Further details of his injury are not being released at this time due to concerns for his medical privacy.

Meantime, technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida are working through the weekend on making strengthening modifications on Discovery's external fuel tank stringers. Discovery and its six astronauts are targeted to launch Feb. 24.

STS-134 Update
NASA announced Thursday that astronaut Rick Sturckow will serve as a backup commander for the STS-134 space shuttle mission to facilitate continued training for the crew and support teams during STS-134 Commander Mark Kelly's absence. Kelly's wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was critically wounded in a shooting on Jan. 8 in Tucson, Ariz.

Kelly remains commander of the mission, which is targeted for launch on April 19 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"I recommended to my management that we take steps now to prepare to complete the mission in my absence, if necessary," Kelly said. "I am very hopeful that I will be in a position to rejoin my STS-134 crew members to finish our training."

"Mark is still the commander of STS-134," said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office.

"He is facing many uncertainties now as he supports Gabrielle, and our goal is to allow him to keep his undistracted attention on his family while allowing preparations for the mission to progress. Designating a backup allows the crew and support team to continue training, and enables Mark to focus on his wife's care."

Sturckow will begin training next week at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston with the rest of the STS-134 crew, which includes Pilot Greg H. Johnson, Michael Fincke, Roberto Vittori, Andrew Feustel and Greg Chamitoff.

The 14-day mission to the International Space Station will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and spare parts that include two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robot and micrometeoroid debris shields.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Space Shuttle
Shuttle at NASA
Watch NASA TV via Space.TV
Space Shuttle News at Space-Travel.Com

Arianespace Announces Eutelsat Contract ATM Is Readied For Its February Launch On Ariane 5 ISRO To Launch Two Communication Satellites This Year Arianespace Will Have A Record Year Of Launch Activity In 2011 Scanning The Red Planet Mars Desert Research Station 2011 Field Season Begins Next Mars Rover Will Check For Ingredients Of Life Rover Continues To Explore Santa Maria Crater Lunar water may have come from comets - scientists Moon Has Earth-Like Core The Hunt For The Lunar Core Rocket City Space Pioneers Announce Partnership With Solidworks Mission To Pluto And Beyond Marks 10 Years Since Project Inception Kuiper Belt Of Many Colors Inclined Orbits Prevail In Exoplanetary Systems Inclined Orbits Prevail Planet Affects A Star's Spin Kepler Mission Discovers Its First Rocky Planet Indonauts Must Wait For A Better Rocket Canada says it could build launch rockets ISRO Scanning Data For GSLV Flop J-2X Turbomachinery Complete China Builds Theme Park In Spaceport Tiangong Space Station Plans Progessing China-Made Satellite Keeps Remote Areas In Venezuela Connected Optis Software To Optimize Chinese Satellite Design NASA Radar Reveals Features on Asteroid A Look Into Vesta's Interior Dawn Has A Consistent 2010 Asteroid Itokawa Sample Return