Thursday will see Discovery dock with the ISS. NASA reports:

Docking Nears for Discovery, Space Station

Image Above: Space shuttle Discovery's robotic arm with the attached boom extension is moved into position shortly after completion of the heat shield inspection. Image credit: NASA

Space Shuttle Discovery is approaching the International Space Station. Docking is slated to take place at 8:33 a.m. EDT today. Discovery’s arrival will set the stage for the next phase of the station’s on-orbit construction and a change in the Expedition 16 crew.

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+ View rendezvous pitch maneuver animation
+ View shuttle approaching the space station animation

Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka fired Discovery’s engines at 5:55 a.m. to refine the approach to the station. About an hour before docking, Melroy and Zamka will guide the shuttle through a back-flip maneuver that will allow the Expedition 16 crew to photograph the shuttle’s protective heat-resistant tiles. The imagery will be sent to engineers on Earth for analysis.

After Discovery docks, the shuttle and station crews will conduct pressure and leak checks before the hatches between the two spacecraft open at 10:33 a.m. The crews will greet each other and quickly begin joint operations.

One of the first major tasks is the station crew rotation. STS-120 Mission Specialist Daniel Tani will switch places with Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson, who will be wrapping up a four-month tour of duty as an Expedition crew member. Tani is scheduled to stay on the station until he returns to Earth with STS-122 later this year.

Also, preparations will begin today for the first of five scheduled STS-120 spacewalks. It is set to kick off at 6:28 a.m. Friday.

Flight Day 2 videos are up at the JSC Gallery. ABC Pics here. Discussion here. Status Report #05 here. Check the links at right for play-by-play and NASA TV.