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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Construction of a building to house the spacecraft collection and former presidential aircraft at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force could start in 2012 if fundraising stays on track, museum officials said Monday.

Dear Administrator Bolden: Your agency-wide message to all NASA employees on Wednesday, July 28 appeared, in part, to be a response to the first "Open Letter" sent to you on Tuesday, July 27, calling for you to remove your Deputy, Lori Garver. Rather than "celebrating your first anniversary at NASA with Lori", you should be moving swiftly to replace her with someone who can help you implement the plan Congress is in the process of providing you. Yes, the NASA family, Government and Contractor alike, have achieved many successes this past year, but this is in spite of Ms. Garver,...

Workers started assembling twin solid rocket boosters this week to help power Endeavour toward orbit in February on the final scheduled launch of the space shuttle program. A heavy-lifting crane hoisted the aft segment of the shuttle's left solid rocket booster Monday and moved the motor atop a mobile launcher platform. The boosters for Endeavour's STS-134 mission are being stacked inside High Bay 1 of the Kennedy Space Center's cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building. Crews repeated the procedure Tuesday and lifted the right booster's aft segment from the VAB's transfer aisle into High Bay 1. It will take about three weeks...

A key Senate panel approved Thursday a 2011 budget proposal for the US space agency NASA that would extend the space shuttle program in a compromise from the Obama administration's demands. Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee unanimously approved the legislation, after months of debate and criticism. The powerful Senate Budget Committee must still approve the bill before sending it to the full chamber for a vote. Although the plan maintains the White House's 19-billion-dollar request for NASA funding for the fiscal year that begins on October 1, it adds another shuttle mission in...

NASA and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company have paid tribute to the workforce who built the external tanks for the space shuttle fleet. The last external tank scheduled to fly on a shuttle mission was completed on June 25 by Lockheed Martin workers at Michoud. "ET-138 is the last in a series of tanks that has provided increasingly safer launches of space shuttles," said John Honeycutt, manager of the External Tank project. The tank was scheduled to depart after the ceremony Thursday aboard the Pegasus barge on a six-day, 900-mile sea journey to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida where...

United Space Alliance (USA) anticipates that smaller layoffs in January and late March of next year will follow the 15% cutback announced July 6 by NASA’s Houston-based space shuttle prime contractor to align the company’s workforce with NASA’s requirements to fly out the remaining assembly and supply missions to the International Space Station. On July 1, NASA formally delayed the STS-133 mission aboard Discovery with the Permanent Multi-purpose Module until Nov. 1 and the STS-134 mission aboard Endeavour with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer until Feb. 26. A decision on whether to prepare Endeavour’s launch-on-need orbiter, Atlantis, for an operational supply...

NASA managers July 1 decided to delay the last two missions of the space shuttle program to allow more time to prepare a final load of spare parts for the International Space Station. To cover shuttle operating expenses beyond Sept. 30, NASA will dip into an expected $600-million cushion promised by legislators and tap savings that managers have been accruing from the program’s roughly $200 million monthly allotments. If schedules hold, Discovery will lift off at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Nov. 1 with a load of station space parts and other equipment inside the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, which is...

NASA's space shuttle program has gotten a brief reprieve, as the space agency plans to keep shuttle flights going until next year. The space agency made it official Thursday after weeks of hints about the potential for launch delays. Managers agreed to postpone the next-to-last shuttle launch until Nov. 1. Discovery had been scheduled to fly to the International Space Station in September. The very last mission now has a Feb. 26 launch date. Endeavour will close out the shuttle program by delivering a major scientific instrument to the space station. Why the delays? NASA says it needs more time...

The two final US space shuttle missions before the shuttle program is phased out will likely be postponed, a NASA spokesperson told AFP on Friday. "It's not official yet but it's very likely," said Allard Beutel, media services chief at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "The decision will be officially announced July 1st," he said. The US space shuttles are being retired after President Barack Obama opted not to fund a successor program, deciding instead to encourage private spacecraft development. The final two shuttle missions are both to the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). The shuttle Discovery's flight to...

