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Final Mission of Space Shuttle Discovery; Bull Market's 2nd Anniversary; Gadhafi Forces Set up Attacks; President Obama Announces New U.S. Ambassador to China; Credit Report: Fact vs. Fiction; Shuttle Discovery Comes Home

Aired March 09, 2011 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed for Wednesday, March 9th.

Fifty-seven minutes from now, space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to glide to its final landing after 26 years and 148 million miles on the odometer. Discovery's next stop will be the Smithsonian.

Live CNN coverage of Discovery's landing at the end of the hour.

Zawiya, in western Libya, remains a city under siege today. This amateur video is said to show the fierce battle for Zawiya despite Gadhafi's claim that his forces are in control. Libyan state television reports a Gadhafi general in Zawiya has defected to the rebels.

A private Libyan jet flew from Tripoli to Cairo today. A number of reports indicate a Libyan general carried a message from Gadhafi to Egypt's military rulers. Greece confirms that the plane was in its airspace for about 10 minutes. Greece's prime minister reportedly spoke to Gadhafi last night. The Libyan leader warned against a no- fly zone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOAMMAR GADHAFI, LIBYAN LEADER: (through translator): Therefore, this is leading to a dangerous plot by those countries in order to control their colonialist aspiration, to control our petrol. They have already controlled the petrol of the Gulf, Iraq, Iran. Iran still hasn't been taken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The no-fly zone debate moves to NATO headquarters in Brussels tomorrow. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he's going to be on hand. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that NATO or another organization must lead any no-fly zone, not the United States.

Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld weighed in on CNN's "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, FMR. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Gadhafi, you can see what he is about. Now, the plus on Gadhafi was that after he saw what happened to Saddam Hussein, he decided he didn't want to be Saddam Hussein and he gave up his nuclear program. And we would be in a much worse situation today if he had nuclear weapons, which, fortunately, he does not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: New chaos rattles Egypt. Egyptian television says men armed with knives and machetes attacked democracy activists in Tahrir Square today. Just a day earlier, battles between Muslims and Coptic Christians left nine people dead in Cairo.

And Jared Lee Loughner will be arraigned on an updated grand jury indictment. That's happening this afternoon. Witnesses say that Loughner shot and killed six people outside a Tucson supermarket. He is already charged with the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Fire investigators are facing a tough day in Pennsylvania. Seven children died after their farmhouse erupted in flames.

The father was at work. The mother, milking cows in a barn. The dead children were between 7 months and 11 years old. One child escaped.

The Senate votes today on competing budget plans. The Republican bill cuts $61 billion for this fiscal year. The Democrats, $6.5 billion, on top of $4 billion in cuts they've already agreed to. Neither plan is expected to get the 60-vote supermajority that's needed in advance.

Well, he claimed he had no room to maneuver, but e-mails show Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is in negotiations with absent Democratic senators. The 14 lawmakers left the state about three weeks ago to block a vote on the governor's plan to bar collective bargaining rights for most state workers.

Now on to our lead story, the final mission of the space shuttle Discovery.

The scheduled landing this hour is closing a long chapter in the history of the space program. Discovery will have completed 39 missions and spent the equivalent of about a year in space. It will have orbited the Earth more than 5,800 times, and logged more than 148 million miles.

Our CNN's John Zarrella, he is where all the action is, at the Kennedy Space Center.

John, it's unbelievable. I know a lot of people, great anticipation for this landing here. Describe for us the weather, the crowds.

What is happening where you are?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the weather is great. A little bit gusty, but it's gusty in a good direction.

There's not a real -- there aren't any crosswinds or any significant crosswinds here that would have restricted discovery from landing today. So, everything is on track.

The de-orbit burn took place about 10 minutes ago. Discovery is on its way back through the atmosphere now. Temperatures will build up on the other side of the shuttle to about 3,000 degrees as it makes its way back here, and eventually landing here at the Kennedy Space Center less than an hour from now.

You mentioned, Suzanne, that Discovery had been in orbit 39 times, and 202 revolutions of the Earth on this mission alone.

MALVEAUX: Wow.

ZARRELLA: And it's finishing up its -- yes -- finishing up right now what I guess we could call its victory lap around the world as it heads home.

