Washington - The space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch early Tuesday on a mission to deliver supplies and equipment to the International Space Station.

A NASA review panel decided Wednesday that the shuttle is ready for the 1:36 am launch (0536 GMT).

NASA officials spent much of their preflight review discussing foam insulation on the shuttle's exterior fuel tank after the space shuttle Endeavour lost a significant amount of foam during its July 15 launch. Damage to the heat shield from foam was minimal, but NASA wanted to fully assess the risks to this flight. A series of tests showed Discovery was clear to fly.

The six US and one Swedish astronaut are to deliver new science and storage racks, a freezer, a new sleeping compartment and a treadmill named after US comedian Stephen Colbert.

The mission includes three spacewalks to replace experiments and install a new ammonia storage tank, which is used to remove heat from the station.(dpa)