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NASA fuels shuttle for afternoon launch despite dismal forecast |
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News
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April 26, 2000
CAPE CANAVERAL, APR 25 (AP) - NASA fueled space shuttle Atlantis for liftoff Tuesday on a mission to repair the international space station, even though high wind threatened to delay the launch again.
Forecasters put the odds of acceptable launch weather at a mere 20 percent. |
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Launch managers decided just Tuesday morning to aim for a 3:52 p.m. (1952 GMT) liftoff. They considered waiting for significantly better weather on Wednesday, but were loath to pass up Tuesday's opportunity.
"We've launched with weather predictions as bad or worse in the past," said NASA spokesman Joel Wells. "You take every opportunity to launch."
NASA has only five minutes each day to send Atlantis and seven astronauts to the station. The brief launch window allows the shuttle to use a minimal amount of fuel to reach it.
Monday's launch attempt was called off at the nine-minute mark of the countdown after wind gusts exceeded the safety limit. NASA flight rules say crosswind can be no higher than 17 mph ( 27 kph), in case the shuttle has to make an emergency return to the launch site.
"We'll get 'em next time," shuttle commander James Halsell Jr. said.
Atlantis is loaded with fresh batteries, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and fans for the 1 1/2-year-old space station.
Since astronauts last visited the station last spring, two of its six main batteries have failed and another two are showing signs of deterioration.
In addition, an antenna is broken, a crane is loose and the space station's orbit is dropping nearly two miles closer to the Earth each week because of increased solar activity.
NASA wants Atlantis and its crew up there as soon as possible to fix all the problems.
Atlantis was not supposed to fly until the Russians had launched a critical service module with guidance and life-support systems. But with the service module more than two years behind schedule and due to fly no earlier than July, NASA moved up Atlantis' repair mission.
The Russian delays - and the Florida weather - aren't the only things that have kept Atlantis grounded. Halsell twisted an ankle during training last month, and that forced a one-week postponement.
On the Net: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/index-m.html
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