No end in sight

By Leter Holt, NBC News anchor

We are going to have brand new pictures tonight from above the erupting volcano in Iceland.  Our Chris Jansing went up in a chopper along with some scientists this afternoon to try and get a sense of how much longer the eruption will last.  The early indications are not positive, and that spells bad news for air travelers waiting out that dangerous ash cloud.  Of growing concern are those travelers, who short on cash, have no choice but to camp out in airports.  Thankfully some wonderful stories of people offering up shelter are starting to emerge, and we'll share some of them with you tonight. Meantime, the implications of a prolonged aviation shut down are profound, and could soon be eating away at an already fragile global economy. We will be exploring that angle as well tonight.

Also, as the Obama administration turns to private industry to ferry Americans into space our Lisa Myers looks at whether those companies are up to the task.

I hope you can join us this evening for NBC Nightly News.