Everybody at the US space agency, including the astronauts, understand that there are no risk-free shuttle missions, but nonetheless firmly believe that the only way to improve its performance is to send it back up into orbit.

"We are ready to go. I look at this as a new beginning," NASA Flight Director LeRoy Cain told reporters Wednesday. "There is risk in this business, this business is about managing that risk."

Eileen Collins, who will command the Discovery during its 12-day space mission, flaunted her steely determination despite all the pressures involved in the resumption of space flights: "I have no nerves, no emotions, no pressure," she said at the briefing.

On Tuesday, shuttle program deputy manager Wayne Hale insisted: "We believe we have significant risk reduction. We are still going to fly with some risk."

The Discovery should take off between May 15 and June 3, the first window of opportunity the astronauts have to link up with the orbiting International Space Station. In the event that the flight is scrapped, it cannot be reprogrammed before mid-July.

Shuttle program manager Bill Parsons, who put the chances of Discovery's liftoff by May 15 at 50 percent but was confident it would go up before June 3, said NASA had addressed the safety issue as best it could.

"At this point we have done everything we can to make this vehicle as safe as we can. The time in front of us to make this vehicle any safer would be years, not months," he said referring to a complete rehaul of the shuttle needed to eliminate its inherent risks - an impossible task in view of NASA's plan to retire the shuttle altogether by 2010.

The next shuttle launch will take place in daylight hours to give NASA's camera's a good shot at detecting any damage the Discovery might sustain during liftoff and avoid another Columbia tragedy.

Loose insulation from the central fuel tank damaged the Columbia's left wing on takeoff leading to ship's dramatic breakup on reentry 16 days later, on February 1, 2003, and the death of its seven crewmembers.

The insulation foam around the fuel tank has been completely modified to reduce the size of any piece that might tear away during liftoff. NASA believes there should be no damage from loose insulation, but just in case has trained astronauts to inspect and repair the shuttle in orbit.

"The main way to get smarter about this problem is to go fly," said shuttle systems engineering manager John Muratore.

Shuttle Commander Collins, on her part, said the Discovery's flight "is going to be a great closure for everybody" following the Columbia tragedy.

"I cannot say every repair techniques is going to work. Some we are not sure about yet," she said, adding: "We don't expect to have any damage."

The press briefing Wednesday coincided with the Discovery's move from its enormous hangar to its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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