The Discovery space shuttle was being prepared for blast-off today, with NASA managers confident that last minute hitches would not delay tomorrow’s launch.

The remains of all seven astronauts aboard the Columbia have been found, Nasa said today, as the investigation continued into what caused the shuttle to disintegrate.

Atlantis hurtled towards the international space station today after the first launch of a space shuttle since early summer, when cracked fuel lines grounded the fleet.

A heating problem in a critical water drainage line loomed over today’s planned launch of the US space shuttle Atlantis, threatening again to delay a British born man’s bid to fly into space.

Nasa’s first shuttle launch in four months was postponed today because of Hurricane Lili.