Sunday, February 27, 2011
Discovery arrives at space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
Space shuttle Discovery arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday, making its final visit before being parked at a museum.
“What took you guys so long?” asked the space station’s commander, Scott Kelly.
Discovery should have come and gone last November, but was grounded by fuel tank cracks. It blasted off Thursday with just two seconds to spare after being held up by a balky ground computer.
“Yeah, I don’t know, we kind of waited until like the last two seconds,” said shuttle commander Steven Lindsey.
The linkup occurred 220 miles above Australia. Discovery — flying on its final voyage — will spend at least a week at the orbiting outpost. It’s carrying a closet-style chamber full of supplies as well as the first humanoid robot to fly in space. The compartment will be attached permanently to the space station early next week.
Altogether, there are 12 people aboard the joined spacecraft, representing the United States, Russia and Italy. And in a historic first, four of the five major partners have vessels docked there right now, including cargo ships from Japan and Europe. The entire conglomeration has a mass of 1.2 million pounds, including the shuttle.
Iran to unload fuel from nuclear plant
TEHRAN, Iran
In a major setback to Iran’s nuclear program, technicians will have to unload fuel from the country’s first atomic- power plant because of an unspecified safety concern, a senior government official said.
The vague explanation raised questions about whether the mysterious computer worm known as Stuxnet might have caused more damage at the Bushehr plant than previously acknowledged.
Other explanations are possible for unloading the fuel rods from the reactor core of the newly completed plant, including routine technical difficulties.
Death toll rises to 146 in New Zealand
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand
New Zealand’s premier said the Christchurch quake may be the country’s worst disaster ever, as officials raised the toll to 146 dead and more than 200 missing while giving a grim prognosis for the city’s downtown.
Residents said prayers for the dead and missing at church services today in Christchurch and across New Zealand.
But church leaders canceled a planned multi-denominational service in a Christchurch park because of concerns it could block access roads for emergency services.
Mental health not job issue, official says
PORTLAND, Ore.
An Oregon congressman facing calls for his resignation from some of the state’s largest newspapers said the mental health condition from which he suffers doesn’t prevent him from doing his job.
U.S. Rep. David Wu told KGW-TV in an interview aired Saturday that he won’t specify his mental-health issue.
Turmoil rocks Libya’s oil sector
BREGA, Libya
The massive oil terminal at Brega feels strangely deserted for Libya’s second-largest hydrocarbon complex.
After more than a week of turmoil in the country, production has been scaled back by almost 90 percent with many employees fleeing and ships not coming to collect its products.
The most activity on the site Saturday appeared to be a squad of boys from the nearby town finishing the job of tearing apart the local headquarters of Moammar Gadhafi’s Revolutionary Committee.
Associated Press