Mission STS-118 will be the first for Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago. First Lady Laura Bush called Morgan Tuesday morning to offer congratulations "one schoolteacher to another," and to thank her for her commitment to the space program and to education.

Full STS-118 mission information here.

The Crew of STS-118, from left to right, Mission Specialist Richard A. Mastracchio, Mision Specialist Barbara R. Morgan, Mission Commander Scott J. Kelly, Mision Specialist Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr., Mission Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh, Mision Specialist Dr. Dafydd (Dave) R. Williams, and Mission Specialist Tracy E. Caldwell.

     Dedication comes in many different forms but sweating it out for twenty one years is not something that a lot of people could manage.  For me though it is easy enough to understand, the opportunity to go into space is definitely something worth waiting for.  STS-118 will pave the way for STS-120 in December, which will open the way for the instalation of the Japanese Kibo Labratory and the ESA's Columbus Lab modules.

    A series of recent shuttle missions have added to the International Space Station's exterior with new elements for its main truss. Now, Discovery will take into orbit a connecting module that will increase the orbiting laboratory's interior space.

     October's STS-120 mission will bring the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, that will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station.

Full info on STS-120 is here.

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