|
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Shuttle managers today announced yet another delay
of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The earliest targeted liftoff date will not
be until early in 2008. After two consecutive delays caused by errant
hydrogen fuel gauges in the Shuttle's external fuel tank on December 6th and
December 9th, shuttle authorities postponed all launches until engineers are
able to troubleshoot and resolve the problem. The fuel gauges are critical
components of the monitoring and backup safety system that are designed to
prevent the three main engines from operating on an empty tank. NASA
officials indicated that a fueling test will be performed on Tuesday to try to
pinpoint the source of the problem. Officials are unclear if the source of
the fault is the gauges themselves, or the 100 feet of circuitry that reside
between the fuel tank and the Shuttle. NASA officials hope that the launch
can be scheduled during the first week of January. However, a targeted
date to launch will not be announced until engineers have more time to
understand the source of the problem and how quickly they can provide a
solution.
|
