Discovery Lands in Florida

'A giant leap forward for tinmankind'

(NEWSER) - International Space Station astronauts won't need to worry about the newest crew member hogging the oxygen or clogging the toilet. Robonaut 2 will become the first humanoid robot in space when he heads to the station this week on the space shuttle Discovery's final mission, AP reports. "R2" will be put through a series of tests before being put to work helping astronauts with chores inside and outside the station. More»

Shuttle made rare pass over Heartland

(AP) - Space shuttle Discovery is back on Earth. The shuttle and its seven astronauts landed at Florida's Kennedy Space Center this morning, an arrival delayed by rain that popped up right before daybreak. But the sky cleared and Mission Control was able to bring Discovery home. Rain also thwarted yesterday's tries. More»

Shuttle carries treadmill named for Stephen Colbert

(AP) - Space shuttle Discovery and seven astronauts blasted off seconds before midnight (EDT) from Florida, lighting up the sky for miles around. It was NASA's third launch attempt. Tuesday's try was called off by thunderstorms and Wednesday's by fuel valve trouble. Discovery is hauling a full load of space station supplies, including a treadmill named for Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert. More»

(NEWSER) - NASA called off another launch attempt for the shuttle Discovery, scheduled for early tomorrow, due to a broken valve in the craft’s liquid propellant system, Space.com reports tonight. It’s the second time the mission has been postponed in less than 24 hours: Storms early this morning forced the agency to scrub a planned launch just after 1:30am. Discovery must blast off by Sunday or wait until Oct. 17. More»

(AP) - NASA kept close tabs today on an old piece of space junk that threatened to come too close to the international space station as the shuttle Discovery raced toward the outpost for a 220-mile-high linkup. Experts initially warned that the debris from a Soviet satellite that broke up in 1981 could veer within a half-mile of the space station. But they later said it appeared that the 4-inch piece of junk might remain at a safe distance. More»