Fred Harteis News Articles - Shuttle launch delayed until Monday

Fred Harteis News Articles - The launch of space shuttle Atlantis on Sunday was scrubbed for 24 hours because of lightning striking the launch pad Friday and other weather worries, NASA announced.

The launch will be tried again Monday. Sunday is the first day of the shuttle's launch window, which closes September 7.

Mission managers said no other significant issues besides weather could affect the launch, said NASA test director Jeff Spaulding.

On Friday, lightning struck Atlantis' launch pad 39B, which has several lightning-detection systems -- but caused no apparent damage, said launch director Mike Leinbach.

The Atlantis crew of six has been waiting nearly four years for the opportunity to travel to the International Space Station, and are hopeful the weather will cooperate, Leinbach said.

Once Atlantis docks with the station, the crew plans to do three spacewalks to install a second set of solar arrays designed to provide about a quarter of the station's power generation.

That should double the station's power capability, in addition to adding more than 17 tons to its mass.

The solar arrays have been packed away since May 2003, when they were originally scheduled to be delivered.

NASA has dubbed the 12-day mission, the 27th flight of Atlantis, the "return to assembly."

If Atlantis takes off Monday, the mission will be the quickest turnaround between flights since the 2003 Columbia disaster.

Source: Cnn.com


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