While flying to Florida, I was reading through NASA's press kit for the flight of STS-95. As shuttle missions go, this one is pretty routine. Launch from Cape Canaveral Thursday afternoon. Nearly nine days in space, covering about 3,500,000 miles (with no frequent flier miles, I might add). 4.5 millions pounds moving off the pad and into near Earth orbit.

But unless you've had you head in the sand for the past few months you know that STS-95 really is different. This trip of Shuttle Discovery marks the return to space of 77 year old Senator John Glenn.

Yes, there is controversy over whether Glenn's trip is scientifically significant or if this is another payoff in the "Politicians in Space" program. There is no denying that NASA is launching an American hero. And, for the first time in recent memory, a shuttle launch is being covered as a significant media event.

At last count nearly 4,000 journalists and crew had received credentials to watch the launch from the press area. Close to the action but far enough away that I once clocked the time it took for the sound from the Shuttle's engines to make it to me at 18 seconds.

I'm not sure how they're going to do it, but 70 or so satellite trucks will be beaming live reports back on the day of the launch. Space aliens watching the Earth from afar would have to know something is up at the Cape just from the magnitude of signals leaving there, headed for space.

Space Shuttle Discovery is a very fancy, quite costly, truck. It's purpose is to "haul the mail." This time that includes experiments on aging, Glenn's reason for being there and various scientific packages studying everything from the Sun's corona to cockroaches to the seed that grows into Chia Pets. And the experiments are being sent up by everyone from the military to drug companies to universities and one first grade class! Yes, there is a category of shuttle experiment meant to be small, inexpensive and, pretty much, open to all.

But John Glenn is the reason most people have come here. How many other names from space can you name of the 200 or so astronauts who've participated in the 121 American launches since "Friendship 7?"

Glenn will be sitting middeck center on the way up and down with no windows to look through until he reaches orbit. And, while experiencing the microgravity of space travel he do most of his work in the 10 by 13.5 foot Spacehab module (the size of a small room but palatial compared to his last trip into space).

Watch for reports from photographer George DeYounge and me on News Channel 8 starting Wednesday at 6:00. I can't wait.

John Glenn Page.

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