UPDATED
Wind in Florida could force a California landing
Associated Press Nov 30, 08 4:03 PM CST
(AP)
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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, wrapping up a 16-day trip that left the International Space Station freshly remodeled and capable of housing bigger crews.
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After a successful mission, shuttle returns to Earth
Florida Today Nov 28, 08 2:30 PM CST
(Newser)
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The space shuttle Endeavour separated from the International Space Station today and headed back to earth. Having completed a 12-day mission that upgraded the station’s living quarters, Endeavour’s seven-person crew began the 2-day trip back to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida Today reports. "Thanks for the incredible makeover, and leaving the station in fantastic shape," station commander Mike Finke radioed to the Endeavour crew.
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Watchers with telescopes in NJ, Ontario spot gear lost during spacewalk
Space.com Nov 25, 08 4:42 PM CST
(Newser)
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Look, in the sky: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's … the tool bag that floated away during a spacewalk last week. A few backyard astronomers have spotted the shiny bag that drifted away from an astronaut outside the International Space Station. The $100,000 toolkit will be visible through binoculars by the end of next week in the evening skies over most of North America.
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Space.com Nov 24, 08 8:32 PM CST
(Newser)
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Astronauts lubed a joint and wiped a solar panel clean today on the last spacewalk of the Endeavour mission, Space.com reports. The final repairs on the International Space Station took just over 6 hours but were cut short for astronaut Shane Kimbrough when carbon dioxide levels rose in his suit. Steve Bowen wrapped things up on the starboard-side job. "Finally!" he cried when the work was done.
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Associated Press Nov 22, 08 8:25 PM CST
(AP)
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Spacewalking astronauts completed almost all of the greasy repairs on a gummed-up joint at the International Space Station today, leaving a few chores behind for a final walk on Monday. As spacewalk No. 3 was getting under way 225 miles up, a new recycling system for converting urine into drinking water broke down again. It was the third day in a row that the urine processor inexplicably shut down.
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Associated Press Nov 20, 08 8:49 PM CST
(AP)
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Spacewalking astronauts performed more repair work on a jammed joint at the International Space Station today, keeping a tight grip on all their tools so nothing would get away this time. The spacewalk—the second of four planned for shuttle Endeavour's visit— went smoothly and fell on the 10th anniversary of the space station.
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Astronaut slips up on spacewalk
Houston Chronicle Nov 19, 08 3:10 AM CST
(Newser)
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A shuttle astronaut performing repairs during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station yesterday faced a slippery dilemma when a grease gun spurted lubricant inside her tool bag. As Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper cleaned the lubricant from her gloves, her bag full of tools floated away, boldly going where no tools have gone before, reports the Houston Chronicle.
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Astronauts ready to enter International Space Station
Florida Today Nov 16, 08 5:14 PM CST
(Newser)
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Space shuttle Endeavour docked at the International Space Station today, Florida Today reports. Commander Christopher Ferguson flipped the shuttle 360 degrees before docking, allowing space station residents to photograph possible damage sustained during liftoff. The radar worked well despite worries about the shuttle's antenna, the AP reports.
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Space.com Nov 15, 08 12:06 PM CST
(Newser)
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The space shuttle Endeavour lifted off last night on a journey to the International Space Station, where astronauts will install new equipment and fix a solar panel, Space.com reports. The crew of the ISS will double from three to six next year; ahead of that, the Endeavour crew is installing new bedrooms, another toilet, and a high-tech device that can recycle astronauts' urine into water. The shuttle is due to arrive tomorrow afternoon.
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Associated Press Nov 14, 08 7:18 PM CST
(AP)
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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, in a brilliant flash of light visible for miles around.
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Two astronauts vote from space station
Bloomberg Nov 4, 08 5:10 PM CST
(Newser)
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Two US astronauts on the International Space Station did their civic duty from afar yesterday, casting absentee ballots from space using laptops with secure connections. Commander E. Michael Fincke and flight engineer Greg Chamitoff are the only voters who could actually see all those red and blue states, reports Bloomberg.
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Ammonia tank chucked from ISS expected to break up in atmosphere
Space.com Nov 1, 08 3:07 AM CDT
(Newser)
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NASA is tracking a fridge-sized chunk of space trash expected to plunge to Earth tomorrow night, Space.com reports. The ammonia tank was thrown overboard from the International Space Station over a year ago and has been slowly descending since. NASA says it's highly unlikely that anybody will impacted by the debris but people should be wary of any strange objects they find.
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Garriott will perform experiments, take photos from space
Space.com Oct 14, 08 9:37 AM CDT
(Newser)
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American space tourist Richard Garriott arrived safely at the International Space Station today for a 10-day visit, Space.com reports. “I can fly!” Garriott told Russia’s command center, where former NASA astronaut and dad Owen watched his son become the first second-generation space-traveler. Also aboard the Soyuz craft was a replacement crew for current station residents, who haven’t had any visitors since June.
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ANALYSIS
Bailout bucks could fund 7 space stations, pay salaries for 16M teachers
San Francisco Chronicle Oct 5, 08 6:03 AM CDT
(Newser)
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With the Treasury Department now in charge of figuring out what holes to plug with its $700 billion in bailout bucks, the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at what else that money could do. Some highlights: Hire 16,062,414 public-school teachers. Pay the average weekly wages of 22 million Americans for one year (based on Department of Labor’s figure of $612 per week).
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