Giffords cleared to attend shuttle launch

>>> it's been more than three months now since congresswoman gabby giffords was shot as she met with constituents at a tucson, arizona, grocery store. tonight, she got good news and we have gathered more information on her condition and her recovery. janet shamly in with us from houston with that story. janet , good evening.

>> reporter: hi, brian . this is going to be a quick trip for her, but doctors say it's osa good break and a goal she's been working towards. it was news gabrielle giffords reportedly greeted with a fist pump and the word awesome. doctors calling her medically able to travel to kennedy space center for friday's launch of "endeavour." she'll watch the launch way out of public few. it with also reunite heroes and victims of the january attack. she's made remarkable progress in her rehabilitation, and we saw no reason why she couldn't travel safely to florida. and there's new information about her recovery. jamie rowe said she now knows others were killed and hurt in the rampage after grabbing a newspaper from her husband's hands.

>>> immediately, she was so upset and cry, and he comforted her and tried to talk to her about it, and she kept repeating, no, no, no, no, so many people, so many people.

>> reporter: physicallyering her hair is growing bang. a long scar across her forehead is healing, and with limited use of her right side, she's become a lefty. for an upcoming special, staffers told brian everything is going in the right direction.

>> full recognition, full facial features, full verbal skills?

>> no, she clearly has challenged. we're just three months after a severe injury to her brain, and we can't forget that. so she has physical and verbal challenges, but the great sense of optimism is coming from her rate of recovery.

>> reporter: doctors say they're working with giffords on speaking in longer sentences, and they report she's very close to a real milestone. brian . janet with our update tonight.