WASHINGTON -- NASA is targeting May 31 as the launch date for shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission to deliver the large Japanese Kibo Pressurized Module to the International Space Station. The liftoff time is approximately 5:01 p.m. EDT.

NASA decided to reschedule Discovery's target launch date from May 25 to May 31 after shipment of the mission's external fuel tank from its assembly plant at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to Florida was delayed by weather. The tank arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 26.

Additionally, NASA elected to move the liftoff date in order to avoid having the launch team work through the Memorial Day weekend.

1. Upcoming School Contacts Shanghai Youth Centre of Science and Technology Education in Xuhui, Shanghai, China has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, April 1 at 08:10 UTC. The Centre is an after school educational facility that educates teenagers in science and technology. It has its own radio club, callsign BY4AY, which focuses on educating students in science and radio communications and in fabricating electronic toys. An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been scheduled with Osnovna skola Pazin in Pazin, Croatia on Monday, April 7 at 14:52 UTC. Eight hundred students are enrolled at the school which has offered technical classes in robotics, electronics and computer science for the past ten years. Students from Pazin's two high schools are also expected to attend this event. The schools hope to pique the students' interest in space and electronics through this educational activity.

Hello.

Last saturday, 29 March, I've been spotting ISS in naked eye, as I usually do as weather permits.
To get my observation opportunities I following a link from Heavens-Above, created based on my location, in the north of in Portugal.
Here is the link to last saturday's spotting: http://www.heavens-above.com/PassDetails.asp?SatID=25544&lat=40.54305&ln...
Therefore, visible from aprox 19:23:02 to 19:28:44

Well, the sky was clearly fabulous, on that start of evening.
The stangest thing was that I saw a bright object, ca 1/10 the size of ISS, leading it by

NASA will hold a briefing at 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday, April 2, to preview the activities of the next residents of the International Space Station and to look back at the accomplishments of the current station crew. The briefing will originate from NASA's Johnson Space Center and will be broadcast live on NASA Television. Questions will be taken from reporters at participating NASA locations.

Conducted on the eve of the docking of the Jules Verne European Automated Transfer Vehicle to the station, the briefing will focus on the upcoming Expedition 17 mission. Expedition 17 Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko, along with South Korean Spaceflight Participant So-yeon Yi, will launch April 8 on a Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan. They will join NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, who has been aboard the station since March 12.

The Expedition 16 crew members aboard the International Space Station continued their preparations to receive Europe's new unpiloted resupply ship, the Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).

At 2 a.m. EDT, Thursday, the ATV fired it engines, bringing it out of a parking orbit and putting it into position to make its first demonstration approach to the station. During its first approach, which is scheduled for Saturday, the ATV will fire its engines several times to bring it approximately two miles from the station. Once in position, the ATV will conduct thruster firings and other systems tests before it pulls back into a phasing orbit.

Are the up-coming events plan by the Naval Academy such as the LAD-C/PCSat3 and SCIENCE still being planned as describe? There was a report once regarding RFI problems with these type projects. Looking for answers? Are there any issues with RFI and the projects slated for PCSAT3.
Hoping to read updates!
Thanks - Derek
VE1WRG