NASA planning to delay next shuttle flight to 2005
Posted: Wed, Feb 18, 2004, 7:07 PM ET (0007 GMT)
NASA will likely delay the first post-Columbia shuttle flight until at least March 2005, officials suggested this week. The next shuttle mission, STS-114, is still officially scheduled for September 2004, but last week NASA Administration Sean O'Keefe said that it was highly unlikely return-to-flight preparations would be complete by then. Shuttle officials said at a conference this week that the launch would likely slip until 2005, and, given only a short launch window available in January, the launch would likely be rescheduled for March 2005, when a longer launch window exists. This would likely delay the following mission, STS-121, to May 2005. No timetable for officially announcing the delay was reported. If confirmed, it would make 2004 the first year since 1987 with no shuttle launches.
NASA will likely delay the first post-Columbia shuttle flight until at least March 2005, officials suggested this week. The next shuttle mission, STS-114, is still officially scheduled for September 2004, but last week NASA Administration Sean O'Keefe said that it was highly unlikely return-to-flight preparations would be complete by then. Shuttle officials said at a conference this week that the launch would likely slip until 2005, and, given only a short launch window available in January, the launch would likely be rescheduled for March 2005, when a longer launch window exists. This would likely delay the following mission, STS-121, to May 2005. No timetable for officially announcing the delay was reported. If confirmed, it would make 2004 the first year since 1987 with no shuttle launches.
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