Technical glitch delays Discovery launch once again

The delay is another in the series of several delays due to reasons like helium and nitrogen leaks in the craft's engine pods, electrical problems in main computer controller and bad weather.

The shuttle, with six six member crew, was scheduled to be launched on Monday.

The authorities at the space center decided to delay the Monday launch of the space craft after a gas leak was detected in an attachment point between the shuttle’s external tank and a 17 inch pipe called the Ground Umbilical carrier plate that releases the hydrogen gas safely away from the shuttle.

Presently the external tank of the space shuttle is being emptied so that the engineers can inspect the problem. Mission managers will also have a close look at the crack discovered in the foam of external tank.

NASA hopeful of launch in November
The NASA authorities have delayed the launch till Nov. 30, the last opportunity available this year.

Joshua Buck, a NASA spokesperson said that if the space shuttle is not launched in November, the next opportunity will be available only in February 2011.

The delay in the flight of Discovery will have an effect on the last flight of space shuttle Endeavour before it is retired.

If the launch of Discovery is postponed till February, Endeavour’s flight could be delayed till June, next year. NASA is hopeful of a successful launch in November.

Presently the external tank of the space shuttle is being emptied so that the engineers can inspect the problem. Mission managers will also have a close look at the crack discovered in the foam of external tank.

Technical problems to be solved before launch
The director of the launch, Michael Leinbach, said that they will be able to tell the exact problem only after a close inspection which will take at least one and a half day more.

“Right now it’s a lot of speculation, but the hardware was obvious talking to us-it leaked significantly..... so we elected to scrub, obviously, and that was the best course of action,” Leinbach said.

The space agency authorities are very particular about the condition of the tank foam after the shuttle Columbia and its seven astronauts were lost due to an accident which was caused by a piece of foam falling off the tank during the launch.

Discovery’s flight is among the last few flights of shuttles which will be retired to spare money for the space ships and rockets that can travel to asteroids and later on Mars.