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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center stories: 20 news summaries

(Newser) - The shuttle Discovery detached from the International Space Station today and began its journey home to Earth, Space.com reports. The 13-day mission help resupply and repair the station; the seven crewmembers are scheduled to return to Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:05pm Thursday. More »

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(AP) - Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts are back on Earth. Endeavour landed at Florida's Kennedy Space Center this morning after a 16-day mission that saw the crew complete its major construction goals at the International Space Station. Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, back after 4½ months in space, says he... More »

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 NASA Scrubs Shuttle Launch 

Hydrogen gas leak forces Endeavour's launch to be called off a second time

(Newser) - A hydrogen gas leak has forced NASA to call off the launch of the space shuttle for the second time in less than a week, AP reports. The glitch, discovered just hours before blastoff, means Endeavour's mission to the International Space Station will now be delayed until July 11 because... More »

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 Atlantis Lands Safely in Calif. 

Stormy Florida weather prompted NASA to go to Plan B

(Newser) - With weather conditions in Florida remaining too soggy for a safe shuttle landing, Atlantis instead touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California this morning. This was the 53rd west-coast landing for a space shuttle, a $2 million decision made easy by the balmy conditions in the Mojave Desert.... More »

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updated

 Storms Delay Shuttle 
 for Another Day 

Astronauts circling the world while controllers seek landing opportunities

(Newser) - Thunderstorms in Florida will keep space shuttle Atlantis in space for yet another day, the AP reports. Mission Control canceled all landing attempts for the second straight day at the Kennedy Space Center. The forecast looks clear for tomorrow, so the seven astronauts will try again then rather than heading... More »

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updated

 Weather Delays 
 Shuttle's Return 
 Until Tomorrow 

Have one more shot today; supplies will last weekend

(AP) - Stormy weather in Florida prevented space shuttle Atlantis and its crew from landing today, and the crew will try again tomorrow. The news isn't a huge surprise to the seven astronauts, who are wrapping up a successful mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The weather outlook has been grim... More »

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NASA Gives Atlantis Crew
Go Ahead for Hubble Rescue

Oft-delayed mission set to launch tomorrow

(Newser) - NASA has declared space shuttle Atlantis' crew fit to fly, and weather permitting, the much-delayed 11-day mission to fix the Hubble Space Telescope will take off tomorrow, reports Space.com. Endeavour is standing by just in case Atlantis itself needs rescuing. The mission includes five spacewalks and lots of tinkering... More »

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NASA Space Flight Review Worries Workers

Thousands of jobs at stake when shuttle retires next year

(Newser) - A NASA review of manned space-flight plans has Kennedy Space Center workers and contractors fearing for their jobs, the Orlando Sentinel reports. A panel will investigate whether rockets set to carry humans into space after the shuttle fleet is retired next year are really NASA’s best bets. Some worry... More »

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 Bat Hitched 
 Short Ride on Shuttle 

Stowaway clung to Discovery's fuel tank through blastoff

(Newser) - A small bat clung to the space shuttle Discovery's fuel tank throughout its launch Sunday, Space.com reports. Observation teams had hoped it would fly away before liftoff, but images reveal it stayed with the shuttle as it blasted off from Kennedy Space Center. NASA officials, who judged the bat... More »

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 For Sale: Space Shuttle, $42M 

NASA seeking museums to purchase spacecraft after retirement

(Newser) - NASA is taking the unprecedented step of offering to sell the three space shuttles to museums when the workhorse vehicles are retired some time after 2010, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The space agency is seeking at least $42 million—including $6 million for shipping and handling, and the cost of... More »

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UPDATED

 Rerouted Shuttle Lands
in Calif. 

Wind in Florida could force a California landing

(AP) - Space shuttle Endeavour touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California today, after dangerously high wind prevented the crew from landing at its home base in Florida, and NASA ordered the astronauts to take a detour and head for the Left Coast. Endeavour touched down at 4:25pm EST,... More »

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(AP) - Space shuttle Endeavour and a crew of seven blasted into the night sky today, bound for the International Space Station and the most extreme home makeover project ever attempted by astronauts, the AP reports. The shuttle rose off its launch pad at 7:55 p.m. EST, right on time,... More »

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 Shuttle Blastoff
 Smashed Launch Pad 

Force of liftoff scattered tons of concrete debris

(Newser) - The Discovery shuttle caused severe damage to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center when it blasted off Saturday, the Houston Chronicle reports. The force of the blast shattered a large section of one the trenches designed to direct shuttle exhaust away from the pad, scattering tons of concrete debris... More »

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 Endeavour Heads Home 

Crews say farewell as space shuttle undocks from ISS

(Newser) - The space shuttle Endeavour has begun its two-day trip back to Earth after successfully undocking yesterday from the international space station, reports the Houston Chronicle. The seven astronauts on board hailed an "awesome" mission and said fond farewells to their colleagues staying behind. A glitch unlatching a solar panel... More »

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 Shuttle Prepares to Quit Station 

Endeavour crew about to zoom home after record mission

(Newser) - The crew of shuttle Endeavour prepared to undock from the International Space Station today after a leisurely Easter Sunday spent off-loading cargo, enjoying a holiday meal, and talking to family back home. The shuttle commander compared the flurry of work to wrap up the record-setting mission to March Madness: "... More »

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Atlantis Lands Safely in Fla.

Landing clears way for military to shoot down satellite

(Newser) - Space shuttle Atlantis landed safely at Kennedy Space Center this morning, capping a successful 13-day mission in which it delivered Europe's first permanent lab to the International Space Station after months of delay, reports Space.com. The shuttle's return clears the way for the US Navy to shoot down a... More »

Discovery to Fly Over US

Columbia disaster sparked changes in NASA procedures

(Newser) - The space shuttle Discovery will fly across the US tomorrow before landing in Cape Canaveral, a feat NASA hasn’t attempted since the doomed shuttle Columbia rained debris over the country in 2003. New safety procedures have minimized the risk of another disaster, ABC News reports. People below may see... More »

NASA Blasts Rumors of Drunken Astronauts

US space agency dismisses inebriation allegations as 'urban legends'

(Newser) - NASA said today there is no truth to allegations that several astronauts were drunk as they were blasted into space, the Miami Herald reports. A month after an independent panel reported vague accounts of astronauts drunk on the job, space agency officials said interviews and a review of 20 years'... More »

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Atlantis Hitches Ride to Florida

Shuttle leaves California
for home, mounted on a 747

(Newser) - The space shuttle Atlantis set off to return to Florida from its emergency landing site in California today—strapped to a jumbo jet. The Boeing 747 carrying Atlantis departed from the Mojave Desert Air Base and will stop to refuel along its trip at undisclosed locations. It's expected to arrive... More »

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Atlantis Heads Home

13-day mission concludes; rain may delay landing in Florida

(Newser) - Space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station today and set out on the final leg of its 13-day mission. The seven astronauts' final preparations for landing included making sure the craft's heat shield was ready to re-enter the atmosphere before landing Thursday—or later if the weather doesn't... More »

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20 Stories