Best kind of Independence Day launch
For the first time in NASA history, we have launched a manned mission on the 4th of July.
What better way to celebrate our Independence Day?
Discovery has a 7 member crew and its 12 day planned mission is to deliver supplied to the international space station and drop off a European Space Agency astronaut. There were also be several spacewalks for testing new equipment and repair techniques.
This was the second shuttle flight since the Columbia accident in 2003 and was a critical mission in NASA’s plans for the future. All reports indicate that all was well with the foam insulation and structure around the shuttle’s fuel tank, which led to the Columbia disaster and caused concerns on the last mission.
Read more about the launch at CNN.