spacetoday.net: NASA clears Friday launch attempt for shuttle

Posted: Thu, Sep 7, 2006, 7:11 PM ET (2311 GMT)

NASA shuttle managers decided late Thursday to proceed with a launch attempt Friday for the space shuttle Atlantis after resolving concerns about a fuel cell on the orbiter. Atlantis is now scheduled to lift off on mission STS-115 at 11:41 am EDT (1541 GMT) Friday. Managers made the decision after concluding that a voltage problem noticed early Wednesday with one of the shuttle's three fuel cells did not make the shuttle unsafe to fly. That problem scrubbed a Wednesday launch attempt and, when not resolved during the day Wednesday, caused NASA to postpone a Thursday launch. The current launch window for the shuttle previously closed Friday, although NASA said it would be possible to launch on Saturday should Friday's launch be postponed. Current weather forecasts call for a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather Friday.