End to government shutdown should limit impact on space operations

NASA and the U.S. Air Force are expected to return to normal operations Tuesday after lawmakers passed a budget bill Monday evening, ending a government funding lapse that threatened to cut off live television coverage of an International Space Station spacewalk and interrupt SpaceX launch operations in Florida and California. Astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Scott Tingle plan to begin their excursion shortly after 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT) Tuesday to begin work to replace a latching end effector on the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 23)