U.S. space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin an 11-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at 4:40 p.m. EDT (2040 GMT) on Nov. 1, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said Monday.

The space shuttle Discovery leaves the vehicle assembly building on the trip to launch pad 39 A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida September 20, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

Discovery's launch date was announced Monday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Fla. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

The six astronauts for the mission will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to the station. The PMM was converted from the multipurpose logistics module Leonardo and will provide additional storage for the station crew. Experiments in such fields as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology may be conducted inside the module.

The PMM also carries Robonaut 2, the first human-like robot in space, which will become a permanent resident of the station. In addition, the flight will deliver critical spare parts and the Express Logistics Carrier 4, an external platform that holds large equipment.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet