Space Shuttle Launch Delayed Until July

Space shuttle launch delayed until July

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA on Tuesday postponed the launch of space shuttle Discovery from May until at least July because of an all-too-familiar problem: a faulty fuel tank sensor.

A similar problem briefly delayed last summer’s launch of Discovery on the first shuttle flight since the Columbia disaster in 2003.

NASA said it needs the time to open up the spacecraft’s hydrogen fuel tank and replace the sensor, which gave an electrical resistance reading that was slightly off. The space agency plans to replace the three other sensors in the tank, too, to be safe.

The fuel gauges are designed to prevent the main engines from running too long or not long enough, during the climb to space.

An engine shutdown at the wrong time could prove catastrophic, forcing the astronauts to attempt a risky emergency landing overseas, or leading to a ruptured engine.

Compiled from Associated Press reports