New launch dates targeted for six shuttle flights

NASA is shuffling target dates for five future launches to accommodate the recent decision to delay the next shuttle mission's liftoff to no sooner than June 8.

The delays move several missions back between six weeks to several months. The new launch plan also shuffles orbiters for certain flights in order to accelerate the schedule as much as possible.

The plan gives NASA at least a chance at flying four shuttle missions this year -- actually four in a period of seven months. NASA is attempting to make up time lost to the delay of its next mission, targeted for June 8. That flight had to be delayed when a freak hail storm battered the foam insulation on the external tank, raising fears of deadly debris coming off during launch.

The next six flights of the space shuttle are targeted for launch as follows:

STS-117, June 8, 2007, Atlantis

STS-118, Aug. 9, 2007, Endeavour

STS-120, Oct. 20, 2007, Discovery (instead of Atlantis)

STS-122, Dec. 6, 2007, Atlantis (instead of Discovery)

STS-123, Feb. 14, 2008, Endeavour

STS-124, April 24, 2008, Discovery (instead of Atlantis)

NASA is trying to finish construction of the International Space Station by 2010, a deadline imposed by President Bush for retirement of the space shuttle fleet so that the United States can free funding to pay for its future space exploration plans.