Pray for Discovery & her crew

It is roughly two hours before NASA is set (we would say "hell bent") on launching the space shuttle Discovery, the first launch ever of any space vehicle on Independence Day.

The space agency's chief engineer says the shuttle should not be flown.

The head of NASA's safety office says the shuttle should not be flown.

A piece of cracked foam on Monday threatened the launch today, but the word was given last night to go ahead anyway.

We pray that Discovery's launch goes well, it's mission is successful, and that it returns to Earth safe and sound with all crew members smiling.

For if something goes wrong today, succeeding Fourths of July will be marred with the knowledge that the public relations people overrode the concerns of the people who are charged with the safe operation of the spacecraft, resulting in disaster.

This decision to launch is the very definition of hubris. Obviously we have learned nothing.