Nasa is preparing the Discovery shuttle for a possible launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on 25 August 2009.

Discovery will carry the Leonardo supply module to the ISS during the STS-128 mission, along with refrigerator-sized racks full of equipment, including the Colbert treadmill.

The space shuttle will also fly a new crew member, Nicole Stott, to the station.

The shuttle programme will make decisions regarding further work and analysis of Discovery’s external tank and the tank for the next STS-129 Atlantis shuttle mission.

The final date of launch will be decided after the agency-level flight readiness review on 18 August 2009.