Lightning Strikes Pad; Ernesto Worries Controllers
ANN REALTIME UPDATE 08.27.06 1400 EDT: Mission
managers at NASA have determined the space shuttle Atlantis will
not launch before Tuesday, August 29. The second delay is the
result of the lightning strike at the pad on Friday, and the need
for additional time for further analysis of the shuttle and ground
systems.
NASA stressed that no damage has been found to either the
shuttle or pad at this time -- but they still want to run some more
tests, to be on the safe side.
Additionally, the delay gives NASA time to monitor the storm
track of what is now Hurricane Ernesto, to better determine if the
storm (at this writing, a Category One storm) will head towards
Houston, TX... and Mission Control.
Original Story
Sometimes, you just have to heed the signs... as is the case at
NASA, which chose to delay the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis
for one day after a bolt of lightning struck the launch pad
Friday.
NASA reports the lightning strike (above, captured by the
agency's cameras) caused no apparent damage to launch pad 39B, or
to the shuttle... but mission managers decided to take the extra
day to make doubly sure all is well before sending Atlantis into
orbit.
"We're going to let the teams go off and work the plans," said
LeRoy Cain, launch integration manager and chairman of the
management team.
The next launch attempt for
STS-115 will be at 4:04 pm EDT on Monday, August 28. NASA has until
September 7 to launch Atlantis, after which time the current launch
window closes.
While NASA is confident that no other issue except for weather
can delay the launch, weather remains a primary concern... and not
just because of storm clouds over Cape Canaveral. Mission
controllers in Houston are also keeping a wary eye on Tropical
Storm Ernesto, which is currently stewing in the Atlantic
Ocean.
As the storm is currently tracking well west of the Cape,
Ernesto should not affect the launch of Atlantis; what has NASA
concerned is the strong possibility the storm will develop
into the season's first hurricane -- and head directly for
Houston.
Should that happen, controllers would have to evacuate --
forcing the crew aboard Atlantis to shorten their mission
considerably. Such a situation would not give the crew
enough time to complete their mission of resuming construction on
the International Space Station.
"We would undock, de-orbit at the first safe opportunity, and
leave the (space) station in the safest configuration we could,"
Cain told CNN.
And that would throw NASA's carefully orchestrated, jam-packed
schedule of completing 16 successful shuttle missions before 2010
-- about four a year -- into disarray, as subsequent missions are
hinging on the successful completion of STS-115.
Commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates are heading to the
ISS to install a new 17-ton segment of the station's truss
backbone, adding a new set of giant solar panels and batteries to
the complex. Three spacewalks are planned.