NASA fueled space shuttle Discovery for launch early on Monday, hoping to kick off a 13-day resupply flight to the International Space Station. Liftoff was set for 6:21 a.m. EDT (1021 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Reuters reported. With an 80 percent chance of good weather for the launch, technicians pumped 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the shuttle's fuel tank for the 8.5-minute climb into orbit. If the shuttle launches on time, it will link up with the orbiting space station on Wednesday. The station, a $100 billion project of 16 nations, is nearing completion after more than a decade of construction 220 miles (350 km) above Earth. After Discovery's flight, three shuttle missions remain to finish outfitting the orbital outpost.
