Shuttle Discovery launch postponed until Feb 27: NASA
February 15th, 2009 - 11:23 am ICT by IANSWashington, Feb 15 (RIA Novosti) The US space agency NASA has set a new date for the launch of space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical reasons, an official said.
The launch has been postponed twice and is now tentatively set for Feb 27, following an assessment of shuttle flow control valve testing.
“More time was needed to complete analysis and testing,” said Allard Beutel, a spokesman with NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
NASA is concerned over the damage of a flow control valve in shuttle Endeavour during its mission in November. As a precaution, Discovery’s three gaseous hydrogen valves have been removed and reinstalled.
NASA said Friday it would hold a news conference Feb 20, following a review of space shuttle Discovery’s readiness for flight.
The Discovery’s seven-men crew includes Japan’s Koichi Wakata, who will replace returning ISS engineer Sandra Magnus.
Eight more flights to the station remain before the space shuttles are retired in 2010 and all transport services to the ISS carried out by the Russian Soyuz and Progress spacecraft at least until 2013.
- Discovery launch called off - Aug 26, 2009
- NASA final shuttle launch scheduled for July 8 - May 21, 2011
- Discovery to head towards International Space Station - Mar 10, 2009
- New Cracks Found In Space Shuttle Discovery - Nov 11, 2010
- NASA postpones Discovery launch - Feb 21, 2009
- NASA reschedules shuttle launch for Sunday night - Mar 15, 2009
- Russian spacecraft undocks from ISS - Nov 22, 2011
- Space shuttle Discoverys next mission postponed to March 15 - Mar 12, 2009
- Russia's manned spacecraft docks with ISS - Dec 24, 2011
- Shuttle Discovery launch targeted for no earlier than Feb 3 - Dec 04, 2010
- Space shuttle Discovery lifts-off after delays - Mar 16, 2009
- Shuttle Discoverys launch now no earlier than February 19 - Feb 04, 2009
- Shuttle launch cancelled due to gas leak - Mar 12, 2009
- NASA sets farewell shuttle launch July 8 - Jun 29, 2011
- Space junk passes ISS, crew evacuates temporarily - Mar 13, 2009
Tags: 15 ria, flow control valve, gaseous hydrogen, international space station, kennedy space centre, koichi wakata, launch, nasa, new date, news conference, precaution, progress spacecraft, ria novosti, russian soyuz, seven men, shuttle endeavour, space shuttle discovery, space shuttles, transport services, us space agency