NASA has announced that Lakesider Rick Sturckow (Colonel, USMC and NASA Astronaut) will command the next Shuttle mission (STS-128), scheduled to launch Tuesday August 25th, 2009 at 1:36am EDT (Monday August 24th, 10:36pm PDT - Lakeside time). This mission is the 7th last NASA Shuttle mission before the Shuttle program is retired. Read Below for mission updates.

Commander Rick Sturckow will lead the STS-128 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Discovery with Kevin Ford serving as pilot. Also serving aboard Discovery are mission specialists Patrick Forrester, José Hernández, John "Danny" Olivas, Christer Fuglesang and Nicole Stott.

Among Rick''s impressive space flight experience was his most recent command of successful construction and repair mission STS-117 to the International Space Station in June 2007.

Even with only a 20% chance of canceling the launch due to bad weather, it was in fact canceled last night. NASA will try again tonight at 10:10pm Lakeside time. It was reported that if they're not able to launch soon, the mission will have to be delayed until October. Good luck!

According to CNN.com, a second planned launch was scrubbed after a hydrogen valve failed to show up on controllers' displays as being closed. NASA now hopes to launch the shuttle at 12:22 a.m. Friday (9:22pm Thursday night Lakeside time) after new tests on the valve, which controls the flow of liquid hydrogen into the shuttle's external fuel tank, launch integration manager Mike Moses told reporters Tuesday night. Let's hope the third time does it!

According to CNN.com, Discovery's liftoff was postponed again last night while mission managers continued to check out indications of a faulty valve. But Mike Moses, the shuttle's launch integration manager, said Thursday that the valve has operated perfectly in five tests, so they believe they're ready to go. The next launch attempt is scheduled for tonight at 8:59pm Lakeside time.

The Shuttle successfully launched last night! The 13 day mission is scheduled to land again on Thursday September 10th at 7:09 pm Eastern time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Shuttle undocked from the Space Station and is flying around the International Space Station, preparing to come back to Earth. They are scheduled to land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday September 9th.

After being delayed by more than a day and not being able to land in Florida due to weather, the Shuttle landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:54pm. Mission Complete!