MALVEAUX: And, John, this victory lap, tell us about it, the path of Discovery. Are people actually going to be able to look at it, look in the sky and actually see this coming in?

ZARRELLA: Yes, after it passes over the Florida coast, just south of Tampa Bay, then it will come across Kissimmee, Florida, near Disney World. You should start -- if you look up in the sky, it's a beautiful clear blue sky. You ought to be able to see it.

And, you know, Suzanne, there are so many people here at the Kennedy Space Center not far from me watching this, and we had an opportunity just the other day to talk to Stephanie Stilson, who for 10 years has been the shuttle Discovery's flow director. She's in charge of making sure the shuttle is ready to go when it lifts off. And she said for her and her team, it's going to be real difficult saying good-bye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE STILSON, DISCOVERY FLOW DIRECTOR: I somewhat liken it to now we're at a point where we're sending our kid off to college, right? We've taken care of these vehicles. We've loved them. We've put everything we have into them. And now it's time for us to let them go a little bit.

So, it's going to be difficult. It's going to be like losing a family member when we no longer have the ability to see them on a daily basis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Commander Steve Lindsey told me a few months ago it will be awfully difficult when it gives the command or he says for the final time wheels stop. And do you know what they're going to do? They're going to go out to the runway, they're going to mark the spot where Discovery stopped, and a permanent marker will eventually be placed out there.

So, that's kind of cool.

MALVEAUX: Kind of cool. Totally cool, John. A historic moment.

We, of course, are going to get back to you, and we will watch Discovery land within the next couple of hours or so. So, thank you, John.

ZARRELLA: Yes. Thanks.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: Here's what's ahead "On the Rundown."

An astronaut looks back and forward as the shuttle Discovery heads home for the last time.

Also, live to Libya, where Gadhafi forces are on the offensive.

Plus, lost and found rescuers locate two missing snowmobilers in Utah.

And finally, credit cards, fact versus fiction, what you need to know about your credit score.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Counting down to Discovery's touchdown, you are looking at live pictures from Mission Control as NASA monitors the shuttle. The shuttle Discovery is set to land within the hour at 11:57 Eastern.

You're going to see it live here on CNN. We're going to talk with an astronaut who has flown on Discovery about its final mission.

Wall Street has something to celebrate today, the second anniversary of the current bull market. In fact, the S&P 500 has almost doubled in two years.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.

Alison, tell us what this means. This sounds good.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, yes, it is.

You know, since stocks have been on this really nice upward trend for two years, what this really means is that the economy is getting better. And I like to look at the S&P 500. That's what our 401(k)s closely mirror.

It hit a record high in 2007. Then you see it hit rock bottom in 2009. It's been up 95 percent since then, and here's why.

Consumer spending, it's rebounding. Corporate profits are rising. Also, those job losses, they're slowing. We talked with one analyst who said, yes, it's OK to celebrate and have cake, but don't drink too much about the bubbly because you need to keep your wits about you if you are in this market -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: The stock market has peaks and valleys. How significant is the current bull market compared to the ones we've seen in the past?

KOSIK: The average bull market, Suzanne, lasts two years. That's where we are right now. This is the average bull market. So, you're asking why the hoopla? You have to remember how far we've come, where we came from.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF HIRSCH, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, STOCK TRADER'S ALMANAC: We were really down, and almost down for the count back in March, you know, '09 and in '08, and the country was on the brink of something much more sinister than the year-and-a-half recession that we had, which was longer than average. So, I think coming off that real nasty, painful period, economically, and in the financial markets, makes this seem a lot better than it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Well, and it hasn't done it on its own, because the bull market has had a lot of help. It's gotten trillions from the White House, from the Treasury, and from the Federal Reserve as well -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: They've had some help. You're at two years average bull market. Right? So now we're at the two-year mark today.

What does that mean for the future?

KOSIK: Well, many analysts and traders, they see that this bull market still has a little bit more room to go, but not for long.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HIRSCH: I think we can flirt with the old Dow highs before this rally's over, in the latter part of the spring. But I think we'll definitely settle down towards the latter part of the year. And I think after that, we're going to have some trouble keeping the bull market going, keeping the economy going, and I think that's what people need to position themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And Hirsch says that's really the time to get back into the market, because the market is setting up for a longer bull market, but not before we see a correction -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Alison, thank you. Appreciate it.

