The vehicle was ready, the team was ready, but the weather wasn't, NASA managers said as they scrubbed tonight's launch of space shuttle Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center. This was the fourth launch attempt for the mission, which will continue key upgrades of the International Space Station.
The team will try again tomorrow night at 6:51 p.m. EDT. Endeavour was delayed twice before in June because of a gaseous hydrogen leak.
Rescheduled to yesterday after testing and repairs from the June problem, the launch slipped to today because of weather-related issues. Engineers needed more time to analyze any potential effects of lightning strikes around and at the launch pad Friday. Testing showed that despite power surges, the electrical systems on Endeavour, its ground equipment, and pyrotechnic devices were all safe for launch.
Today's launch attempt began with blue skies and a 70 per cent chance of good weather for liftoff. However, Florida's unpredictable weather began to sull up as the afternoon went on, and incoming storms forced a delay.
Controllers were concerned about not only the weather in the shuttle's flight path, but also conditions at the Shutle Landing Facility in case Endeavour had to do an abort/RTLS (return to launch site) in case of emergency. The launch rules for storm and lightning safety include strict criteria for all liftoff events.
Technicians are now preparing to remove the seven astronauts, who'll return to crew quarters. The orbiter will then be recycled through a 24-hour turnaroun procedure.
Image: storms move in at Kennedy Space Center, from NASA TV
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