Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/23/space_news/
Discovery waits for launch. Credit: NASA
The space shuttle Discovery is set to blast off from Florida on its journey to the International Space Station later today, with the launch slated for 11:38am, Eastern Time.
Weather forecasts don't look fantastic, with only a 40 per cent chance of acceptable conditions at the launch pad by the time the count down gets to zero, NASA said. On the up side, no technical problems have been reported.
The shuttle is set to carry the next section of the ISS, under the watchful eye of commander Pamela Melroy. She and her crew will spend two weeks on the space station, attaching the Italian-built Harmony module.
Meanwhile, China says its first lunar orbiter will launch any time from Wednesday this week. The orbiter, dubbed Chang'e One for the Chinese goddess who (according to mythology) flew to the Moon, will circle the Moon for a year, according to a Reuters report. ®
China goes lunar (6 November 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/06/china_moon/
Shuttle crew completes daring wing repair (5 November 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/05/discovery_heads_home/
NASA delays space station repair to ponder tear (1 November 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/01/nasa_delays_spacewalk_solar_tear/
Astronauts complete spacewalk two (29 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/29/iss_spacewalks/
NASA extends olive branch to robots for moon mission (27 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/27/robo_developer_nasa_and_robots/
Astronauts ride robotic arms into space (26 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/26/spacewalk_nasa/
Space shuttle Discovery launched (23 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/23/oct_23_space_shuttle_discovery_launch/
Air chief: UK should have RAF astronaut (19 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/19/raf_chief_wants_moustaches_in_space/
Discovery gears up for rehearsal launch (2 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/02/discovery_rehearsal_launch/
China plans spaceport number 4 (25 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/25/china_expands_launchers/
China to map 'every inch' of the moon (10 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/10/moon_helium/
Space powers join forces to hit Moon and Mars (1 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/01/moon_mars_agencies_team/
China will head for the moon this year (21 May 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/21/space_race_moon/
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