Well, to Libya now.

Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi appear to be advancing on the oil town of Ras Lanuf.

Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman, he is just outside that eastern city. He is joining us by phone.

Ben, tell us what is happening on the ground.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, what we've seen is an intense artillery and rocket bombardment of the western edge of Ras Lanuf. We saw what appears to be an oil storage tank was hit. It burst into flames. It's been belching thick black smoke for many hours.

It's not clear whether it was hit by Libyan forces or by the opposition forces who are firing back with their own short-range surface-to-surface missiles. But what we do know is that outside the town, in the direction of this other town, Bin Jawad, that's under the occupation of the Libyan forces, there has been this intense duel of artillery and rockets going on for hours.

We just left the hospital in Ras Lanuf, where a doctor told us in the space of about half an hour, 25 wounded came in. At least three fighters were killed in the course of the day, but we expect that death toll to increase as the fighting goes on.

What is most definitely clear is that the offensive by the opposition forces in which they took Ras Lanuf is at an end, it cannot go any further. They've been stopped in their tracks. The Libyan army has tanks, has heavy missiles, has airplanes which we saw flying overhead, has helicopters. It's just no match -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Ben, what seems to be the main challenges that the rebels face? I mean, what lies ahead?

WEDEMAN: Well, the main challenge is disorganization. There doesn't seem to be a clear command structure.

Another challenge is the fact that most of these men have no military experience whatsoever. Some have received just a few hours of training on the weapons they're using, and they're using serious weapons, surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft batteries. They have no experience.

Another problem is the fact that their supply lines are exposed to the aircraft of the Libyan army. This is open desert territory, there is nowhere to hide. As you drive down the road, you are a sitting duck for those Libyan air force jets, for the helicopters. So, the rebels, they certainly have determination, spirit, enthusiasm on their side, but not much else -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right.

Our Ben Wedeman, there at Ras Lanuf. And obviously we're going to be paying very close attention to how that plays out.

Thank you, Ben.

And again, we are counting down to space shuttle Discovery's return. It's about 40 minutes or so away.

Discovery's maiden voyage was August 30, 1984.

Here's a question for you. Besides the crew, what was Discovery carrying during that mission?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We asked you what space shuttle Discovery, what was it carrying on its first launch in 1984? The answer, three communications satellites.

Right now you're looking at live pics. Discovery is heading home from its final mission.

The shuttle is scheduled to land at 11:57 Eastern at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You're going to see it live here on CNN. We're also going to talk with an astronaut who has flown on Discovery about his experiences and about what's ahead for the space program.

I want to go "X Country" now for stories that our CNN affiliates are covering.

Our first stop, Heber, Utah, where two snowmobilers have been found alive, and in good condition. They were missing for three days in extreme weather. A helicopter pilot spotted the pair outside a snow cave that they actually built.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYNEE BESNER, MOTHER OF FOUND SNOWMOBILER: It's just unbelievable. We are all so excited and so thankful for everybody. And like I say, thank you for everybody that has participated in this, because it couldn't have been done without everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Redondo Beach, California, authorities speculate this huge school of sardines numbering in the millions, we're told, got chased into a harbor and ran out of oxygen. While unusual, it is not unheard of. The fish will be recycled as fertilizer.

And in Muncie, Indiana, 80-year-old Arthur Welch was wounded by shrapnel during the Korean War almost 60 years ago. He didn't know that he deserved a Purple Heart for his bravery until recently, when he applied for medical benefits. He finally got one this week. And his family, as you can imagine, is very proud.

Good for him.

We're counting down the minutes until the space shuttle Discovery makes its final landing before going into retirement. See how Discovery helped us learn more about outer space and where the shuttle heads next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Now it's your turn to "Choose the News." We're going to tell you about three stories, and you get a chance to vote. Text message for the one that you'd like to see in detail in the next hour.

So, today's choices --

Arizona cuts state Medicaid funds for transplant recipients just as one man who has waited patiently for a new liver becomes third in line to get one.

Wisconsin's governor, Scott Walker, is taking a lot of heat over a bill that would end most collective bargaining rights for public worker unions. Well, a couple of guys who have the same name are feeling the heat, too.

Third, ever wonder what to do with all those leftover Mardi Gras beads besides hang them from your rearview mirror? Well, a small business in New Orleans has some pretty big ideas.

So vote by texting 22360. Vote 1 for "Arizona Transplant Crisis"; 2 for "Being Scott Walker"; or 3 for "Mardi Gras Bead Art." The winning story, that will air in the next hour.

Well, we are continuing the countdown to shuttle Discovery's final touchdown. You're looking there at live pictures from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Discovery is set to land in less than half an hour. That's 11:57 Eastern. We'll all be watching it here together, live on CNN.

Also, a former Discovery astronaut talks about his experiences and what's ahead for the space program.

Discovery accomplished a lot for space exploration during its 26 years in service, and our CNN's John Zarrella takes a look at where the shuttle's been and where it's going to go after retirement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have made a start.

ZARRELLA (voice-over): The space shuttle. For more than 30 years, it has been part of our vocabulary. Soon it will be part of our history.

The winged spacecraft is unmistakable, an engineering marvel. Without it, the International Space Station could not have been built.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you come to the round handrail, pause for the solar re-operations.

ZARRELLA: The Hubble telescope would not have been repaired more than once. The Air Force used the shuttle for secret missions. We'll never know exactly what.

Of course, it's no secret the shuttle program is now coming to an end. Long overdue, some say. Time to move on, build something safer, more reliable, less expensive to fly.

ALVIN DREW, SHUTTLE DISCOVERY ASTRONAUT: Maybe five, 10, 15 years from now, there's going on to be a nostalgia for the shuttle. Were we ever that audacious to go build a spacecraft to do things like that? And I think we're going to look back, and it's going to be as if it was something out of a science fiction movie.

ZARRELLA: As each orbiter returns to Earth from its final flight, it will be ready for retirement. Engines removed, toxic gas purged, cryogenics and pyrotechnics removed. Discovery will be the first shuttle to move on.

STILSON: And so I somewhat liken it to, now we're at a point where we're sending our kid off to college, right? We've taken care of these vehicles. We've loved them. We've put everything we have into them. And now it's time for us to let them go a little bit.

ZARRELLA: It will take nine months to make each orbiter ready -- in essence, a museum piece. Discovery, the oldest in the fleet, 39 missions under her belt, 142 million miles flown, is headed to the Smithsonian.

STEVE LINDSEY, DISCOVERY COMMANDER: I hope they display it so that everybody can see, you know, what it was really like to be inside of it, what it was like to fly it, what it was like to operate it. And, more importantly, all the things that it could do.

ZARRELLA: Where Endeavour and Atlantis end up hasn't been decided. Wherever it is, they will instantly become the centerpiece attractions where people will walk up with their children and grandchildren and say, "I remember when shuttles flew."

John Zarrella, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: We'll all be remembering.

So, what is it like to fly into outer space? We're going to talk with astronaut Clay Anderson about his experience on space shuttle Discovery.

So, for all you space buffs, how did Discovery get its name? We'll tell you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: So, did you guess how Discovery got its name? From two famous sailing ships used by early explorers Henry Hudson's ship Discovery was used to search for a northwest passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean in the 17th century. James Cooke's 18th century ship Discovery ended up in the Hawaiian islands.

We want to get some perspective on what it's like to fly aboard the space shuttle. One person who knows is astronaut Clay Anderson. He's logged 167 days in space since being selected as a mission specialist by NASA in 1998.

He is with us from the Johnson Space Center in Texas. Thanks for joining us. Obviously you've been aboard Discovery. You had a five- month tour of duty working aboard the International Space Station.

Tell us what those guys aboard Discovery are going through right now.

CLAY ANDERSON, NASA ASTRONAUT: Well, it's great to be here today, and I did have two opportunities to come home, both of them on Discovery. The crew right now is getting ready to see a really nice light show as the orbiter begins to heat up as it re-enters the earth's atmosphere. They'll have some cameras available so that they can take some pictures of that, some video of that activity. But I think they're all just focused on their jobs to make sure that they get her safely down to the ground.

MALVEAUX: What do you think they're feeling?

ANDERSON: Well, they're probably getting ready to feel the tug of earth's gravity once again, which is an interesting feeling when you've come back from a couple weeks in space. But they're not really I don't think thinking right now about Discovery. They're thinking about the jobs that they have to do to execute the rest of the mission safely.

