NASA Delays Space Shuttle Launch Until Next Week
Final flight of Endeavour pushed back due to heater glitch.
Kennedy Space CenterNASA's next try will be no earlier than Monday morning, launch officials said today.
A planned launch of an Atlas V rocket from Kennedy on May 6 means that the shuttle lift-off can push to no later than May 4.
After that date, the next possible launch attempt for Endeavour wouldn't come until May 9.
The trouble was caused by failed heaters in one of the shuttle's auxiliary power units (APUs), which provide hydraulic power for the craft's engine nozzles, landing gear, and other moving parts used in flight.
The APU hydraulics are driven by a fuel called hydrazine, Mike Moses, NASA's launch integration manager for the shuttle program, said today during a press briefing.
Without heaters, hydrazine could freeze in the chilly environment of
