No Word Yet If Power Surge, Glue Will Delay Launch

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 12.06.06 1145 EST: For the moment, the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to lift off less than 36 hours from now, in what should be a spectacular nighttime launch. But two late-breaking technical glitches may throw the proverbial wrench in those plans.

NASA engineers are debating the impact a brief power surge Tuesday may have had on Discovery's systems. The Associated Press reports the electrical spike occurred as NASA was about to switch power from the launch platform to Discovery itself.

So far, tests have shown the shuttle's main engines, solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank weathered the surge without major problems... but NASA spokesman LeRoy Cain couldn't say the same for the orbiter itself just yet.

The second problem involves the shuttle's two solid rocket boosters. Engineers have determined the glue used to fuse joints between segments of the SRBs may not meet NASA's standards for adhesion.

"The adhesive does not produce the seals," NASA spokeswoman June Malone said, adding that pressure between the segments themselves produce most of the seal.

Since this involves an area that has caused problems before, however -- it was a gap between those seals, caused by bitter cold temperatures, that led to the loss of Challenger in 1986 --  NASA will likely take a very close look to make sure the shuttle is still safe to launch.

Weather may also lead to a delay in Thursday night's scheduled launch, with low-hanging clouds stubbornly refusing to blow away from the Cape due to a slow-moving front. High winds could also scrub any later attempts through the weekend, Cain added.

For the moment, however, the countdown clock is still ticking towards launch tomorrow night.

"We're on track and on target for Thursday," Cain said.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/shuttle