehicle Assembly Building}} (VAB), arriving at 12:05 {{w|Greenwich Mean Time|GMT}} (08:05 local time). Its next scheduled launch, {{w|STS-124}}, is currently targeted for the end of May. 

This procedure, known as a rollover, occurs around five to six weeks ahead of launch, and is followed by stacking, or attachment of ''Discovery'' to an {{w|Space Shuttle external tank|external tank}} and a pair of {{w|Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster|solid rocket boosters}}, which are waiting in the VAB. Once this has been completed, electrical tests will be conducted on the Shuttle, and then it will be rolled out to {{w|Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A|Launch Complex 39A}} in a week's time.

''Discovery'''s next mission, {{w|STS-124}}, will carry seven astronauts to the [[International Space Station]] (ISS), and deliver the main component of the [[Japan]]ese {{w|Japanese Experiment Module|Experiment Module}}. The crew who are scheduled to fly aboard ''Discovery'' are mission commander [[Mark E. Kelly]], pilot {{w|Kenneth Ham}}, mission specialists {{w|Karen L. Nyberg}}, {{w|Ronald J. Garan}}, {{w|Michael E. Fossum}} and {{w|Akihiko Hoshide}}, and {{w|Expedition 17}} ISS crew member {{w|Gregory Chamitoff}}.

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== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5410|title=STS-124: Discovery arrives in VAB - Vacuum Chamber incident|author=Chris Bergin|pub=NASASpaceflight.com|date=2008-04-26}}
*{{source|url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts124/080426rollover/|title=Shuttle moves to assembly building for May 31 launch|author=Justin Ray|pub=Spaceflight Now|date=2008-04-26}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cfnews13.com/Space/DestinationSpace/2008/4/26/discovery_rolls_over_to_the_vab_saturday.html|title=Discovery Rolls Over To The VAB Saturday|author=|pub=Central Florida News 13|date=2008-04-26}}

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Today at 11:07 GMT (07:07 local time), US Discovery departed its hangar at the Kennedy Space Center
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