Science and Health

NASA skips Monday launch attempt for shuttle

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-05-01 22:46

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA on Sunday delayed Monday's targeted launch of the space shuttle Endeavour as work continues to resolve an electronics problem that scuttled Friday's launch attempt, officials said.

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A new date for Endeavour's launch has not yet been set, said NASA spokesman Mike Curie.

NASA tried to launch Endeavour on Friday on its 25th and final flight to deliver the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle detector to the International Space Station.

A problem with a heating system on one of the ship's hydraulic power generators prompted managers to stop the countdown. The heaters keep fuel from freezing in the line, preventing it from rupturing in the cold vacuum of space.

NASA was hopeful that the problem would have an easy solution and retargeted Endeavour's launch for Monday but said that would now not happen.

"The trouble-shooting that was done overnight doesn't seem to indicate that it's one of the simple things," Curie said.