spacetoday.net: NASA confident Columbia will be ready for launch

Posted: Fri, Jan 10, 2003, 7:40 AM ET (1240 GMT)
STS-107 patch (NASA)

Shuttle managers said Thursday that they believe the space shuttle Columbia will be cleared for launch next week even though an issue with cracked bearings has not yet been closed. Shuttle officials met Thursday for the flight readiness review for mission STS-107, scheduled for launch January 16, but could only give provisional approval for the launch. Engineers are still investigating a cracked bearing found in a liquid oxygen line in the shuttle Discovery last month, although investigations of Atlantis and Endeavour have not found any other cracked bearings. Shuttle program manager Ron Dittemore said that he was "optimistic" that Columbia, which has not been inspected, will be cleared. A teleconference is scheduled for Sunday to update officials on the issue, although Spaceflight Now reports that a final clearance may not come until Tuesday. Columbia is scheduled to launch between 10 am and 2 pm EST (1500 and 1900 GMT) on a 16-day dedicated science mission.