The space shuttle Discovery will be moved out of its hangar at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Friday, NASA announced.
This move comes as Discovery is poised to launch on a space station mission designated STS-121.
NASA said the move from the orbiter processing facility to the vehicle assembly building at Kennedy will be followed by a redesigned external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters being attached to the shuttle in the assembly building.
Many components of the shuttle have been redesigned since the shuttle Columbia and its crew were lost Feb. 1, 2003, during re-entry, because foam insulation had broken off during launch and damaged the spacecraft, causing it to overheat in a fiery streak across the sky.
The space shuttle is set for launch July 1, with a launch window that extends to July 19.
During its 12-day mission to the International Space Station, the Discovery crew of seven will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the station.