MALVEAUX: And you said the tug of gravity. What does that feel like?

ANDERSON: Depending on how you adapt and how long you've been there, it can be anything from just a minor inconvenience to a pretty big sensation where your stomach starts to feel a little queasy, and it can be very uncomfortable.

MALVEAUX: What do you suppose is the most important thing now, Clay, to pull off a successful landing?

ANDERSON: Well, Eric Bowe (ph) and Steve Lindsey (ph) are going to be at the controls for the majority of the time as we bring her home. Most of it's automatic until they take over just before landing. So they're going to be very focused. They've done this many, many times. Steve Lindsey in orbit as well as in the shuttle training aircraft. So, I think it's going to be just executing what they've been trained to do.

MALVEAUX: And specifically in that execution, what are they going to be maneuvering? What are they actually going to be doing in those -- we're looking at the countdown clock -- 20 minutes or so -- before we actually see them land?

ANDERSON: Well, at this point, they're monitoring the systems. They're making sure everything's in order. And then the nice thing for Steve is that -- well, actually both of them, they'll get a little bit of actual stick time.

Eric will have a shot to fly the orbiter around the heading alignment cone and then Steve will take over and he'll actually fly Discovery as if she were an aircraft coming down to landing. So, they'll be very meticulous, they'll be very focused. They have lots of data available to them, and then Steve will basically land it as he's landed her several times before.

MALVEAUX: All right. Clay, we'll obviously be paying much attention. The countdown continues. We're watching the countdown clock, just really minutes away from that landing. We'll be watching together. You let us know if there's anything we should be looking out for. But that is going to be a very but that will be a very special moment.

Thanks, Clay.

Well don't forget to Choose the News. Vote by texting 22360 for the story you'd like to see in details the next hour.

Vote one for the story about Arizona cutting its Medicaid program for organ transplants.

Two for the story about what it's like to have the same name as embattled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Or, three, for clever ideas on how to recycle those plastic Mardi Gras beads. I know my mom's got bags of those wee beads.

That winning story, it's going to air in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We are counting down to the shuttle Discovery's final touchdown. You're looking now at live pictures from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery is set to land within minutes at 11:57 Eastern. You're going to see that live here on CNN. Well, a major personnel announcement from the president just moments ago. Our own Ed Henry, part of the Best Political Team on Television, is live from the White House.

Ed, tell us what's happening now. This wasn't exactly unexpected.

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We were expecting this to happen, you're right, but it's still a big deal because the president replacing his U.S. ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, the former Republican governor of Utah, had a little more praise for him today.

We talked about that yesterday, how the president likes to needle Ambassador Huntsman about how close he's been to the president, because now Jon Huntsman is exploring a Republican bid for the president. His closeness, his ties to the Obama administration may not play well in 2012.

But he's going to be replaced by Gary Locke, the current commerce secretary. Great personal story. As the president noted, Gary Locke's grandfather, born in China. Came out of China on a speedboat. Got to the United States and then was a house boy in Washington State, as Gary Locke described him, who worked his way up and obviously now his grandson is going to go back to China as the U.S. ambassador.

Substantively obviously a lot of big issues as well. The economic relations, national security relationship to China, big, big deal for the U.S. moving forward.

Secondly, a very interesting budget fight playing out on the hill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid maybe taking a little bit of grief right now, because he was yesterday decrying what he called mean-spirited Republican budget cuts. He cited as an example an annual cowboy poetry festival in his home state of Nevada. He said that creates jobs. As you can imagine the Republicans, like Jim DeMint who came out and just sort of laughed it out and thought it was an example of egregious spending.

Jim DeMint saying, quote, "Now I love poetry and cowboys as much as anyone else, but we're looking at bankrupting our nation." Republicans seizing on this saying you've got to cut somewhere. They think that this is one place to start. The votes on these spending cuts will start later this afternoon, Suzanne, and the stakes are enormous, because I can tell you the cowboy poetry festival now hangs in the balance.

MALVEAUX: That's pretty good. A pretty good headline out of that, Ed.

HENRY: Yes, it's a big deal.

MALVEAUX: Yes, it is. It is. The former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, what's up with him?

