CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Concerned that Hurricane Lili's steady advance over the Gulf of Mexico could affect NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston, managers have decided to postpone shuttle Atlantis' planned liftoff for 24 hours and possibly longer, officials said Tuesday.
The shuttle, which is to carry a crew of six and a new exterior truss segment to the space station, had been slated for launch Wednesday afternoon.
"Right now we're in a state of concern," said Johnson Space Center spokeswoman Kylie Moritz. "At the next level, we'd be in a position to be closed down in an orderly manner if necessary."
Hurricane Lili pounded western Cuba on Tuesday with 100-mile-per-hour winds and remained on path to make landfall again between Texas and Louisiana by the end of the week. The storm is expected to grow even stronger as it travels over the warm Gulf waters, according to National Hurricane Center forecasts.
Delaying Atlantis' launch will give Texas workers currently in Florida a chance to go home and prepare for the hurricane. Additional delays are likely depending on the hurricane's path.
"We'll continue to keep a close eye on it," said Moritz.
Atlantis' launch already has been delayed a month for fuel liner repairs. NASA has not flown a shuttle since June because of tiny cracks discovered in all of spaceships' fuel flow liners.
