Hobbled Kopra visits Mission Control

Propped up by crutches, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra this morning was in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center in Houston chatting with flight directors.

Kopra was the lead spacewalker for Discovery's final flight before being injured in a Jan. 15 bicycling accident that knocked him off the crew.

NASA never revealed Kopra's specific injuries, citing medical privacy laws and saying only that he wouldn't be healed in time to participate in Discovery's late February launch window.

In his first public appearance since the accident, NASA TV today showed Kopra standing with crutches under each arm and appearing in good spirits. 

Because of his months of work to plan Discovery's two spacewalks, Kopra is expected to assist his replacement on the crew, Steve Bowen, and fellow mission specialist Al Drew when they head outside the International Space Station on Monday and Wednesday.