HENRY: Well, he is now basically saying that he wants his second trial to be canceled. He's citing the cost of that second trial to taxpayers, but also saying that his legal bills are so enormous he can't afford it. That trial set to begin on April 20th.

What Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor, who was pushed out on corruption charges, what he's saying is it's too expensive. You remember last August, he was actually found guilty of lying to the FBI. But escaped conviction on all kinds of other counts. What he's hoping the judge will just sentence him on that one count of lying. It carries a maximum sentence of five years.

So, he's hoping he can sort of just deal with that and not the other charges the second time, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: OK. All right. Thank you, Ed. Appreciate it.

HENRY: Good to see you.

MALVEAUX: True or false? If you've lived in many -- or maybe too many different places, it affects your credit score? We're going to break that down for you and some credit report myths.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Your credit report, it can make or break your financial future. Our Stephanie Elam is here to debunk the myths.

Very important. You call it a piece of your financial DNA, it's that important, huh, Steph?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's so huge, Suzanne. A lot of people don't realize it, but you've got to tend to it. And if you've ever been denied a car loan a mortgage, maybe a new line of credit, you can chalk up a good part of it to your credit report.

Myfico.com says, the average consumer has 13 credit obligations on record at a credit bureau. So that means it's essential to check your credit report, see what they're seeing.

To do just that, head to annualcreditreport.com. There you can check with all three bureaus -- that's Equifax, Experian and Transunion -- once a year for free.

Of course, there's a lot that factors into building your credit history. John Ulzheimer with smartcredit.com debunked some of the tall tales that you may hear about your credit report. The first myth, your income is tied to your credit reports and scores. That is not true, says Ulzheimer. Your salary isn't on your credit report and hasn't been since 1990 when the bureaus purged that info from the report.

Now, as long as you pay all of your bills on time, what you make is not relevant to your credit history. So, Suzanne, Ulzheimer says, you could be unemployed and still have an excellent credit score of, say, 850.

MALVEAUX: Wow. Now what about another myth about your address? Does it make any difference at all, where you live, in your credit score?

ELAM: Yes, you know, the myth that if you've lived in too many different places your credit score will go down, that's just not true. No matter how many places you've lived and called home sweet home, your credit score does not use it in calculating your score. While they will keep a list of the addresses associated with your name, moving around, it really doesn't play a role at all, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: So how often does your credit score get updated?

ELAM: Well, Ulzheimer says the idea that your score won't change for 30 days is untrue. Your credit score is fluid and changes frequently each time your credit file is updated and accessed, which could be several times a month depending on how your active accounts are tended to.

Now the higher the score, the lower interest rate you'll earn from your lender. Ulzheimer says a score of 750 and up will get you the best loan. And, remember, your score doesn't show up on your free reports unless you pay for it. However, Ulzheimer says the Fair Credit Reporting Act has mandated free scores be disclosed to mortgage applicants since 2004, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: So, Steph, can you be denied a loan based on your age?

ELAM: A lot of people think that this is true. And in short, the answer is no. Credit scoring models don't factor in your age when they're figuring out your credit score. You may be asked your age on a loan application, but it has no effect on whether or not you're approved.

There are no laws that limit how old you can be to qualify for a loan, but you could be deemed too young to be approved for a credit card or a loan because of the Card Act. So as far as your credit report is concerned, Suzanne, age is just a number.

MALVEAUX: All right, good. All good information. Thanks, Steph.

ELAM: Yes. Sure.

MALVEAUX: The end of a chapter in the history of space exploration, we are just minutes away of live coverage for the Space Shuttle Discovery landing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You're looking at live pictures there. We are just minutes away from the landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery and the end of its final mission. Live pictures there.

We'd like to welcome our viewers watching from around the world on CNN International.

Once the shuttle touches down, Discovery will have completed 39 missions and spent the equivalent of a year in space. It will have orbited the Earth more than 5,800 times logged more than 148 million miles.

Live pictures you see right there.

CNN's John Zarrella, he is at the landing site at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, astronaut Clay Anderson is with us from Johnson Space Center in Texas, and meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, she is watching the weather.

I want to start with you, John. What are we seeing right now?

ZARRELLA: Well, the winds are a little bit -- peaking a little higher than they'd originally thought, and they passed that information on to the crew, to Commander Steve Lindsey just a few minutes ago.

