While NASA battles with its Space Shuttle external propellant tank (ET) sensor problems US Congressman David Weldon has submitted legislative proposals to keep the Shuttle programme going until 2015
Speaking to NASA administrator Michael Griffin on Friday 14 December he said he had not been asked by Congress to respond to the Weldon proposals and he repeated his previous comments that continuing Shuttle with the current budget will mean something else having to be dropped. The implication being more space science or the Constellation programme's plans for its Orion capsule and Ares rocket. There will be more on my interview with Dr Griffin in blog postings this week
According to NASASpaceflight.com the delay for Atlantis' launch from its ET is giving the US space agency time to prepare a new extra-vehicular activity suit glove for its astronauts
In the meantime Aviation Week reports on an 18 December spacewalk for the International Space Station
But at least the ISS hasn't vanished as our sister title New Scientist reports on disappearing comets forcing NASA to redirect