NASA Space Shuttle Launch

NASA is aiming to launch the space shuttle Discovery next month after repeated delays caused by critical valves. Wednesday shuttle managers said they hope to launch on March 12, a full month after the original launch date of February 12. It is better though, to be safe than sorry. Everything should be working 100% before they launch. We don't want any more disasters and deaths. If the shuttle isn't flying by March 13 or 14, it will have to wait until April to make way for a Russian Soyuz rocket that is supposed to blast off with a fresh crew for the international space station.

Atlantis Space Shuttle Has Problems

NASA called off Thursday's launch of space shuttle Atlantis after two fuel gauges in its big external tank failed to work properly, a recurring problem since the Columbia disaster. Shuttle managers said the next launch attempt would be no earlier than Saturday. Preliminary indications were that the problem might be with an open circuit rather than the gauges themselves, perhaps a spliced line or bad connector, which would be easier to fix. Mission managers decided to forgo a launch attempt today to give engineers more time to resolve the trouble. Because of poor sun angles and computer concerns NASA would have to wait until the beginning of January to launch Atlantis and the European Space Agency's space station lab, Columbus, if the mission isn't underway by next Thursday or Friday.

Shuttle Docks With Space Station

Space Shuttle Discovery is docking with the International Space Station (ISS) at the start of a week and a half long construction mission. Discovery is due to conduct a back flip as it moves close to the ISS, allowing crew members to inspect its wings and nose for any launch damage. The shuttle will then connect, with the orbiting space platform high above the Earth. Discovery lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Tuesday.