spacetoday.net: Imaging constraints will reduce shuttle launch opportunities

Posted: Thu, Sep 18, 2003, 2:12 PM ET (1812 GMT)
STS-107: launch (NASA/KSC)

NASA shuttle managers said Wednesday that new requirements to photograph the orbiter and external tank during launch will sharply reduce the number of days they can launch the shuttle, with the possibility of a long gap between launch opportunities late this year. New guidelines require that both the launch of the shuttle, as well as the release of the external tank eight minutes after liftoff, take place during daylight to allow imaging to look for any possible damage. Those restrictions effectively eliminate launches for scattered periods that sum to six months a year. Several periods, each a few weeks long, exist in 2004 for launching the shuttle between March and October of 2004, but after that there are few days that would permit a launch under the new guidelines through March 2004. Earlier this week managers said a launch in March 2004 — the previous planned launch date — would not take place; they now hope to launch Atlantis on mission STS-114 by October 2004. NASA is also reviewing options for landing the shuttle to avoid reentry paths that could shower debris over populated areas.