Shuttle launch date slips further
Kelly Young writes for NewScientist:
Space shuttle Discovery will have to wait until at least late next week to get off the ground as NASA attempts to find the cause of the fuel sensor problem that delayed launch on Wednesday.
Shuttle managers declined to give a firm target date for launch. But they did say they could attempt to lift off four days after the problem is fixed.
However, it is not yet clear what caused one of four hydrogen fuel sensors to give a false reading on Wednesday. Suspects include the sensors themselves, which lie at the base of the giant external fuel tank, and an electronics box and cables in the orbiter.
Discovery will stay on its launch pad for now as technicians continue to search for the source of the trouble. On Friday, workers drained the shuttle's rear compartment of liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Then they got into the back of the shuttle to look for glitches in the electronics that send data from the sensors to onboard computers.
posted by Fergie @ 7/16/2005 09:35:00 AM
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