Tune in to the April 30th edition of Space Talk for updates on when Endeavour may launch again, plus a review of what happened on Friday to force NASA to scrub the countdown a little bit after noon EDT.

Along the way we'll hear from a pair of in-studio guests that include space historian Dwayne Day and aerospace writer Roger Guillemette. Dwayne has been involved in a number of space policy studies at a national level, while Roger is a long-time contributor to space.com and several European-based space journals.

Led by commander Mark Kelly, the six-member flight crew will take Endeavour on its final voyage into space arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, just a few hours before the countdown clocks began ticking toward a planned 3:47 p.m. EDT launch on Friday.

There is an 80 percent chance of acceptable weather conditions during the five-minute launch window.

Live coverage of Endeavour's launch on WMMB will begin after the network news at 3 p.m. EDT Friday.

In the meantime, enjoy  these exclusive images of the crew arrival from Space Talk photographer Mark Usiack.

Former NASA flight director and senior Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale appeared on the Aug. 14, 2010 edition of “Space Talk with Jim Banke” and discussed his recent retirement, and concerns he has about NASA and the future of commercial human spaceflight.

Here are some of the things he said during the program. To hear the quotes in full context, download an MP3 of the program at http://www.milasolutions.com/spacetalk_081410.html.

"There are certain things I think commercial operators can do in space, and providing human ferry flights from the Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station is not outside the realm of possibility. I think some of those companies are well on their way to do it. However, it is not an easy path and in some regards I fear that some of the commercial operators – and it’s hard to tell whether if this just posturing for the media or what – tend to make light of the difficulties."

"I am very afraid that the agency will (layer on) too much bureaucracy and turn the SpaceX's and Orbital Sciences' and the other folks – these new entrepreneurial, flexible businesses – into aerospace contractors much like Boeing or Lockheed."

Hale also discussed NASA’s safety rules for its own programs and agreed the agency has become too risk adverse.

"Some of it is good, but some of it is really burdensome."

"We've gone overboard. The agency has become bureaucratic. It becomes very difficult to do what you need to do and not trip over some of these regulations and requirements… It's really sad."

Four-time shuttle flier Jay Apt visited Space Talk on July 31 and talked about his experiences flying model rockets, exploring the planet Venus with the help of NASA's Pioneer Venus probe, and going to work at Mission Control before becoming an astronaut.

Learn more about Jay at his web site http://www.orbitexperience.com/

And if you want to own a beautiful book that collects some of the most outstanding pictures of our home planet taken by astronauts from space, pick up a copy of this book that Jay collaborated on:

One of the most respected authors of space history, who witnessed first-hand the birth of the Space Age working alongside Wernher von Braun, was our special guest on "Space Talk with Jim Banke" on Saturday, January 23.

Ordway is the author, co-author or editor of more than 30 books and hundreds of scholarly and popular articles about the space program. His career is closely tied to von Braun and the original German rocket team in Huntsville, Ala., at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

His 1979 book The Rocket Team is one his most popular. Written with the late Mitchell Sharpe and previewed by von Braun just before his death, the book chronicles the German rocket team's origins, involvement in World War II and escape to the United States.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY THROUGH THESE LINKS AND SUPPORT SPACE TALK