Crack not a threat for shuttle

A pencil-sized crack is not dangerous enough for NASA to stop the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery later today. NASA feels that the crack in Discovery's fuel tank insulating foam was not a big threat.

The crack was spotted yesterday and after several hours of inspections and meetings, officials decided to continue with the launch as planned, barring any bad weather.

The picture shows Discovery being fueled prior to sunrise at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida earlier today. The flame at right is excess hydrogen being burned off during the fueling process.

All the best for another step forward for mankind but then I do wonder how whatever benefits we derive from these space ventures are really helping us, the regular folks.