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A hydrogen leak has forced NASA to cancel Saturday’s planned launch of the space shuttle Endeavour.
NASA stopped fueling the shuttle Saturday morning after noticing a leak emanating from the hydrogen venting system near the external fuel tank. That system usually carries hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.
Shuttle managers will meet at 2pm ET on Sunday to decide when the next launch opportunity will be.
The earliest opportunity looks to be Wednesday, NASA said, but the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite is already scheduled to be launched that day, presenting a potential conflict.
Endeavour will be carrying seven astronauts and a key component for Japan’s Kibo science laboratory. It will be traveling to the International Space Station.
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