The Ares I-X rocket was successfully tested on Wednesday, October 28th at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Ares I-X rocket was launched on 11:30, and the test flight lasted six minutes total.
The Space Shuttle Discovery finally launched on Friday at 11:59 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle and its seven member crew will deliver supplies, equipment and a new crew member to the International Space Station.
The Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, a pressurized "moving van" that will be temporarily installed to the station. The module is intended to deliver storage racks; materials and fluids science racks; a freezer to store research samples; a new sleeping compartment; an air purification system; and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert. The name Colbert ws chosen after it received the most entries in NASA's online poll to name the station's Node 3.
NASA has announced that the next launch attempt for the space shuttle Discovery will be no earlier than 12:22 am Friday, August 28th at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Wednesday's launch attempt was postponed after an indication that a valve in the shuttle's main propulsion system failed to perform as expected during fueling of the shuttle's external fuel tank. NASA managers officially postponed Wednesday's launch attempt because of uncertainty about whether a valve that was commanded to be closed actually was closed. The valve is associated with the fill and drain plumbing of the main propulsion system within the shuttle's aft compartment.