The space agency announced this morning that it has decided to delay Atlantis' launch until at least Saturday because "of a problem with a fuel cutoff sensor system inside the shuttle's external fuel tank," according to a NASA press release.The shuttle program managers expect to have a meeting Friday afternoon at Kennedy Space Center to decide what they need to do to get liftoff tomorrow.
According to the release, "two of the four engine cutoff...sensors inside the liquid hydrogen section of the tank failed a routine prelaunch check." In addition, other sensors also gave false readings, "indicating that the (fuel) tank was 'wet' when it was dry."
As of now, NASA said it is aiming for a launch that could happen as early as 12:43 p.m. EST Saturday. But given the importance of safety and of ensuring that the shuttle launch without problems, don't be surprised if there are additional delays.
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