January 17, 2011

NASA Prepares for Final Discovery Voyage

NASA has finally diagnosed the cause of Discovery's cracks and they are now being patched and reinforced. Program manager John Shannon claims that poor materials and faulty assembly were the cause, not a good thing when heading to the final frontier. The space shuttle and its botty cargo, Robonaut 2, may leave the planet Feb. 24 if all goes well.

Because Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' husband, Commander Mark Kelly, is scheduled for that flight, an alternative is being readied as a substitute. By the way, if you would like to leave a message for Kelly or brother Scott Kelly, who is now on the ISS, do so here.

Via NASA