NASA Delays Shuttle Endeavour Launch Until April 29
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In an effort to avoid a scheduling conflict with a Russian supply vehicle heading for the International Space Station, NASA announced Monday that it will delay the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour until April 29.
The Russian Progress supply vehicle is scheduled to launch on April 27 and arrive at the ISS on April 29. NASA has, therefore, targeted April 29 at 3:47pm Eastern as the launch time for Endeavour, which was previously scheduled to launch on April 19.
NASA will hold a flight readiness review and finalize plans for a launch time on April 19.
Endeavour started its roll out to the launch pad on March 10, the same day the space shuttle Discovery returned to Earth. On March 25, NASA technicians started loading up Endeavour with the cargo it will carry to the ISS.
On Saturday, technicians conducted a detailed inspection of the shuttle's external fuel tank foam after severe storms hit Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials found "only minor damage" and "evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft," NASA said.
Today, workers at the pad will continue closeouts in Endeavour's aft section and will load hydrazine into the shuttle's hydraulic power unit, NASA said.
Also on Monday, NASA astronaut and Expedition 27 Flight Engineer Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrey Borisenko will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and head to the ISS. They will join the three other members of the ISS crew, and will remain there until September. NASA Television will provide high-definition footage of the pre-launch events and liftoff, which is scheduled for 6:18pm Eastern.
The mission, known as STS-134, will last 14 days and will be led by Commander Mark Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at an Arizona shopping mall in January. In the wake of that tragedy, NASA selected astronaut Rick Sturckow as a backup commander in case Kelly had to stay with his wife. However, Giffords improved rapidly and was moved to a rehab facility near NASA mission control in Houston, so Kelly decided in early February that he will make the trip on Endeavour. Giffords will reportedly attend the launch.
Kelly's twin brother Scott is also an astronaut and recently returned from the ISS.
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