NASA Shuttle Launch: Discovery Mission Delayed Until Wednesday

The NASA shuttle launch scheduled for Tuesday morning has been postponed due to weather. NASA will try again to launch the shuttle Discovery to the international space station on Wednesday.

Be sure to catch the shuttle launch live to the right on our homepage.

Thunderstorms developed late Monday night around the launch site, and lightning struck near the launch pad. In fact, a strike was reported just five miles away from the launch pad…then it began to pour. The thunderstorms finally passed, but not quickly enough.

Launch director Pete Nickolenko waited as long as possible before putting a halt to the official countdown clock. The space shuttle carries seven astronauts, along with thousands of pounds of supplies for the international space station, including a new treadmill named after Stephen Colbert.

“The vehicle and the operations were cooperating, but the local weather unfortunately did not,” Nickolenko said to the astronauts.

“When the weather is ready to cooperate, we’ll be ready to go,” replied commander Rick Sturckow.

Another 30 minutes, and “I think we’d have a real good shot today,” said Mike Moses, chairman of the mission management team…but time ran out on the crew.