Posted: Fri, Jul 19, 2002, 10:02 AM ET (1402 GMT)
NASA may reorder the launches of the next three shuttle missions as it works out a plan to deal with the cracks found in fuel lines in all four orbiters. According to Spaceflight Now NASA may delay what was to be the next shuttle launch, a flight by Columbia on a non-ISS science mission, to late in the year, after two ISS missions by Atlantis and Endeavour. Under that plan, Atlantis would launch in late September or early October on STS-112, Endeavour would fly in early November on STS-113, and Columbia's STS-107 mission would be delayed until December. NASA also has to work the shuttle launches around the Soyuz taxi mission scheduled for late October as well as the Leonids meteor shower in mid-November. An update on plans to fix the cracks found in flow liners in hydrogen fuel lines in all orbiters will be made on Friday, according to Florida Today.

Related Links:

•  Spaceflight Now article
•  Florida Today article