Astronaut from tiny Minn. town will soon be in space

Karen Nyberg
Astronaut and Minnesota native Karen Nyberg is scheduled to head to space aboard the space shuttle Discovery to bring a Japanese module to the International Space Station.
Photo courtesy of NASA

An astronaut who grew up in Minnesota is about to become one of only a half-dozen from the state who have gone to space.

Karen Nyberg is from the tiny town of Vining, which is located about 27 miles east of Fergus Falls. She graduated from Henning High School in 1988. She'll join a mission to the International Space Station on Saturday, conditions permitting.

All of Vining will be watching when the second of three flights brings components to the Japanese Kibo laboratory.

Nyberg's family plans to go to Cape Canaveral for the launch.

Nyberg became an astronaut in 2000. This will be her first trip to space.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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