It looks like the US space agency NASA is gearing for Sunday launch of the space shuttle Discovery. The space agency has clarified that Discovery launch is not possible earlier than Sunday.

NASA has tentatively stated that the launch of the space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station could take place on Sunday evening. The agency has said that the holes of leaking gas in the space shuttle Discovery would be plugged before Sunday.

NASA has reported that if Sunday is finalized, the Discovery launch will take place at 7:43 p. m. EDT, however the agency has also clarified that the exact launch date will depend on, when the shuttle managers complete the repair work.

According to NASA spokesman Allard Beutel, shuttle managers have "high confidence" that the entire repair work will be done in time to launch Discovery at 7:43 p. m. Sunday.

NASA has said that it will shorten the mission to 11 days and three spacewalks, if the launch takes place on Sunday, and the mission will be reduced to 10 days including one or two spacewalks, if it is launched on Monday or Tuesday.

It will be done in order to make way at the space station for a Russian Soyuz spacecraft scheduled for liftoff on March
26. So, if Discovery is not launched by Tuesday, it will have to wait until April 7.