NASA errs on side of caution

Shuttle Atlantis is headed back to its assembly building after a decision to avoid any chance that Tropical Storm Ernesto might spawn hurricane-force winds as it passes near Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.

The move began at 10:06 a.m. and is expected to take about 10 hours to complete.

It was a tough call for NASA officials. The move could delay the resumption of International Space Station assembly until late October. But when it came down to it, NASA decided it made more sense to haul the shuttle out of harm's way than risk damage to the $2 billion spaceship at the launch pad.

"There was a sense that there was a lot at stake either way," said KSC spokesman Bruce Buckingham. "But we are always cautious when it comes to the health of the shuttle, the safety of the vehicle. We do not take unnecessary risks."

The launch pad is designed to withstand winds up to 125 mph. NASA safety rules call for a rollback if peak winds are expected to top 79 mph. And while winds from Ernesto are expected to be well below that threshhold, managers were concerned that flying debris could damage the shuttle at the pad. The pad is equipped with a robust weather protection system, but the shuttle's external tank nonetheless is exposed on the pad.

Led by veteran mission commander Brent Jett, the Atlantis astronauts are headed back to Johnson Space Center in Houston. It's unclear when NASA might be able to make another launch attempt.

NASA is facing a Sept. 7 deadline to get the Atlantis mission off the ground. But it is highly unlikely that the agency will be in position to make an attempt by then. The details are in the story published in today's Florida Today: Rollback Preps

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