And Discovery crossed the coast of Florida at Tampa about three or four minutes ago. We saw those images first images of Discovery at that point. So folks all across central Florida, if they're looking up, getting a good look at Discovery.

We ought to hear the sonic booms, the twin sonic booms here in just another couple of minutes as well -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, John, set the scene for us on the ground there. Obviously, there's lots of people who are watching.

ZARRELLA: Yes, I, just a matter of minutes ago, talked to the flow director, Stephanie Stilson, been in charge of getting Discovery ready for the last 10 years. She's all excited. Fifteen busloads of people, NASA workers, employees, family members, are all here. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden here as well.

We just heard the two sonic booms. Discovery is pretty much over head, Suzanne, coming in for the last time.

MALVEAUX: Let's listen in, John, if we would, to NASA.

They stopped speaking for a moment.

I want to go to you, Clay. You know what it's like to be aboard that shuttle right now. What's going on through their heads, through their hearts as they prepare to land?

ANDERSON: Well, they're all very focused right now. You know, Steve is getting ready to land the shuttle, and we're counting on him.

You know, the shuttle has no capability to do a go around. So it's a one-shot deal. And he's very focused on what he's doing. He's looking at all his data to make sure that he brings her down as smoothly as possible.

MALVEAUX: What does it feel like, that moment when you're actually landing?

ANDERSON: It's kind of surreal. There's -- you kind of let out a sigh of relief because you're safely home and back on the ground. But then kind of immediately once you roll out to the end of the runway, you're back in the checklist. You take a second to talk to the mission control center and congratulate one another, but then you're right back in the books making sure that you shut down the orbiter appropriately so that you can begin your exodus as quickly as possible.

MALVEAUX: What do you go through physically when you're landing in that position?

ANDERSON: I can only speak for myself. At this point, I was feeling pretty warm. It gets kind of hot in the cabin.

And as you move your head within your helmet, if you do it too quickly, you can get a big sense of spinning going on in your brain, and that's kind of an uncomfortable feeling. It's likened to when you have motion sickness. So you have to be careful. You have to move steadily and very slowly to keep your wits about you.

MALVEAUX: And, Clay, we're being told it's just two minutes to landing there. Can you gives us a sense of what is the most critical aspect of this in order to have a successful landing?

ANDERSON: Well, Steve's going to guide the orbiter by flying it through the stick, but I think Eric Bow has the very critical job. He's going to have to bring down the landing gear for Steve. And, of course, we assume that the landing gear is going to come down normally, but the crew is ready to follow the steps that they would need to do to bring it down in an alternate fashion if they needed to. But I think it will be just fine.

MALVEAUX: Clay, I just want to listen in, if we could, to hear NASA to find out what they're saying about this landing that is happening as we watch.

NASA MISSION CONTROL: Speed 370 miles an hour. This is Space Shuttle Discovery's final minutes of flight.

MALVEAUX: Looks like we lost the live pictures there of the final minutes of its landing there. As soon as we have that, we will bring that back to you.

NASA MISSION CONTROL: Space Shuttle Discovery now on final approach to the Kennedy Space Center. Just more than 30 seconds to go.

Gear is down and locked.

Main gear touchdown. The nose of the shuttle being rotated down toward the flight deck. The parachute being deployed.

And nose gear touchdown. And the end of a historic journey.

And to the ship that has led the way time and time again, we say, farewell, Discovery.

MALVEAUX: Clay, we've just seen the final landing. Let's take a listen.

NASA MISSION CONTROL: Discovery Houston, pinto, great job by you and your crew. That was a great landing in tough conditions and it was an awesome dock mission that you all had.

You were able to take Discovery up to a full 365 days of actual time on orbit. I think that you'd call that a fleet leader and a leader of any manned vehicle for time in orbit. So job well done.

We'll meet you in the post landing pad for post landing; currently, no deltas.

DISCOVERY: Stan (ph), copy that. We're headed to five-three. And I'd like to thank you and your team and al the orbit teams for a fantastic mission as well as the Expedition 26 team in orbit.

And I'd also like to thank KSC who has given us a perfect vehicle from start to finish on her final flight.

NASA FLIGHT ANNOUNCER: Well said on all, and we totally agree. Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Discovery's final landing, a job well done is what the crew was just told.