This is one visa the State Department doesn't issue.

Astronaut Richard R. Arnold II, better known by his nickname, "Ricky," will blast off next week aboard Space Shuttle Discovery for a 14-day trip on STS-119 to the International Space Station (ISS).

For Arnold, who was born in Cheverly and raised in Bowie and graduated from Bowie High School in 1981, the shuttle flight will be his first launch into the wild black yonder. His wife Eloise, also from Bowie, will travel to Florida with their two daughters to watch his ride uphill.

STS-119, targeted for launch Feb. 19, will deliver the last truss segment of the space...