Posted: Thu, Aug 28, 2008, 12:12 AM ET (0412 GMT)
Three members of the US Senate, including Republican presidential nominee John McCain, have asked President Bush not to take any steps that would keep NASA from continuing to fly the shuttle beyond 2010, if necessary. McCain, along with Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and David Vitter (R-LA), signed a letter this week asking the president to direct NASA to defer any plans to eliminate equipment of other infrastructure that is part of the shuttle program but would not be needed by Constellation. The senators said in their letter that worsening relations with Russia, along with concerns about an extended gap between the shuttle and Constellation, make it necessary to at least preserve the option of keeping the shuttle flying past its 2010 retirement date.
