Shadow
21-04-2010, 22:35
<div>The space shuttle Atlantis is expected to be rolled out to its launchpad later this week after bad weather forced it to be kept in its hangar longer than expected.
The shuttle is scheduled to take off for the International Space Station on May 14.
The shuttle Discovery, which helped to make history by bringing the most women into orbit, returned to Earth yesterday from its latest mission to resupply the space station. On its return it took a rare course over much of the Midwest and southeast of the US, leaving a contrail visible to observers on the ground.
Discovery will make only one more flight before it is retired and Nasa will fly only three more missions with its present fleet before ending its programme. It will then have to rely on Russian shuttles to carry American astronauts to the station.
President Obama has proposed cuts to the space agency
The shuttle is scheduled to take off for the International Space Station on May 14.
The shuttle Discovery, which helped to make history by bringing the most women into orbit, returned to Earth yesterday from its latest mission to resupply the space station. On its return it took a rare course over much of the Midwest and southeast of the US, leaving a contrail visible to observers on the ground.
Discovery will make only one more flight before it is retired and Nasa will fly only three more missions with its present fleet before ending its programme. It will then have to rely on Russian shuttles to carry American astronauts to the station.
President Obama has proposed cuts to the space agency