NASA on Track for Endeavour Launch; KSC Awaits Final Shuttle Destinations
Monday, April 11, 2011
By: Judith Smelser

April 11, 2011 | WMFE - Preparations for the next space shuttle launch are scheduled to continue as planned at Kennedy Space Center Monday, after lawmakers in Washington averted a government shutdown late last week. Meanwhile, KSC should find out tomorrow whether its Visitors Complex will get to display one of the shuttles after NASA retires the fleet later this year.

NASA officials said last week that an extended government shutdown could have delayed Space Shuttle Endeavour’s launch, now scheduled for April 29th.  After negotiators in Washington reached an eleventh-hour budget deal, however, Kennedy Space Center officials say they told all civil servants and contractors to report to work as usual.  Processing for Space Shuttle Endeavour is set to resume today.  Endeavour’s mission is expected to be the next-to-last flight before NASA retires its shuttle fleet.

Kennedy Space Center also plans to go ahead with Tuesday’s ceremonies marking the 30^th anniversary of the first space shuttle flight.  NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is expected to use the occasion to announce the final destinations for two of the agency’s retiring space shuttles.

The Smithsonian is already guaranteed to get Space Shuttle Discovery, but Atlantis and Endeavour are still up for grabs. About twenty museums around the country are in the running, including Kennedy Space Center.  KSC plans to spend $100 million to build a 64,000-square foot exhibit space if it gets one of the orbiters.