Astronaut and Air Force Col. Benjamin Drew has been assigned to the STS-118 space shuttle mission, targeted for an August launch, NASA said in Houston.
Drew, a Washington native, will take a seat on the Aug. 9 mission that opened when astronaut Clayton Anderson was moved to shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 flight, scheduled to launch June 8. Anderson will begin a long-duration mission on the International Space Station, with current station crew member Suni Williams returning to Earth aboard Atlantis, National Aeronautics and Space Administration controllers said.
Shuttle Endeavour will carry Drew on his first spaceflight. He will serve as a mission specialist during STS-118, which will deliver another segment to continue the space station's construction.
Navy Cmdr. Scott Kelly will serve as STS-118's commander, with Marine Corps Lt. Col. Charles Hobaugh assigned as the pilot. Also assigned to STS-118 are Tracy Caldwell, Rick Mastracchio, Barbara Morgan and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
Related stories:
Beyond chess: Deep green models rapid change for combat commanders
Can an artificial intelligence program anticipate military surprises? The USC Information Sciences Institute is playing a $7.6 million part in a DARPA research effort called Deep Green aimed at creating a system that can do so, one that might help future combat commanders in the field anticipate enemy moves.
Low-cost EUV satellite shut down
University of California, Berkeley, scientists quietly switched off one of the campus's working satellites last month, ending a 10-year series of ups and downs for NASA's first and only low-cost, university-class Explorer spacecraft.
NASA Updates Space Shuttle Target Launch Dates
NASA Thursday adjusted the target launch dates for two space shuttle missions in 2008. Shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is now targeted for Oct. 8, and Endeavour's STS-126 supply mission to the International Space Station has moved from Oct. 16 to Nov. 10.
Beyond chess: Deep green models rapid change for combat commanders
The USC Information Sciences Institute is playing a $7.6 million part in a DARPA research effort called Deep Green aimed at creating a system that can do so, one that might help future combat commanders in the field anticipate enemy moves.
NASA assigns STS-127, Expedition 19 crews
The U.S. space agency has assigned the crews for the STS-127 space shuttle mission and the Expedition 19 International Space Station mission.
Custom Blankets for the Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4, scheduled for August 2008, aims to complete multiple upgrades and repairs, many of which are crucial for prolonging the telescope’s operational life. One of the mission’s many objectives is the refurbishment of its outer thermal blankets.
NASA Amends Crew Assignment for STS-126 Mission
NASA has replaced a crew member assigned to space shuttle mission STS-126. Astronaut Donald R. Pettit will take the place of astronaut Joan E. Higginbotham, who has left NASA to accept a position in the private sector. The mission is targeted to launch in September 2008 and will deliver equipment to the International Space Station enabling larger crews to reside aboard the complex.
Smell of smoke halts space walks
NASA barred spacewalks while experts search for the source of a smoky smell in a space suit worn during a ground test in Houston, officials said Tuesday.