spacetoday.net: Weather scrubs shuttle launch

Posted: Sun, Jul 12, 2009, 8:29 PM ET (0029 GMT)

NASA was forced to scrub Sunday's scheduled launch of the space shuttle Endeavour after thunderstorms encroached upon the launch site shortly before the scheduled liftoff time. No problems had been detected during the STS-127 countdown leading up to a scheduled 7:13 pm EDT (2313 GMT) launch. However, in the final hour before launch a storm cell moved within a 20-mile zone of the shuttle landing facility, breaking a safety rule should the shuttle have to abort and return to the launch site. The scrub is the fourth time NASA has had to postpone the shuttle launch: two attempts last month were scrubbed because of a hydrogen leak that was later corrected, and Saturday's launch was postponed to give engineers more time to evaluate data after a lightning storm hit the launch complex on Friday. The launch has been rescheduled for Monday at 6:51 pm EDT (2251 GMT).