NASA Delays Launch Due to Fuel Tank Problem
By VOA News
06 December 2007
The U.S. space agency has postponed Thursday's planned launch of the space shuttle Atlantis after detecting problems with sensors in the spacecraft's fuel tank.
Officials say they will now try to launch Atlantis on Friday.
NASA says two of four sensors in the shuttle's fuel tank indicated the tank was dry, even though it contained fuel. The agency added that three of the sensors must be working in order for the spacecraft to operate properly.
Atlantis was scheduled to lift off Thursday on an 11-day mission to deliver a European-made space laboratory to the International Space Station.
Named Columbus, the laboratory will join U.S.- and Russian-made components of the space station. Officials say it has several different work stations to allow for multiple experiments at once.
Two European astronauts are part of the shuttle crew. They are German Hans Schlegel, who will help install the Columbus lab, and French astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who will remain on the International Space Station for the next two-and-a-half months to do further work on the lab.
A Japanese lab, the Kibo, is scheduled for delivery to the space station early next year.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
