Shuttle Launch Delayed Until at Least Tuesday

Source URL: http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-08-26-voa43.cfm
Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/2038

The U.S. space agency has delayed the launch of the shuttle Atlantis to at least Tuesday and may postpone longer if hurricane Ernesto threatens the launch area of Cape Canaveral, in Florida.

NASA officials say they are monitoring weather forecasts to determine whether the shuttle should be moved off its launch pad into shelter to protect it from the hurricane's high winds.

Sunday's scheduled launch was put off by a strike of lightning.

NASA officials said they wanted to give engineers more time to check shuttle systems following a powerful strike Friday that hit the tower next to the shuttle.

A senior manager says it is common for lightning to hit the launch pad, but Friday's strike is believed to be the strongest ever to hit the structure.

Atlantis is set to embark on an 11-day mission to the International Space Station where astronauts will attach solar panels that will eventually generate one quarter of the orbiter's energy. It would be the first station repair mission in almost four years.

Construction on the space station has been stalled since the shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entering Earth's atmosphere in 2003, killing all seven astronauts aboard. NASA is under pressure to finish space station construction before the shuttle fleet is retired in 2010.

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