NASA managers this week plan to request new launch dates for the final two shuttle flights to accommodate preparations on space station equipment slated to fly on the STS-133 mission, originally targeted for September. If approved, NASA would postpone until Oct. 29 the launch of shuttle Discovery on STS-133, which includes installation of the modified Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo cargo carrier for long-duration flight on the station and delivery of spare parts for several key station systems. Previously scheduled missions by international partners and Sun angle heating issues would in turn bump shuttle Endeavour’s launch with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer,...

John Glenn: Keep space shuttles flying Monday, June 21, 2010 12:57 PM By Marcia Dunn ASSOCIATED PRESS CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut John Glenn wants NASA's space shuttles to keep flying until a reliable replacement is ready, no matter how long it takes.

USAF Lt. Col. Gabriel Green and USAF Capt. Zachary Bartoe patrol the airspace in an F-15E Strike Eagle as Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) launches May 14, 2010, at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Colonel Green is the 333rd Fighter Squadron commander and Captain Bartoe is a 333rd Fighter Squadron weapons system officer. Both aircrew members are assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, USA. The Photographer Capt. John Peltier, United States Air Force   Notable Quote From the May 21, 2010 article "4th FW Strike Eagles assist shuttle launch" by 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs  http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123205663   CONR members ensured...

Here is raw video of President Obama jumping on a shuttle bus on Memorial Day to greet people who had tried to attend Memorial Day observances at the Lincoln National Cemetery in Illinois. As soon as Obama gets on the bus and starts talking, you can hear a voice say several times, “Impeach Obama,” and “Liar.” Most of those on the bus seemed appreciative that Obama had come to greet them.

A month ago, the U.S. Air Force launched an X-37B UOV (unmanned orbital vehicle). X-37B is a remotely controlled mini-Space Shuttle. The space vehicle has been spotted by amateur astronomers (who like to watch spy satellites as well), and the X-37B appears to be going through some tests. The X-37B is believed to have a payload of about 227-300 kg (500-660 pounds), and is capable of staying in orbit for 9 months. The payload bay is 2.1x1.4 meters (7x4 feet). When returned to earth, it will land by itself (after being ordered to use a specific landing area.) The X-37B...

- A Symbol: An in-space ballerina and hypersonic flying marvel, the Space Shuttle Orbiter is almost impossible for others to duplicate and continues to generate international admiration and respect for U.S. technical capabilities. - Full Potential Not Yet Realized: The multi-functional Orbiter has performed “as designed” on all assignments including reentry and a key role in the International Space Station (ISS) assembly. Like any new manned system, as crews and engineers become more familiar (like a helicopter) performance “in the box” improves and extending-the-box opportunities are identified. So far the Orbiter has operated generally within the box. - Too Young...

Landing opportunities at 8:48am and 10:22am today.

As the Space Shuttle Atlantis closed in on the International Space Station, they were briefly visible to an earthbound photographer with the Sun as backdrop. Thierry Legault, a French astro-photographer, travelled to Madrid to capture this astonishing image, which took him weeks to plan. Atlantis and the space station can be seen in the top right-hand corner, milliseconds before disappearing from the shot. -Excerpt- Mr Legault had to position himself within 500 metres of the centre of a visibility band just five miles wide to have a chance of capturing the shot.

It was picture perfect! Space Shuttle Atlantis leaped from her launch pad on a bright sunny day here in Central Florida. I grabbed my camera and headed for the beach, as you can see here. The Space Coast is teeming with visitors from around the country who have come to watch the final mision for Atlantis. Two shuttle missions remain in the program which began in 1981. Congratulations to the NASA team and its affiliated contractors. *** [gallery orderby="ID"] From NASA's website:Space shuttle Atlantis is embarking on its final planned mission. During the 12-day flight, Atlantis and six astronauts will...

Skywatchers across the continental United States will get a fine opportunity this weekend to watch as the space shuttle Atlantis — on its final scheduled mission into space — chases and ultimately docks with the International Space Station (ISS).

The shuttle just flew over, they're coming home. It makes a sharp double boom that shakes the whole house.