MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. — Despite the grounding of NASA's storied space shuttle fleet, American spaceships are expected to make three trips to the International Space Station in the coming months. (scientificamerican.com)
NASA, too, is feeling the pinch, as it juggles Mars planning, support of the troubled space shuttle fleet, lagging construction of the International Space Station, and an ambitious program of planetary exploration. (discovermagazine.com)
The current space shuttle fleet faces mandatory retirement in 2010, and Constellation missions are set to begin in 2015. (scientificamerican.com)