Delayed launch of Discovery

Discovery launch was delayed until the end of November.

Credit: NASA's Kennedy Space Center

An 8-inch crack has been spotted in the foam covering the intertank section of the shuttle Discovery's external tank. Engineers are assessing that situation, which has developed since the tank was drained of its supercold propellants today.

Mission Management Team prelaunch chairman Mike Moses says officials determined it just wasn't prudent to push toward a Monday launch attempt given the amount of work ahead to resolve the hydrogen leak.

Moses says the foam crack is located on the front side of the tank facing the orbiter and just above the bipod where Discovery's nose is attached. He said it's too soon to know what might need to be done with that crack.

from spaceflightnow
image credits: NASA