jjcollins
31 Oct 04, 10:46 AM
NASA said Friday it is aiming for a mid-May launch of the first shuttle flight since the Columbia tragedy almost two years ago.
The launch date was the latest of several, and just as subject to change.
Until this month, NASA had hoped to resume shuttle flights as early as March, with Discovery making a space station supply run and a test flight of new inspection and repair techniques. But four Florida hurricanes in quick succession stalled launch preparations and damaged the space agency's buildings.
NASA spaceflight chief Bill Readdy conceded that technical challenges and "some unknowns" remain that could thwart a mid-May launch date, in particular the need to prevent any dangerous pieces of foam from coming off the fuel tank during liftoff.
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/images/c02443.jpg
jj....... :light:
The launch date was the latest of several, and just as subject to change.
Until this month, NASA had hoped to resume shuttle flights as early as March, with Discovery making a space station supply run and a test flight of new inspection and repair techniques. But four Florida hurricanes in quick succession stalled launch preparations and damaged the space agency's buildings.
NASA spaceflight chief Bill Readdy conceded that technical challenges and "some unknowns" remain that could thwart a mid-May launch date, in particular the need to prevent any dangerous pieces of foam from coming off the fuel tank during liftoff.
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/images/c02443.jpg
jj....... :light: