NASA on Thursday moved up the next scheduled space shuttle mission by two days, to Aug. 7, to give Endeavour more chances to lift off during what looks to be a busy month.
Mission managers wanted to make sure the shuttle’s launch did not conflict with the launches of a robotic geologist to Mars and a military communications satellite, both also planned for August.
Endeavour will deliver another truss segment to the International Space Station. The seven-member crew includes Barbara Morgan, who was selected with Christa McAuliffe more than two decades ago for NASA’s Teacher in Space project.
Morgan, 55, will be flying for the first time. She was a backup to McAuliffe, who died in the Challenger accident in 1986.
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Items compiled from Tribune news services.
