Jay Barberie News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

The obama administration has extended the life of the international space station by four years until 2024. the cost here, $3 billion a year. what it means, the $100 million space station won't come splashing down into the pacific ocean in 2020 as has been planned. joining me now, jay barberie. it took 13 years to build, but by 2024, will the technology still be effective given that the united states is saying we're going to put in the money? >> yeah, it will be. but again, on the other hand, what they're doing up there, the experiments they can be while in earth's orbit. the biggest problem i...

In just about four hours, space shuttle "discovery" is scheduled to blast off on its last flight. nasa began fueling the shuttle just after sunrise this morning. and the weather outlook has improved to a 90% go for liftoff at 4:50 eastern time. nbc's jay barberie is live at cape canaveral, florida. i mean, this kind of -- well, this is a bittersweet moment, isn't it for you, jay, to have covered the "discovery" shuttle lifting off so many times. i mean, this was the shuttle that was first back into space after both of those major tragedies, "columbia" and the "challenger," an incredible day. >...

Obvious. >> right. so nasa, jay barberie's listening. he's waiting for a decision here, folks. thank you, jay. good to see you. and we're watching for that shuttle liftoff again here this afternoon. you'll see it here on msnbc. i'm contessa brewer, thank you for watching. i'll see you back here tomorrow at noon eastern, 9:00 a.m. out west. up next, "andrea mitchell reports." andrea, hi? >> hi, contessa, thanks. we'll have the latest on breaking developments in texas, where a saudi college student has been arrested on terror charges. plus, general petraeus investigating reports that a top g...

It uses an upper stage aryan five, which launches from french guyna, andaryian 5, the french rocket, the european added to it, they can put into space any spacecraft that's being built and it's a commercial approach. it costs $400 million plus to put the shuttle up there, contessa, they can do it for $180 million. >> but is nasa disappointed about this? jay, when you're talking to nasa folks? >> yeah. well, i don't know if they are or not. because this just came out. now, the facilities are already built here. they have already flown this twice. it works perfectly. it has the record of history...

>> what is important is nobody was hurt here. jay barberie, thanks. a new weapon enlisted in a battle against the oil. an oil-drinking whale. it is a boat. it is the largest oil skimming vessel in the world, dubbed "the whale." at 3 1/2 football fields long and ten stories high, it is set to suck up 21 million gallons of oiled water a day. charles hadlock is in venice, louisiana, for us. good afternoon to you. >> reporter: the administration and bp and the coast guard have been criticized for turning down offers of help from foreign vessels. this is hard to miss, though. ten stories high, th...