The US space shuttle Discovery has successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) to begin a journey back to Earth, space officials said.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have successfully repaired and deployed a torn solar panel that captures sunlight to generate electricity.

NASA hurried to solve problems of a ripped solar wing at the international space station Friday, as the top priority before Discovery's mission.

NASA says it will extend the space shuttle Discovery's mission by one day to allow for a closer inspection of a flawed rotary joint that turns the solar arrays aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

U.S. astronauts will make the first of five spacewalks from the International Space Station on Friday, to attach a node to the station brought by the Discovery shuttle, NASA said.

Discovery linked up with the international space station Thursday, and its staff is ready to start the most meticulous construction work ever endeavoured.

The countdown to launch of Space Shuttle Discovery continues at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Discovery is due to launch today(23.10.07) at 17:38 CEST (15:38 GMT) on flight STS-120, a mission to install the Italian-built Node 2 module on the ISS.

Astronaut Pamela Melroy (S.M. 1984) is set to become the first MIT alumna to command a space mission this week when the space shuttle Discovery lifts off Oct. 23 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.