Keith’s note: I just got an update from KeepTheShuttle. OMB wants NASA and the Smithsonian to figure out how to cut Space Shuttle Discovery apart into pieces to move it. As you will recall that option was ruled out when Space Shuttle Endeavour was moved to Los Angeles on the now-defunct 747 carrier and then moved through the streets where utilities were moved and trees were cut down. Every effort was taken to preserve the integrity of this historic space ship. Now Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn are only interested in snagging a tourist attraction – not a precious historic relic that deserves to be preserved – and certainly not chopped up like a leftover exhibit from a state fair and tossed on a flatbed. Full statement below. Update: There was a story on WUSA Channel 9 in DC this afternoon about this including some snark from me. video.

Space Shuttle Discovery to Roll back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, NASA “Shuttle managers also decided late Monday afternoon that following the tanking test they plan to roll Discovery back into Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to allow its external tank to undergo additional image scans. Rollback is expected to occur 4-5 days after the tanking test. Once in the VAB, technicians would collect X-ray data on stringers on the […]

Discovery Will Attempt to Launch Thursday Though Weather Might Force Another Delay, SpaceRef “Wednesday afternoon NASA’s Mission Management Team met at 2:45 pm EDT to review the main engine #3 backup controller issue which caused a day’s delay in the launch of space shuttle Discovery. After the meeting a GO was given to attempt a launch Thursday.” Marc’s UPDATE 6:15 am EDT: SCRUB – NASA will not launch Discovery due […]