NASA preps space shuttle Discovery for launch early Tuesday, storms could stall fueling

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA is putting the finishing touches on Discovery for an early morning flight to the international space station.

NASA clears shuttle Discovery for Tuesday launch to space station; Weather outlook improving

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has cleared space shuttle Discovery for liftoff Tuesday, and the weather looks promising as long as thunderstorms stay away during fueling.

NASA: Weather outlook improving for Tuesday launch of shuttle Discovery to space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The weather is looking even more promising for Tuesday’s launch of space shuttle Discovery.

NASA begins countdown for Tuesday launch of space shuttle Discovery, good weather expected

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has begun the launch countdown for space shuttle Discovery.

From cucumber fields to orbit: Former migrant farm worker to blast into space aboard Discovery

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — He toiled in California’s farm fields alongside his Mexican migrant worker parents and didn’t learn English until he was 12. Now Jose Hernandez, NASA astronaut, is about to rocket into orbit.

Decent weather expected for Tuesday’s launch of space shuttle Discovery in wee hours

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The weather is looking good for Tuesday’s launch of space shuttle Discovery.

Glitch forces SKorea to abort rocket launch that threatened to heat up tensions with NKorea

SEOUL, South Korea — A technical glitch forced South Korea to abort liftoff of its first rocket into space Wednesday, delaying a launch that threatened to stoke tensions with North Korea even as Pyongyang joined in mourning a leader who pushed tirelessly for reconciliation.

NASA sets next Tuesday for next space shuttle launch, trip by Discovery to space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA will try to launch Discovery to the international space station next week, less than a month after the last shuttle mission.

SKorea to launch 1st rocket into space months after rival NKorea’s rocket test

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea prepared Tuesday to launch its first rocket, just four months after rival North Korea defiantly launched its own and quickly was slapped with U.N. sanctions.

North Korea will ‘closely watch’ international response to South Korea’s satellite launch

SEOUL, South Korea —North Korea said Monday it will closely watch the international response to South Korea’s planned satellite launch after Pyongyang was brought before the U.N. Security Council for what it said was a similar move.

Shuttle Endeavour, 7 astronauts return; Japanese spaceman swamped with sushi after months away

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Koichi Wakata was still getting used to gravity, though it wasn’t going to stop him from diving into a deluge of sushi.

Shuttle Endeavour, 7 astronauts return to Earth after 16-day journey to work on space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts returned to Earth on Friday, completing a long but successful construction job that boosted the size and power of the international space station.

Shuttle Endeavour, 7 astronauts land in Fla. after 16-day mission to work on space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts returned to Earth on Friday, completing a long but successful construction job that boosted the size and power of the international space station.

Space shuttle Endeavour, crew streak toward Earth to wrap up 16-day space station mission

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts streaked toward Earth for a late morning touchdown Friday to end a long but successful space station construction mission.

Weather bodes well for Friday shuttle landing in Florida; astronauts wrapping up 16-day flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Buoyed by a good weather forecast, space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts aimed for a Friday morning landing to end their successful space station construction mission.

Shuttle aims for Friday morning landing in Florida, astronauts wrapping up 16-day flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts are aiming for a landing back in Florida.

Where no man has gone before (we hope): Astronaut wears high-tech undies for a month straight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — In what might embarrass less adventurous souls, astronaut Koichi Wakata is returning to Earth with the underwear he kept on for a solid month during his space station stay and scientists will check them out.

Astronaut bringing test underwear back to Earth after wearing for month with no complaints

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — In what might embarrass less adventurous souls, astronaut Koichi Wakata is returning to Earth with the underwear he kept on for a solid month during his space station stay and scientists will check them out.

Astronauts launch satellite from shuttle, prep for Friday landing after two-week flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Their two-week-plus mission finally winding down, space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts released a mini research satellite Thursday and said it’s time to come home.

Astronauts launch satellite from shuttle, prep for Friday landing after successful flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts have tested their flight control systems for Friday’s planned landing. They’ve also ejected a small research satellite into space.

NASA engineers deny that human space flight program, Constellation, is too risky, expensive

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Engineers designing NASA’s next moon rocket denied Wednesday that the human space flight program dubbed “Constellation” is too expensive, too risky and would unnecessarily delay man’s return to space.

NASA engineers, managers defend rocket design to Obama space flight panel meeting in Ala.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Engineers designing NASA’s next moon rocket are defending their work to a committee appointed by President Obama to review the nation’s human space flight plans.

Unmanned Russian cargo ship docks at international space station to deliver supplies

MOSCOW — Russia’s Mission Control says an unmanned Russian cargo ship has docked successfully at the international space station to deliver supplies for its six-member crew.

Astronauts inspect shuttle ahead of scheduled Friday landing; space station gets more supplies

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour’s astronauts uncovered no noticeable flaws in the thermal shielding of their ship Wednesday following an in-depth inspection with lasers and cameras.

Space travel startup Virgin Galactic gets $280M boost from Abu Dhabi fund buying 32 pct share

OSHKOSH, Wis. — British billionaire Sir Richard Branson signed a deal Tuesday to sell about a third of his space travel startup Virgin Galactic to a Mideast investment fund, giving the venture an influx of cash at a time when the global recession has dried up funding sources.

Shuttle Endeavour undocks after 11 days at expanded space station, aims for Friday landing

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — After 11 days together in orbit, Endeavour undocked from the international space station on Tuesday and began its trip home, leaving behind a larger and more energized outpost.

Space station, shuttle crews say goodbye, close hatches; shuttle leaving after 11-day visit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With a flurry of hugs and handshakes, the two teams of astronauts making up the biggest orbiting crowd ever said goodbye Tuesday and closed the hatches between their spacecraft.

It’s a day of farewells for 2 space crews, with shuttle leaving after 1½-week station visit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — They’ve spent the past one-and-a-half weeks together in space, and now it’s time for two teams of astronauts to say goodbye.

The final frontier: Earthlings get up-close look at Virgin Galactic spaceship launcher

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Hundreds of earthlings turned their faces to the sky Monday to see an airplane built to launch a ship into space, watching the gleaming white craft soar overhead.

Astronauts breeze through 5th and final spacewalk of space station visit as mission nears end

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Astronauts completed the last spacewalk of their shared shuttle and station mission Monday, breezing through some rewiring, camera setups and other outdoor chores.