Despite the tragic events in Tuscon this weekend, life and work must go on. NASA will hold a press conference tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1:00 pm CST (2:00 pm EST) with an update on preparations for the launch of STS-133 (Discovery). The STS-133 launch has been postponed since November due to a gas leak and cracks on its External Tank stringers.

Press conference participants will be Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations; John Shannon, space shuttle program manager; and Mike Sufferdini, ISS program manager. The event will be covered live on NASA TV.

Editor’s Note: This is NOT the mission that Mark Kelly, Gabrielle Giffords’ husband, is scheduled to fly. He is the commander of STS-134, currently scheduled for April.

The President has called for the nation to observe a moment of silence today at 11:00 am EST in honor of the victims of Saturday’s shooting in Tucson, AZ. The tragedy took the lives of six people and left many more wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who was the target the attack according to law enforcement officials. Rep. Giffords remains in critical condition.

This is the text of President Obama’s statement yesterday:

“‘Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. eastern standard time, I call on Americans to observe a moment of silence to honor the innocent victims of the senseless tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, including those still fighting for their lives. It will be a time for us to come together as a nation in prayer or reflection, keeping the victims and their families closely at heart.’

“The President will observe the moment of silence with White House staff on the South Lawn. The moment of silence will be pooled press.

“Today, the President has signed a proclamation calling for flags to be flown at half-staff.

“Also, the planned trip by the President to Schenectady, New York, on Tuesday, January 11, to the General Electric energy division is postponed. The trip is expected to be rescheduled.”

International Space Station (ISS) Commander Scott Kelly, who is Rep. Gifford’s brother-in-law, and the rest of the ISS crew will observe the moment of silence according to a NASA tweet.

International Space Station (ISS) commander Scott Kelly issued the following statement through NASA about the tragic events in Tucson yesterday where his sister-in-law, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and 19 others were shot. Six died, and Rep. Giffords, who is married to Mark Kelly, Scott’s twin brother and fellow astronaut, is in critical condition.

“I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, words of condolences and encouragement for the victims and their families of this horrific event. My sister-in-law, Gabrielle Giffords is a kind, compassionate, brilliant woman, loved by friends and political adversaries alike- a true patriot. What is going on in our country that such a good person can be the subject of such senseless violence? It’s a sad day.”

The following events may of interest in the coming week. Note that the House postponed all legislative actions this week in the wake of the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and others in Tucson yesterday. The Senate is in recess until January 25.

Sunday-Thursday, January 9-13

• American Astronomical Society meeting, Seattle, Washington. A number of sessions are planned on space astronomy topics plus “town hall” meetings. The following may be of special interest (all times local):
  • Town Hall meeting on James Webb Space Telescope, Jan. 10, 6:30-8:30 pm
  • Town Hall meeting on the New Worlds New Horizons (“Astro2010”) Decadal Survey released last year, Jan. 11, 12:45-1:45 pm
  • NASA Town Hall, Jan. 12, 12:45 – 1:45 pm

Monday-Wednesday, January 10-12

• NRC Decadal Survey on Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) Panel on Solar and Heliospheric Physics, Room 109, Keck Center, 500 Fifth St., NW, Washington DC. Some sessions of this meeting may be closed.

Tuesday, January 11

• NASA Advisory Council Exploration Committee, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC , 10:30 am – 5:45 pm EST

Wednesday, January 12

• NASA Advisory Council Technology and Innovation Committee, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL, 10:00 am – 3:30 pm EST
• NRC Decadal Survey on Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) Panel on Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Interaction (AIM), Room 206, Keck Center, 500 Fifth St., NW, Washington, DC, 9:15 am – 5:45 pm. The meeting continues on January 13 and 14, but those sessions are not open to the public.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) announced that the House will postpone all legislative action scheduled for next week “so that we can take whatever actions may be necessary in light of today’s tragedy.”

The Twitter feed for Tucson’s KOLD-TV and other news sources report on a press conference about an hour ago at the University Medical Center where doctors said that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was responsive to commands after surgery for a shot to the head suffered yesterday in a shooting in Tucson.

Doctors reportedly said that she was in a medically induced coma, but they wake her up from time to time to determine if she can respond to simple commands. Rep. Giffords is the only one of the wounded who remains in critical condition; the other survivors have been moved out of the intensive care unit according to KOLD. Six people were killed in the attack.

KOLD quotes doctors at the UMC as saying that speculating on her recovery is not “productive” but that the ability to respond to commands implies a high level functioning of the brain. The bullet when through the left side of her brain from back to front, according to KOLD’s report.

UPDATE: On Sunday, January 9, law enforcement officials raised to 20 the number of people who were injured in the shooting.

ORIGINAL STORY: News outlets including Tucson’s KOLD-TV’s Twitter feed are reporting the names of the six people who died today as a result of the attack of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition at a Tucson medical facility. The current count is that 19 people were shot, rather than 18 as earlier reported. Those who reportedly died are:

• Christina Greene, 9
• Gabe Zimmerman, 30, a member of Rep. Giffords’ staff
• John Roll, 63, a federal judge
• Dorothy Murray, 76
• Dorwin Stoddard, 76
• Phyllis Schech, 79

UPDATE: Links to statements from additional groups have been added.

Many companies and organizations in the space “family” are issuing statements of concern and support for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is in critical condition after being shot yesterday along with 19 others in Tucson, AZ. Among them are United Space Alliance (USA) and Women in Aerospace (WIA).

USA says on its website:

“Today was a very sad day for the NASA family and the American public with the shooting of our friend, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of all those injured and killed today, and are especially with Congresswoman Giffords’ husband, Astronaut Mark Kelly; her parents; her children; and, of course, with the Congresswoman herself.

“Congresswoman Giffords is an optimistic, dynamic and upbeat Member of Congress. She is deeply respected for her many contributions to our nation on a wide variety of issues including the space program. We join her constituents, her colleagues in Congress and the entire NASA family in wishing Congresswoman Giffords a full and speedy recovery.”

WIA’s website has the following statement: “Women in Aerospace sends our most heartfelt support to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, her staff, family, friends, and constituents, and all who have been impacted by today’s very sad events in Arizona. Gabby is a friend of WIA, and our thoughts are with her and everyone fighting to heal from this tragedy.”

Other groups issuing statements include:

• The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
• Coalition for Space Exploration
• Planetary Society
• American Astronautical Society

As we reported earlier, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden issued a statement yesterday.

Note: An earlier version of this story referenced a USA statement that was on Facebook. The current statement is on USA’s website.

President Obama held a news conference this afternoon to react to the tragedy in Tucson where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and 17 others were shot. Dr. Peter Rhee of the University Medical Center said earlier in the afternoon that he is optimistic about Rep. Gifford’s recovery.

The President said that “Gabby” is a friend of his, and her husband, Mark Kelly, is one of “our valiant astronauts.” He called it a tragedy for Arizona and for our country and called for everyone to keep all the victims in their prayers and “our hearts go out to the families of those who were slain.”

He confirmed that 5 have died, including Federal Judge John Roll and a nine year old girl.

The doctor at the University Medical Center in Tucson just reported at a press conference that Rep. Giffords is alive and he is optimistic about her recovery. He said she was shot once, in the head, “through and through.”

He said that one person has died, a nine year old child.

The doctor said he could not say how Rep. Giffords will be in the long run, but that he is optimistic and that she had been responding to commands. She is under anesthesia at the moment.

KOLD TV reports that 18 people were injured and the others apparently were taken to other hospitals. The doctor reported that his hospital had 10 patients, apart from the child who died. KOLD states that the AP is reporting that a local judicial official also died in the attack.