NASA to air launch plans for Atlantis

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Tune in to The Flame Trench for a report from a 3:30 p.m. EST teleconference when NASA officials will discuss the status of Atlantis' launch on a mission to deliver a European laboratory to the International Space Station.

NASA has said the launch will come no earlier than Jan. 2. At a meeting this morning, NASA managers will lay out plans to troubleshoot and fix several low-fuel sensors in the liquid hydrogen tank.

NASA scrubbed launches on Dec. 6 and 9 due to failed sensors, which act like the low-fuel light on a car. If shuttle engines run dry, they could fly apart, damaging the orbiter and endangering the crew.