Endeavour launch Postponed at last moment

The launch is postponed at least till Monday but the NASA managers will be evaluating the situation on Sunday to decide the new date.

launch ‘scrubbed’
The postponement which is known as a ‘scrub’ is caused by a problem in one of the two auxiliary Power Units, which run the hydraulic systems on the shuttle such as the landing gear, wing flaps and the movement of the main engine nozzles.

Heaters are required to keep the fuel lines going to these APU’s warm or they can freeze in the sub zero temperature of the space. One of these heaters had failed before the launch.

The Director of the Kennedy Space Center, Bob Canbana said he had no information if Mrs. Gifford would stay back or return to her rehab in Houston where she is working on regaining her mobility and speech

The postponement was a surprise for everybody including the astronauts who were on their way to the launch pad in the NASA’s ‘Astrovan’ when the news came and had to return midway.

NASA launch director, Mike Leinbach said, “It’s unfortunate for the discovery team and Mark Kelly and his crew, but today the orbiter isn’t ready to fly and, as we say in this business, we won’t fly before we are ready.”

He further added commented, “It’s the nature of our business. We’ll fly no orbiter before her time and today she just wasn’t ready to go.”

Postponement, a blow to all
The last minute postponement came as a blow to everybody, including the astronauts and their families, including Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords, wife of Commander Mark Kelly, who is still under rehab after being shot in the head by a gunman in January in Arizona.

The President and his family were also going to witness the historic launch along with some 40,000 people including VIP’s, Members of Congress, shuttle workers and their families and members of the media.

More disappointed were the huge crowds that had assembled outside the Cape Canaveral air base to watch the last flight of Endeavour.

Astronauts to remain in isolation
Meanwhile the astronauts will stay in isolation at a beach house on the edge of the space center till the launch.

The Director of the Kennedy Space Center, Bob Canbana said he had no information if Mrs. Gifford would stay back or return to her rehab in Houston where she is working on regaining her mobility and speech.

The doctors have cleared the close family members, barring children, of the crew to stay with the astronauts who will be in quarantine technically.

“They will be able to wait in the beach house, to relax and visit with their families again,” informed Cabana.