The penultimate Shuttle Mir Mission got under way from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on 23 January when the STS89/Endeavour was launched on the first of six planned Shuttle flight this year. The Endeavour, will deliver US astronaut Andrew Thomas to the Russian Mir space station and return David Wolf. The Aerospace Safety Advisory Council, meanwhile, has expressed concern about plans by the United Space Alliance, which operates the Shuttle for NASA, to lay off 500 staff, affecting morale at the KSC.
Source: Flight International