3 ... 2 ... 1 ... blast off! Discovery readies for takeoff: Discovery awaits takeoff in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The shuttle is set for the first human space mission in two years.

From: Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication | Date: May 6, 2005 | Copyright information

HOUSTON, Texas -- When Steven Robinson and Soichi Noguchi head for the pool, they don't grab swimsuits and towels. They don space suits and helmets.

That may sound weird unless you know why the pair is hitting the pool. They're not training to become better swimmers; they're practicing for walks in outer space. Water's buoyant conditions mimic space's zero gravity, so for months the pair has spent hours at a time underwater, practicing "space" repair work. Now they're getting a chance to try their hands at the real thing.

Perhaps as early as May 15, Robinson, Noguchi, and ...

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