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Bad weather delays Endeavour launch
by Jaspreet Virk - February 7, 2010 - comments
NASA has rescheduled the launch tomorrow at 4:14 a.m.(09:14 GMT).
New York, February 7 -- Following bad weather few hours before the scheduled take off, NASA has postponed the launch of space shuttle Endeavour.
Heavy clouds over Cape Canaveral forced the officials to change their plan and delay the take off. The launch was called off at 4:30 a.m., just nine minutes before the planned launch.
Launch rescheduled
The agency has now scheduled the launch for tomorrow at 4:14 a.m. (09:14 GMT).
According to the forecasters, there is 80 percent chance that the weather will be favorable for takeoff on Feb. 8.
In a statement, NASA stated, “The Mission Management Team will meet at 6:15 p.m. Sunday to give the "go" to fill Endeavour's external fuel tank with propellants. Tank loading would begin at 6:45 p.m.”
In case the space shuttle is not able to take off even till Tuesday, the launch will be postponed at least until Friday, to allow the take off of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Endeavour‘s 13 day flight to ISS
If space shuttle takes off Tuesday, it will make a 13-day flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch will mark the beginning of the final year of the space shuttle program.
The space flight will include six astronauts. These would be Shuttle commander George Zamka, who will lead the mission, Shuttle pilot Terry Virts, Flight Engineer Stephen Robinson, Lead Spacewalker Robert Behnken, Spacewalker Nicholas Patrick, and Mission Specialist Kay Hire.
Endeavour will deliver a third connecting module, the Italian-built Tranquility node, and the seven-windowed cupola to the space station.
When the space shuttle delivers Tranquility node, the space station will be 90 percent complete.
This mission will also include three spacewalks to fix up all the connections. Each walk will be 6.5 hours long.
ISS to be completed in September
ISS, which is being built with the assistance of 15 nations and space crews from around the world, is 86 percent complete.
Though ISS was scheduled to complete in 2006, unexpected expenses caused the delay. It is now expected to be completed in September this year, when the space shuttle will fly its last mission.