Obama Skips Wedding For Shuttle Launch

Florida Braces for Huge Crowds for Next Week’s Space Shuttle Launch, Space.com
“The Florida space coast is expecting near-record crowds to flock to Cape Canaveral to watch the space shuttle Endeavour launch on its last voyage April 29. Crowds have been getting thicker and thicker for shuttle launches as NASA winds down its 30-year-old space shuttle program. After Endeavour’s mission, there is only one more shuttle flight planned before the three orbiters are retired. The area around NASA’s seaside Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, where the shuttles are launched, saw between 400,000 and 500,000 visitors for the last liftoff of the shuttle Discovery in February, according to Robert Varley, executive director of Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism.”
Obama to attend April 29 space shuttle launch
“President Barack Obama plans to attend the April 29 launch of the space shuttle Endeavour at Cape Canaveral, Florida, a White House official said on Wednesday.”
Royal wedding to upstage NASA shuttle’s final launch
“The NASA space agency was unaware that the shuttle Endeavour’s final mission to the International Space Station was in conflict with the royal wedding, a NASA chief said Tuesday. “The frank answer is no,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for space operations, when asked by a reporter if the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton were a factor in the shuttle scheduling. “I didn’t realize when the wedding was when we moved the launch date,” said Gerstenmaier. The shuttle was initially set to launch on April 19 and was later postponed to April 29. “We kind of set that date independently.”