STS-133 Discovery Launch Events

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 jets four days before liftoff.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- A Kennedy Space Center / Cape Canaveral Air Force Station police officer maintains security during the astronauts' landing at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Ground crew at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility directs the T-38 jet containing space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialist Michael Barratt.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-133 Pilot Eric Boe disembarks from his T-38 aircraft at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 Commander Steve Lindsey, center, talks with Pilot Eric Boe, left, as fellow crew members arrive at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Astronauts gather at a T-38 jet just after landing at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew members prepare to address the media after arriving at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in T-38 jets. From left to right are Commander Steve Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Steve Bowen, Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, and Nicole Stott.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility on Sunday afternoon. From left to right are Mission Specialists Nicole P. Stott, Michael R. Barratt, Stephen G. Bowen, and Alvin Drew, Pilot Eric A. Boe, and Commander Steven W. Lindsey. Discovery was scheduled to launch on Thursday, February 24 at 4:50 PM, with an 11-day mission to the International Space Station.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew leaves the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility after addressing the news media on Sunday afternoon. From left to right are Mission Specialists Nicole P. Stott, Michael R. Barratt, Stephen G. Bowen, and Alvin Drew, Pilot Eric A. Boe, and Commander Steven W. Lindsey.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The countdown clock at the Kennedy Space Center press site will remain blank until official countdown begins at the T-43 hour mark on Monday, February 21 at 3:00 PM EST.

02/20/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The Vehicle Assembly Building basks in the late afternoon sun at Kennedy Space Center.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- NASA stringer repair expert Bill Gilbert of Lockheed Martin, left, discusses repairs to the stringers in the space shuttle Discovery's external tank. Discovery's launch was postponed in November 2010 after cracks were discovered in some of the stringers. Gilbert and other NASA experts, including (from left) Bill Ondocsin of Marshall Space Flight Center, Mike McBain of Lockheed Martin, and Alicia Mendoza of NASA each played a role in overseeing investigation and repair process.

02/23/2011 - A piece of reinforced stringer hardware is held up against a model space shuttle in the Kennedy Space Center news center.

02/23/2011 - There are 108 aluminum brackets called stringers at the inner tank of Space shuttle Discovery's external tank. After cracks were found in some of the stringers in November, NASA engineers found that stress points and problematic material contributed to the problem. The stringers were reinforced using hardware that was originally designated for the STS-139 mission.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center disappeared into the fog on Wednesday, the day before Discovery's launch.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery is obscured by the rotating service structure (RSS) shortly before rollback at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The rotating service structure (RSS) rollback began at 8:02 PM EST at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A. The structure provided protection for the space shuttle Discovery and access to the shuttle and its cargo for installation and servicing.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The rotating service structure (RSS) continues the rollback from the space shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A. The structure provides protection for and access to space shuttles while they are stationed at the launch pad.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery is revealed at Launch Pad 39A Wednesday night after the rotating service structure (RSS) rollback.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The countdown entered a built-in 13 hours, 25 minutes hold at T-11 hours Wednesday at 11:00 AM EST while a number of tasks were performed, including the RSS rollback. Countdown resumed Thursday morning at 12:25 AM EST.

02/23/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The Vehicle Assembly Building glows in the fog, lit by the surrounding sodium vapor lights on the eve of space shuttle Discovery's final launch.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- A sign at Kennedy Space Center signifies the approaching space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The Astrovan will transport space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew from the Operations and Checkout Building to Launch Pad 39A Thursday afternoon at Kennedy Space Center.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Dressed in their orange launch-and-entry suits, space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew approaches the Astrovan at the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center. From left to right are Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Alvin Drew, and Michael Barratt, Pilot Eric Boe, Mission Specialist Steve Bowen, and Commander Steve Lindsey.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Wearing their orange launch-and-entry suits, space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 crew board the Astrovan at the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center. The van will transport them to Launch Pad 39A. From left to right are Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Steve Bowen, and Alvin Drew, and Pilot Eric Boe.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- A NASA helicopter hovers above a landing pad near the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- R2A, the twin brother of the R2B Robonaut, looks toward Launch Pad 39A, awaiting the launch of space shuttle Discovery. R2B is traveling to the International Space Station, where it will undergo tests and perform duties alongside the astronauts.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Members of the news media await space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch outside the media news center at Kennedy Space Center.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Members of the media prepare to photograph space shuttle Discovery's launch from the media news site at Kennedy Space Center.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Members of the media work at the Kennedy Space Center news site.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Enthusiastic photographer Lindsay Wiles Gramana poses in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center about 90 minutes prior to space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- R2A Robonaut prepares to wave to space shuttle Discovery. The shuttle will transport R2A's twin brother, R2B, to the International Space Station to undergo tests and perform tasks.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Cameras are positioned along Kennedy Space Center's turning basin just over an hour before space shuttle Discovery's launch.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- R2A Robonaut awaits the launch of space shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center's news site. The shuttle will transport R2A's twin brother, R2B, to the International Space Station to undergo tests and perform tasks.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery blasted off Thursday at 4:53:24 PM EST for its 39th and final mission into space.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery blasted off Thursday at 4:53:24 PM EST for its 39th and final mission into space.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery blasted off Thursday at 4:53:24 PM EST for its 39th and final mission into space.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery blasted off Thursday at 4:53:24 PM EST for its 39th and final mission into space.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- Space shuttle Discovery blasted off Thursday at 4:53:24 PM EST for its 39th and final mission into space.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The humanoid robot R2A Robonaut gazes eastward following the launch of space shuttle Discovery at Kennedy Space Center's news site. The shuttle will transport R2A's twin brother, R2B, to the International Space Station to undergo tests and perform tasks.

02/24/2011 -- Cape Canaveral, Florida -- The sun sets beyond the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center following space shuttle Discovery's STS-133 launch.