The first shuttle to launch since the Columbia accident in February 2003 will blast off on 13 July, NASA鈥檚 top managers announced on Thursday. The date was chosen after a two-day review of all shuttle systems and is the first available launch opportunity in a window that extends to 31 July.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just outstanding being this close to getting the shuttle flying again,鈥� NASA launch director Mike Leinbach said at a press conference at Florida鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center, where the launch will take place.
The launch of the shuttle Discovery has been postponed several times over the last two years as NASA worked to meet a set of 15 safety recommendations made after Columbia鈥檚 loss. So it was an emotional moment for some officials when the shuttle was declared fit for launch. 鈥淚 had a lump in my throat,鈥� NASA shuttle programme manager Bill Parsons said.
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NASA chief Mike Griffin said the agency had done all it could to make the shuttle safe, despite an independent panel鈥檚 recent finding that it failed to fully meet three of the 15 recommended safety fixes.
鈥淲e are being as smart about this as we know how to be, but we are up against the limits of our human knowledge,鈥� Griffin says. 鈥淚f someone wants more, they鈥檙e going to have to find smarter humans.鈥�
Cushion time
Discovery鈥檚 lift-off is scheduled for 1551 EDT (2051 GMT). That timing coincides with Florida鈥檚 seasonal afternoon thundershowers, but NASA will not launch during a storm. 鈥淟aunching in the middle of the afternoon is going to be a challenge,鈥� Leinbach says.
Shuttle managers can continue trying to launch until 31 July. But for every day the shuttle is delayed, lift-off will be shifted about 20 minutes earlier. That is so the shuttle will be able to dock with the International Space Station.
The 13 July target includes about 3.5 days of 鈥渃ushion time鈥� to deal with any problems that crop up during final launch preparations. The date also allows shuttle workers to take an Independence Day holiday on 4 July.
Shuttle managers also reported that work on shuttle Atlantis is progressing smoothly. Atlantis must be ready to launch on a rescue mission within 35 days if serious damage is found on Discovery after launch.
Columbia was struck by a piece of foam insulation that fell off its external tank during launch in 2003. The foam gouged a hole in its wing, allowing super-heated gas to flow into the orbiter when it re-entered the atmosphere, killing its seven-person crew. Since then, NASA has worked to reduce the amount of foam and ice that can be shed by the tank.
