President Obama to Attend Endeavour Launch
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President Obama plans to attend the April 29 launch of space shuttle Endeavour, a senior administration official tells Fox News.
This launch not only is Endeavour's final voyage, but also bears extra emotional significance. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz, was critically injured in a January shooting, is also slated to be there to cheer on her astronaut husband, Commander Mark Kelly. Kelly is leading a six-man crew on the mission.
According to NASA News Chief Allard Beautel at the Kennedy Space Center, the last sitting U.S. president to attend a shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral was Bill Clinton in October 1998, when Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, returned to flight on the space shuttle Discovery.
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Obama was already planning on being in Florida the day of the launch. He is scheduled to give a commencement address at Miami Dade College.
The president last visited Kennedy Space Center in August of last year where he talked about his vision for NASA, while haggling out budget issues on the program with Congress.
First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia are also expected to attend the Endeavour launch.
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Fox News' Serafin Gomez and Kelly Chernenkoff contributed to this report.