Welcome to Science Saturday, where the Overnight News Digest crew informs and entertains you with this week's news about science, space, and the environment. In keeping with the theme of the past three months, Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday is featuring science and other news from the major public research universities in the midwestern states where Republican governors and legislatures are threatening the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
That written, this week's featured story does not follow the theme, as it comes from Discovery News and NASA Television on YouTube.
Countdown to Shuttle Launch -- and Layoffs -- Under Way
By Irene Klotz
May 13, 2011
Dual countdowns are under way at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida today. The traditional three-day countdown for launching of a space shuttle began Friday morning. There also is a 60-day clock running for about half the shuttle workforce who will be out of a job when NASA ends the shuttle program this summer.Endeavour's second launch attempt is slated for 8:56 a.m. EDT on Monday. The first try on April 29 ended a few hours before the planned liftoff when a heater in one of the ship’s onboard power generators failed.
Final preparations are being made for Monday morning's scheduled launch of space shuttle Endeavour from the Kennedy Space Center. An electrical problem that scuttled the last STS-134 launch attempt, on April 29, has since been corrected.More stories after the jump.Also, Dawn breaks new ground; spring flood imagery; Discovery crew visits HQ; two new Webbys; two new Astro Hall of Famers; and, NASA at Kings Dominion.