Created: 6/30/2006 7:11:34 PM 
By Grayson Kamm First Coast News
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL -- Does this seem right? The shuttle flies up to the space station with seven on board and leaves with six?
Actually, yes, the space shuttle Discovery will leave behind Thomas Reither to get some more science done while he's there.
He says it's fascinating for people to explore the unknown so this opportunity is ideal. With Reither there, it will be the first time since May 2003 there'll be three people working on the station at the same time.
Florida Today space expert, Todd Halvorson, says working on the station is just one of the mission's big jobs.
He says the "mission is also very important to the resumption of the international space station construction."
Months ago, a crane on the station broke and they're there to fix it. Discovery's crew will do two spacewalks to get the work done.
"But if they don't finish all the repairs, that's bad news for the station," said Halvorson. "They won't be able to resume assembly."
Another cool thing the crew will be doing while up there may take you back to the movie Star Wars.
Recall that floating ball thingy Luke used to practice The Force?
Well, some MIT professor told his students to make one (without blasters, of course) and they did.
They called their experiment "Spheres," and it's passed tests in airplanes, simulating zero gravity.
It will get its full-fledged test run on this shuttle mission. May the Force be with them.
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