CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - Nasa will attempt to launch space shuttle Discovery on Tuesday on the first shuttle mission in 2-1/2 years after finding the most likely causes of the sensor problem that delayed last week's launch, space agency official said on Wednesday.
"We found the most probable causes" for
the sensor glitch, shuttle programme manager Bill Parsons said at a news briefing following a day of meetings involving top Nasa managers.
The sensor glitch scuttled Nasa's original plan to launch Discovery and seven astronauts last Wednesday on the first mission since the 2003 Columbia disaster. If the shuttle cannot be launched by July 31, the mission will be delayed until September.
While shuttle launch delays are common, the glitch preventing Discovery from taking off is receiving heightened scrutiny because the shuttle will be the first to fly since Nasa grounded the fleet for safety upgrades after Columbia was destroyed during a landing attempt on February 1, 2003. All seven astronauts on the shuttle died when the spacecraft disintegrated over Texas.
Discovery is scheduled for a 12-day mission during which its crew would test post-Columbia safety upgrades and deliver supplies and equipment to the International Space Station.
- REUTERS
