NASA has decided to delay Tuesday’s launch attempt of the space shuttle Atlantis and is continuing to prepare for the shuttle to take cover from the approaching Tropical Storm Ernesto.
The shuttle was originally meant to launch on Sunday, but NASA postponed the launch until Tuesday to check on potential damage to the shuttle from a lightning strike to the launch pad on Friday and to monitor Ernesto’s progress. Now, even though the shuttle has been deemed unharmed by the lightning, NASA has delayed Tuesday’s planned launch because of concerns about the gathering storm.
Still, no decision has officially been made to roll the shuttle off the launch pad, says NASA press secretary Dean Acosta. That decision is expected mid-day on Tuesday. But no new launch date has been set either, suggesting a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is likely.
A rollback would mean that Atlantis would probably not make it back to the launch pad until about 7 September, the last day of its launch window. However, NASA can negotiate with Russia to extend the shuttle window until 13 September (see Storm may further delay shuttle launch).
The latest update from the US National Hurricane Center shows the storm is moving slightly farther east than a prediction on Sunday, meaning a potential hit for south Florida at 0200 EDT (0600 GMT) on Wednesday.
The centre of the predicted track then takes it due north, possibly passing directly over the launch site at Kennedy Space Center in the early morning on Thursday.
Forecasters say Ernesto could still strengthen to hurricane strength before making landfall in Florida – potentially becoming a Category 3 storm with winds raging from 178 to 209 kilometres per hour (111 to 130 miles per hour).
The 11-day shuttle mission is an important one for NASA, as it will be the first since the Columbia accident in 2003 to continue construction on the half-completed International Space Station. Atlantis will carry up a massive truss segment and two solar panels, which will double the station’s power supply. Keep up-to-date on the mission by visiting our special report on the space shuttle.