BOLIVIA TO LAUNCH SATELLITE INTO SPACE - An unlikely newcomer is about to make the final frontier a little more crowded: Bolivia is to launch a satellite into space. The impoverished South American country, famed more for llamas and Andean peaks than technology, has created a space agency to build and launch a satellite with Chinese help. Named after Túpac Katari, an Aymara Indian leader who fought Spanish colonialists, the satellite is intended to improve communication in rural areas and boost indigenous pride. More (Source: The Guardian - Feb 12)
ENDEAVOR ASTRONAUTS INSTALL NODE ON SPACE STATION - Astronauts from the space shuttle Endeavour completed their spacewalk outside the international space station early Friday -- the first of three scheduled for their two-week mission. Bob Behnken and Nicholas Patrick installed the new Italian-built Tranquility node and a seven-windowed cupola onto the Unity node of the international space station, NASA said. The hatch into the new addition of the station is scheduled to be opened about 9:15 p.m. Friday. More (Source: CNN - Feb 12)
NASA LAUNCHES SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY - NASA has launched an Atlas V rocket carrying a probe that the agency says will study the sun "in greater detail than ever before." A rocket carrying the Solar Dynamics Observatory lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 10:23 a.m. ET Thursday. NASA had delayed the launch three times Wednesday because of windy conditions. The agency says the first-of-its-kind observatory will provide a better understanding of the sun and its role in space weather events such as solar flares, which can wreak havoc on Earth. More (Source: CNN - Feb 11)
LAUNCH OF ROCKET WITH SOLAR PROBE RESET FOR THURSDAY - NASA has postponed for one day the scheduled launch of a rocket carrying a solar probe. The space agency plans to launch an Atlas V rocket carrying its Solar Dynamics Observatory, which it says will study the sun "in greater detail than ever before." After delaying the launch three times because of windy conditions Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA said it will try again Thursday, with a launch window of 10:23 a.m. to 11:23 a.m. ET. More (Source: CNN - Feb 10)
ENDEAVOUR DOCKS WITH INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - At 12:06 a.m. EST, Commander George Zamka backed space shuttle Endeavour into pressurized mating adapter #2 on the International Space Station’s Harmony node. The two spacecraft were flying 225 miles up & off the northern coast of Spain at the time they docked. The shuttle and station crews will open hatches and hold the traditional welcome ceremony at 2:04 a.m. Endeavour’s crew will be working with Expedition 22 commander NASA astronaut Jeff Williams and flight engineers cosmonaut Max Suraev, NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi. More (Source: NASA - Feb 10)
CREW INSPECTS SHUTTLE AFTER LAUNCH, HEADS FOR SPACE STATION - As they head toward a rendezvous with the international space station, crew members of the space shuttle Endeavour are checking for any signs of damage after Monday's early morning launch. Tuesday's routine inspection includes checks of the shuttle's protective thermal tiles. Cameras and lasers capture views of the shuttle's exterior, which NASA will inspect on Earth for any damage sustained during launch. The shuttle will dock with the space station just after 12 a.m. Wednesday. More (Source: CNN - Feb 9)
SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR BLASTS OFF FOR SPACE STATION - The space shuttle Endeavour thundered into orbit into the predawn sky on Monday. It was the second attempt to launch the Endeavour, 24 hours after Sunday’s attempt was scrubbed because of clouds over the launching pad. Clouds again encroached, but there were enough holes to allow the Endeavour to lift off on schedule at 4:14 a.m., a bright streak rising to the northeast along the East Coast. It was the 130th launching of a shuttle and likely the last night launching as the program winds down and ends after another four flights. More (Source: New York Times - Feb 8)
ENDEAVOUR LAUNCH RESCHEDULED - Managers officially have scheduled space shuttle Endeavour's next launch attempt for Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:14 a.m. EST. The Mission Management Team will meet at 6:15 p.m. Sunday to give the "go" to fill Endeavour's external fuel tank with propellants. Tank loading would begin at 6:45 p.m. More (Source: NASA - Feb 7)
"NO-GO" FOR ENDEAVOUR'S LAUNCH - Space shuttle Endeavour's launch attempt has been scrubbed due to a low cloud ceiling over Kennedy Space Center. Managers initially plan for a 24-hour turnaround, but will evaluate tomorrow's weather before making a final decision. Next possible launch attempt is Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:14 a.m. EST. More (Source: NASA - Feb 7)
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