(No) space shuttle launch tonight

I was just about to post to remind everyone to watch the space shuttle Discovery launch tonight, but I just learned that NASA has scrubbed the launch due to a leak discovered (discovery-d?) in the external liquid hydrogen fuel tank—aka the big red phallus under the shuttle.  The mission was going to take seven crew members on a two-week mission to continue construction on the International Space Station, after which the goliath project would be 81% complete.  The mission’s ISS add-ons include new solar panels and the last piece of the ISS’s girder (the longest part, to which the biggest solar panels are connected).  This was going to be the first shuttle launch of 2009; Endeavour’s November 2008 launch was the last one.

Here’s NASA’s mission page for the mission, dubbed STS-119.  From their clock it looks like they’re going to make the next launch attempt tomorrow night at around 9PM EDT.  So stay tuned!

Daylight Awesome Time

Daylight Savings Time is one of my favorite annual events. It’s sunny and spring-like on this late-winter day, and I’ll have an extra hour to enjoy it when I finish working today. Maybe I’ll try to go to Wyman Park to launch a model rocket, or ride my bike for a while. What a great day! I think this evening might be a good one for nighttime sky observation, too, as the air is so clear. Also, not starting up at sub-freezing temperatures has allowed my Prius to get some killer gas milage in the past few days. And lastly, my utility bill should be WAY lower next month. I’m done with Winter. Not going to miss it, either. I’ll post something of substance later this week; for now, it’s time to enjoy the daylight!