SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A science official says South Korea's first astronaut has left a hospital after recovering from neck and back pain apparently caused by her Russian spacecraft's unexpectedly steep descent to Earth last month.

Science Ministry official Jung Kyung-taek said Yi So-yeon was released Wednesday from a military-run hospital because her pains have almost stopped. She was hospitalized April 29.

http://www.space.com/news/ap-080514-south-korean-astronaut-hospital.html

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA managers have scheduled a news conference at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for no earlier than 4 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 19, to discuss the status of the next space shuttle launch. The news conference will begin after the conclusion of the Flight Readiness Review, a meeting to assess preparations for shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission to the International Space Station.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/may/HQ_M08094_Post_FRR_Advisory.html

After the successful launch of a new Progress cargo carrier, the Expedition 17 crew members aboard the International Space Station are making final preparations for its arrival.

P29 launched to the station at 4:22 p.m. EDT Wednesday with more than 2.3 tons of fuel, air, water, propellant and other supplies and equipment aboard.

P29 began its journey to the station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is scheduled to dock at the Earth-facing port of the station's Zarya module Friday about 5:30 p.m. It replaces the trash-filled P28 which was undocked from the Pirs docking compartment on April 7 and destroyed on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.