HOUSTON, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- University of Illinois alumnus and NASA astronaut Lee Archambault returned from an out-of-this-world experience in March.

Astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery conducted a review of the ship’s flight systems on Friday as part of their work to ensure their safe return home Saturday afternoon.

The astronauts on space shuttle Discovery are primed for rendezvous and docking operations that will link their ship to the International Space Station this afternoon and deliver a new crew member.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., March 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:43 p.m. EDT Sunday to deliver the final set of power-generating solar array wings and a new crew member to the International Space Station.

The U.S. space agency says the countdown has started for the planned launch of space shuttle Discovery on Wednesday. The official countdown for the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station started at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday, with the launch scheduled for 9:20 p.m.