Shuttle Endeavour’s external fuel tank sustained minor damage to some of its insulating foam, said NASA spokesman Allard Beutel. Launch pad workers were waiting for the latest storm to pass, before carrying out a full inspection. The space center was under a tornado watch Thursday morning, and Kelly and his crew had to skip some of their practice countdown drills.

Engineers had expected Spirit to wake up once there was maximum sunlight where it's trapped. But that point came and went earlier this month with no response.

Astronomers, astrologists and amateur scientists are abuzz on Internet chat sites this week about Saturday's "SuperMoon," a phenomenon that brings the moon to its closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit in the past 18 years.