Inspections find more cracks on shuttle Discovery's tank

NEWSALERT: Thursday, December 30, 2010 @ 2359 GMT
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  The latest news from Spaceflight Now


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NEW ASTRONAUT CLUB FEATURED IN ONLINE STORE
Get "lost in space" with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's 2011
Astronaut Autograph Club! Join today and receive an astronaut-signed photo
and a personalized letter from a legendary astronaut for every month of
the year. Memberships are limited, order today.

http://www.astronautstore.org/2011-astronaut-autograph-2011.html
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INSPECTIONS REVEAL FOUR MORE CRACKS ON DISCOVERY'S TANK
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Engineers examining the shuttle Discovery's external tank in the Vehicle
Assembly Building have found four more small cracks in three structural
ribs, or stringers, on the opposite side of the tank from the orbiter that
could not be inspected at the launch pad. Four cracks on the shuttle side
of the tank were repaired earlier, and it's not yet clear what, if any,
additional work might be needed to develop the "flight rationale" needed
for another launch attempt as early as Feb. 3.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/101230cracks/

MISSION STATUS CENTER:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/status.html

STS-133 ARCHIVE:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/


2010 CONCLUDES WITH ARIANE ROCKET'S 199TH LAUNCH
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Two commercial satellites for the expansion of communications services
from space were launched atop an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday, capping
another successful year for the heavy-lift booster that saw a dozen
payloads amounting to 99,725 pounds deployed in 2010.

http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v199/

LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY:
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v199/gallery/

OUR ARIANE ARCHIVE:
http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/


PHOTOS: LUNAR ECLIPSE AND AERIAL VIEWS OF DISCOVERY
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Before the space shuttle Discovery was returned to the Vehicle Assembly
Building last week, NASA got these stunning pictures of the lunar eclipse
in the skies over the spaceship and beautiful aerial views of the launch
pad. Check them out!

LUNAR ECLIPSE PHOTOS:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/101221eclipse/

AERIAL PHOTO GALLERY:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/101221aerial/


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Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
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Colin James Watling
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Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
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Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
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Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra