MINSK (Reuters) - Russian space officials hope to resolve a communications problem on a Soyuz TMA-21 rocket in time for it to carry a Russian-American crew to the International Space Station in early April.

The US space agency has renewed a contract to use Russian spaceships to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) up to 2016, the Russian space agency said Tuesday.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A worker fell to his death at the space shuttle launch pad in Florida on Monday and NASA said it was investigating the accident.

Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES said on Monday it had reached an agreement with the privately owned company SpaceX for a 2013 launch that will be the first geostationary satellite placement using the US firm's Falcon 9 rocket.

Russia announced a delay Monday in the planned launch of three astronauts to the International Space Station on March 30 due to a technical problem with the spacecraft.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Technical problems were likely to delay Russia's launch of the Soyuz capsule due to carry U.S. and Russian astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) this month, Interfax cited an industry source saying on Monday.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful construction mission with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency faces an uncertain future.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful construction mission with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency faces an uncertain future.

The oldest and most traveled US space shuttle, Discovery, landed back on Earth Wednesday after its final space flight and will soon become a museum piece to delight the crowds.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery prepared on Tuesday to bring NASA's most-traveled spacecraft back to Earth, wrapping up its 39th and final mission.

The US space program's oldest and most traveled shuttle, Discovery, was on track to make its final Earth landing Wednesday after a near-perfect last mission at the International Space Station.

US astronauts awoke to actor William Shatner's voice and theme music to the movie Star Trek on their final day at the International Space Station before starting their journey back to Earth.

Six US astronauts are wrapping their mission at the International Space Station on Sunday before strapping themselves back into the shuttle Discovery, one day before setting back toward Earth, NASA said.

The US space agency on Friday extended the shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station by another day, adding a total of two days to the shuttle's final mission before retirement.

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, California (Reuters) - A rocket carrying the Glory Earth-observing satellite launched on Friday but failed to place the satellite into orbit, sending both plummeting into the Pacific, NASA said on Friday.

US President Barack Obama made a phone call to the 12 astronauts at the orbiting International Space Station on Thursday to tell them he was proud of them.

Two US astronauts on Wednesday stepped out on the second and final spacewalk of the Discovery shuttle mission at the International Space Station to work on repairs at the orbiting lab.

NASA's chief said Wednesday that America must be "unafraid" of a new future in spaceflight and vowed full confidence that private business can come up with a solution to replace the space shuttle.

Astronauts at the orbiting International Space Station on Tuesday installed a permanent Italian-built storage module, while Russia nixed plans to fly around and take pictures of the crowded lab.

Two US astronauts on Monday wrapped up the first spacewalk of the Discovery shuttle mission at the International Space Station after a robotic arm breakdown left one of them stranded for almost 20 minutes.