NASA is beginning to unload more than 500,000 gallons of fuel from space shuttle Endeavour's external tank following today's launch scrub because of weather.
"We didn't have a good weather day today," said Mike Moses, shuttle launch integration manager, during an evening news conference at Kennedy Space Center.
NASA has scheduled a sixth launch attempt for 6:03 p.m. Wednesday.
Tuesday was once considered the last launch opportunity before Endeavour's mission would overlap with the arrival of an unmanned Russian supply ship at the International Space Station later this month.
But managers determined that Wednesday was possible if some activities during Endeavour's 16-day mission - including crew off-duty time and equipment stowage - were rescheduled to allow a slightly earlier departure from the station.
A launch Thursday could also be an option if NASA eliminated the last of the mission's five planned spacewalks.
"For now, we're not going there," Moses said.
If there is no attempt Thursday, the launch would be put on hold until July 26.
Tuesday's pause gives KSC workers time to close launch pad 39A's rotating service tower around Endeavour overnight so a loose cover over a shuttle thruster could be resealed.
The paper covers are supposed to keep out water that could freeze in space and damage the jet.
Mission managers wanted to do the work after Sunday's launch scrub but didn't have time.
They successfully gambled that rain wouldn't get into the thruster before Monday's planned 6:51 p.m. launch time.
But with showers likely today, "We didn't want to play this game one more time," said Moses.
There was only a 40 percent chance of good weather Tuesday, but the outlook improves to 60 percent for Wednesday.
Endeavour's mission has now been delayed five times since June 13, for both technical and weather reasons.
The record is six shuttle countdowns delayed, set in 1986 and 1995.(Editor's note: this information corrected from an earlier post.)
Pete Nickolenko, the mission's launch director, said launch teams would be ready to go Wednesday anf feeling confident.
"I'd characterize the mood as still very positive, because we were very close to making that attempt today," he said.
The rollver of the orbiter Discovery from a processing hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building also has been pushed back slightly.
It is now scheduled Thursday, instead of Tuesday.
Discvoery is scheduled to fly the next mission after Endeavour's. Launch is tenatively targeted for Aug. 18.
Space news and analysis from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral 
1 comment:
All of these technical and weather delays point out the folly of ending the shuttle program on a date certain.
If NASA is so 'gung-ho' on killing the program, they should say: we're going to stop flying after STS-XXX. To put a date certain on the completion is just asking for trouble. Look at the weather delays this week.
Perhaps the new head of NASA can (with BO's blessing) tweak and revise the end of Shuttle so that all of the missions can get done... weather delays not withstanding.
Rick Steele
Sarasota
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