A Russian-built rocket carrying a new US-Russian crew and the world’s first female space tourist lifted off today and streaked into the cloudless sky over Kazakhstan, heading for the international space station.

Space shuttle Atlantis was hauled to its launch pad early today, a major step towards a mission to resume construction of the international space station for the first time in three years.

Space shuttle Atlantis began a slow trek to the launch pad early at Cape Canaveral, Florida, today.

Space shuttle Discovery decamped from the international space station today to begin the return trip to Earth.

It was moving-in day today for the crew of Discovery, which planned to unload thousands of kilos of supplies and cargo from the US space shuttle to the international space station.

THE smiling astronauts of the space shuttle Discovery entered the international space station yesterday to deliver a German crew member, the first European to work on the orbiting platform.

The smiling astronauts of the space shuttle Discovery entered the international space station today to deliver a German crew member, the first European to work on the orbiting platform.

Space shuttle Discovery docked with the international space station today, delivering its newest inhabitant – a German astronaut who will return the orbiting complex’s crew to three for the first time in three years.

The crew of the US space shuttle Discovery woke up today on course to dock with the international space station after a two-day journey from Earth.

Discovery’s crew used highly sensitive cameras attached to a 15-metre boom today to carefully examine the space shuttle for any signs of damage from the previous day’s launch.

The US shuttle Discovery finally blasted off into space today, taking British-born astronaut Piers Sellers with it.

Discovery’s astronauts arrived at the launch pad today for the first lift-off of a space shuttle on Independence Day.

Weather forecasts predicted a 60% chance that conditions would prohibit tomorrow’s US launch of Discovery, the first planned lift-off of a space shuttle in a year.

The delivery of a German astronaut to the international space station and the scheduled spacewalk of a British astronaut were put in doubt today as a cloudy weather forecast may delay this weekend’s launch of the space shuttle Discovery.