The New York Times > Science > Space & Cosmos > To Revive Shuttle, NASA Calls on a Cool Leader

This is a great personality profile of the Commander of the next Space Shuttle flight into space, Col. Eileen M. Collins. Personally, I am glad that we are pushing the Space Shuttle program into a new dimension (but lament the loss of life that was the catalyst).

In the last two years, NASA has reduced the number and thickness of the tiles on the underside of the shuttle (making it less fragile), built a repair kit/refined techniques for in-space repairs, and developed a new rolling maneuver for docking that will allow space station crew members to photograph the underside of the shuttle as it docks. Then, while at the station, they will be able to inspect and repair any potential damage while at the station.