In the last year, NASA's focus on Earth has centered on returning the Space Shuttle to flight safely and continuing the Agency's Earth science missions. With planning for the next Space Shuttle mission focused on a May launch window, NASA can once again work on completing the International Space Station, which will focus its research on the effects of long-term space travel astronauts' health. Meanwhile, NASA will continue its studies of our home planet. In 2005 we'll have data from the Aura satellite, which will give us the best measurements yet of global air quality. |