"What would Elon do?" Fix and fly of course

Kennedy Space Center technicians have uncovered even more cracks on Discovery's external tank, NASA disclosed earlier today. The cracks leave the planned Thursday, February 3, 2011 lift-off date uncertain.

Discovery, on the STS-133 mission, first went to the launch pad in early November when leaks and weather pushed the launch date into December and again to February 2011. The ongoing cracks found in the External Tank has caused pause among the launch team. The launch stack was returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building near the launch site for further x-ray inspections prior to Christmas. More from PCMag.

A NASA management oversight team will determine next week whether the shuttle will stay with the scheduled launch date of Feb. 3, reports Aviation Week in greater detail.

Meanwhile, WBOI News reports that, NASA space shuttle launch teams have reportedly begun wearing shirts embroidered with the phrase, “WWED,” or “What Would Elon Do?” Elon refers to Elon Musk, the founder and chief executive of SpaceX, who invested his personal fortune to pursue a dream of sending people into space.