Return to Space for Shuttle
WALLACE: And this just in to CNN, a story we've been following this morning. We were telling you earlier about how all 12,000 members of the U.S. Air Force stationed in Britain have been banned from visiting London -- this by the American military -- because of last week's terror bombings. Well, apparently, the U.S. Air Force has just put out a statement lifting that ban, saying that they now consider the situation -- quote -- "stabilized." This is coming from our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. We'll get more information to you as we get it here on DAYBREAK. And let us now pause a moment to toot our own horn on this day. CNN is the only broadcast network that has shown every single shuttle launch live. Tomorrow's flight will be no different. For a look ahead to the launch of the shuttle Discovery, we head to the Kennedy Space Center, where CNN's Sean Callebs is standing by. Sean, what is the outlook for the shuttle launch?</s>SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Things are looking good. And how about this view we have here? Just a wonderful morning. And, Kelly, I have to say, I have one of the best views in the house. Buttoned up and ready to go, that's how NASA is describing operations here, just a day before the scheduled launch. But they also say, make no mistake about it; that the return to space remains dangerous, and the shuttle remains vulnerable.</s>CALLEBS (voice over): It may look like the same spacecraft, but in many ways Discovery is a whole new machine, more than a billion dollars in improvements to prepare for NASA's return to flight. After the fiery deaths of Columbia's crew in 2003, is everybody ready?</s>EILEEN COLLINS, <> COMMANDER: We at NASA, I believe, are fully capable of saying, we are ready to launch, because we're ready for situation A, B, C or any contingency that could possibly happen.</s>CALLEBS: A new focus on safety is the prime mission of this crew.</s>STEPHEN ROBERTS, <> MISSION SPECIALIST: Every single space flight is the most important space flight there ever was. If there's a major accident on it, it has the potential of stopping us in our tracks. And we are all well aware of that.</s>CALLEBS: Over the last two-and-a-half years, NASA has worked on protecting the shuttle from debris during liftoff. The leading edge of the wings and the nose cone have been toughened. And a 50-foot- long robotic arm equipped with two lasers will be able to take 3-D images of the shuttle. It will detail any damage to the spacecraft. Mission Specialist Charles Camarda will be checking the black edges of the wings for any breach of the reinforced carbon-carbon, or</s>RCC. CHARLES CAMARDA, DISCOVERY MISSION SPECIALIST: We have learned more in the last two years on the damaged RCC and damaged tile -- what causes the damage and how that affects the ability of the orbiter to land safely.</s>CALLEBS: And one more significant safety improvement: More than 100 cameras are going to be trained on Discovery as it hurtles into space and once in orbit. You can bet that engineers and scientists are going to be pouring over those pictures and photographs, trying to determine if Discovery was in any way damaged during liftoff. And, once again, Kelly, 3:51 Eastern Time tomorrow, so be watching.</s>WALLACE: Sean, we will be watching, and it's very exciting. Sean Callebs, we'll be checking in with you throughout the day today and tomorrow, of course. And also, we want you to know CNN will be providing live coverage of Discovery's return to flight. CNN space correspondent and "AMERICAN MORNING" host Miles O'Brien anchors our one-hour special tomorrow beginning at 3:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Still to come on this edition of DAYBREAK, an investigation into the leak of confidential CIA information has some fingers -- or some people pointing fingers at a top presidential advisor. We'll talk with "Newsweek's" Michael Isikoff just after the break. But first, a look at who is celebrating birthdays on this Tuesday, July 12.