It seems that this website's tracking is approximately 30 minutes more or less behind the Nasa website, I also have a starry night programme that agrees with Nasa. Could whomever keeps this website up to date look into this. I live in London, United Kingdom, is it correct everywhere else? Many thanks, Lolalapucelana

A Canadian astronaut orbiting Earth received an honorary degree - a first in space - on Wednesday during a long-distance call from his college alma mater.

The University of Calgary in Alberta bestowed an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on Robert Thirsk, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency who is currently living aboard the International Space Station. Thirsk, 55, is a graduate of the university and Canada's first long-term resident of the space station.

"This is indeed a special honor for me," Thirsk said via a video link as his crewmate, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, presented him with a convocation cape aboard the station. "If I can't be in Calgary, I think the second best place to be is in space."

After weeks of repair work to plug a hydrogen leak on the space shuttle Endeavour, NASA is now watching the weather for the spacecraft's planned Saturday launch.

Endeavour has a 40 percent chance of good weather for its weekend launch toward the International Space Station, though NASA is hopeful that the potential for nearby thunderstorms and thick clouds will not hinder the much-delayed construction flight.

"That is always the remaining issue that we have," NASA test director Steve Payne said of the weather in a Thursday briefing. "If there's a hole in the clouds, we'll go for it. If not, then we'll go for it the next day. But we would rather get it done on Saturday."