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Shuttle launch scrubbed hours before lift-off

Highlighting continuing image and logistical problems at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday`s planned launch of the space shuttle Discovery was canceled with just hours to go before the scheduled lift-off. The launch was to be the first space shuttle mission since the shuttle Columbia broke up upon re-entry in February 2003.

Some considered a mishap earlier in the day as a foreshadowing of the cancellation, as a side panel on Discovery was damaged by a falling window cover the day before. The mission was scrubbed, though, because of a sensor that was failing to show there was fuel in the external fuel tank even though the tank was topped up. There are four sensors that are generally monitored like this before a launch, and there has never been a launch without all four sensors working properly.

If the problem is not solved and the mission not launched within the next few days, the next window of opportunity for NASA to launch Discovery will come in September. One of the many reasons such a delay would take place is because this particular mission is set to go to the International Space Station and the current orbit of the station is ideal for fuel and other reasons, and conditions for Discovery to meet up with the ISS will not be favorable again after the next few days until September.