Atlantis Won't Lift Off Before Tomorrow

By: Associated Press | Alabama's13.com
Published: December 07, 2007

» Comments | Post a Comment

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (AP) - The space shuttle Atlantis will stay

on the ground until at least tomorrow because of a pair of faulty fuel gauges in its huge external tank.

The problem forced NASA to scrub yesterday's planned launch.

Shuttle managers have decided to give engineers more time to figure out a solution instead of trying to launch the spacecraft today. Problem sensors have delayed shuttle launches before, most recently in September 2006. To NASA's puzzlement, the trouble began cropping up following the Columbia disaster in 2003. This time, two sensors went out instead of one. Atlantis is set to carry a 2-billion-dollar European Space

Agency science lab to the international space station The lab has been in the works for almost 25 years.

A European space manager says his team is disappointed by the delay, but says it's better to "fly when it's safe."