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All Systems Go for Teacher

Long wait for Morgan, Endeavour set to end with evening launch

By Heather McPherson,  Newser User

Posted Aug 8, 2007 1:48 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Countdown is continuing in Florida toward blastoff for the space shuttle Endeavour, the Orlando Sentinel reports, with an 80% chance of favorable conditions at tonight's scheduled launch time of 6:36pm Eastern. Teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, a backup to the educator killed in the 1986 Challenger disaster, has brought national attention to the mission.

NASA, reeling from a series of scandals, is banking on positive exposure from the presence of Morgan, who trained with Christa McAuliffe. Morgan, who left her Idaho teaching job to join the astronaut corps full-time, is scheduled to conduct in-flight video conferences with students during the mission.

Space shuttle Endeavour mission specialist Barbara Morgan, front, and mission specialist Alvin Drew Jr. leave the Operation and Check-out Building to perform training exercises at launch pad 39a at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., July 19, 2007. The launch of the Endeavour is scheduled for Aug. 7.(AP...
Space shuttle Endeavour mission specialist Barbara Morgan, front, and mission specialist Alvin Drew Jr. leave the Operation and Check-out Building to perform training exercises at launch pad 39a at Kennedy...   (Associated Press)
Space shuttle Endeavour mission specialist Barbara Morgan smiles as she is introduced at a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., in this July 18, 2007 file photo. Seven astronauts are assigned to Wednesday's planned launch of Endeavour, but the spotlight is on Morgan, who was...
Space shuttle Endeavour mission specialist Barbara Morgan smiles as she is introduced at a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., in this July 18, 2007 file photo. Seven...   (Associated Press)
The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour, from left, commander Scott J. Kelly, mission specialist Alvin Drew Jr, pilot Charles Hobaugh, mission specialists Dafydd Williams, of the Canadian Space Agency, Tracy Caldwell, teacher turned astronaut Barbara Morgan and Richard Mastracchio arrive at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla....
The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour, from left, commander Scott J. Kelly, mission specialist Alvin Drew Jr, pilot Charles Hobaugh, mission specialists Dafydd Williams, of the Canadian Space Agency,...   (Associated Press)
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More on McAuliffe and Morgan
Telegraph (UK)

Read NASA's launch blog
NASA

Orlando Sentinel's live video feed
Orlando Sentinel

 
NASA • plants • space shuttle • Christa McAuliffe • Barbara Morgan • Endeavour • space flight • student • teacher

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