Kopra replaced

It seems Tim will be replaced on this mission secondary to his injury. How unfortunate!

Tim Kopra breaks hip.

http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2011/01/key_discovery_astronaut_injured_in_bike_accident.html

Key Discovery astronaut injured in bike accident

It was only last week that NASA was able to set a launch date for the oft-delayed flight of space shuttle Discovery, slotting the mission for Feb. 24.

Those delays were due to technical issues with the vehicle. Now there may be a problem with one of the mission's key astronauts, Tim Kopra.

Bill Harwood, of CBS News, reports that Kopra sustained a non-life-threatening injury while riding his bicycle on Saturday. Sources told Harwood that Kopra may have broken his hip. If surgery is required it's not a minor process.

Kopra is the mission's lead spacewalker, so he has received a ton of specialized training for this flight. NASA no longer trains backup crews as it did during the Apollo era, and a replacement, even a veteran, would require time to learn and practice spacewalk moves.


NASA
Kopra trains in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in southeast Houston.
It is unclear how long such expedited training would take for Kopra's two spacewalks, how long it will take Kopra to recover, and how this might affect the final flight of Discovery.

NASA originally said it would complete the shuttle program by the end of September, 2010. Combined with Discovery's delays and the probable addition of another flight later this summer, the program's end may not come until a year later. Each additional month the program continues costs between $150 million to $200 million.

On a side note, as a fellow bike rider in the Clear Lake area, I wish Kopra a speedy recovery and urge drivers to be mindful of cyclists.

PFC Ed Mauser Passes at 94

January 22, 2011
Ed Mauser, oldest living member of 'Band of Brothers,' dies at 94
Times wires
OMAHA, Neb.
Oldest member of the 'Band of Brothers' dies
The oldest living member of Easy Company, the U.S. Army unit from World War II portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, has died at age 94. The Omaha funeral home Heafey Heafey Hoffman Dworak & Cutler confirmed that Ed Mauser died Friday (Jan. 21, 2011) in Omaha. Mr. Mauser was not among the soldiers portrayed in the miniseries. A message left for his family wasn't returned. Terry Zahn of the Midwest chapter of the 101st Airborne Division Association said Mr. Mauser had been battling pancreatic cancer. Mr. Mauser was born Dec. 18, 1916, in LaSalle, Ill. He was drafted in 1942 and volunteered for the 101st Airborne. He was assigned to Company E, or Easy Company, which fought in some of the fiercest battles of the war. The miniseries followed the unit from its training in Georgia to the war's end in May 1945.

Major Winters Passes on January 2, 2011

Major Richard Winters Passes at Age 92
By Alex Horton January 10, 2011 at 6:17 pm -->

Early this year, the Veteran community lost one of its very best: Major Richard ‘Dick’ Winters passed away at age 92. He was the XO for Easy Company, 2/506 of the 101st when the unit conducted a combat jump into German held Normandy. When his commander did not report (later he would be identified as KIA), then Lieutenant Winters took command of Easy. What followed was one of the most legendary stories of small unit infantry action. Under the command of Winters, Easy Company led an assault on a fixed artillery position that was firing on the causeways leading out of Utah Beach. Easy’s fifteen men overtook a fifty man Wehrmacht platoon and destroyed the guns. The aggressive assault on the batteries was not only instrumental in an Allied victory in Normandy, but it instructed future leaders for years to come. The assault is still taught to West Point cadets today.
The exploits of Major Winters became widely known after the book and miniseries Band of Brothers, where a generation seemingly disconnected from World War II was introduced to history that changed the world. The series premiere had a rendezvous with destiny all its own: the show debuted just two days before September 11, 2001. The country was in a fragile state after the attacks, and many found inspiration and hope watching the characters of Easy Company, lead by Major Winters. The men of Easy became celebrities afterward, particularly Major Winters. One can only gather that his humility persevered long after the war.
Major Richard Winters continues to be a national treasure and I’m certain he will continue to inspire the country for generations to come. Our deepest gratitude goes out to his family, both by law and the family forged in Normandy, Holland and Bastogne. Truly a company of heroes.