NASA has postponed Thursday's planned launch of the space shuttle Atlantis after discovering a problem with a sensor in the spacecraft's fuel tank.
The next opportunity for the shuttle to launch on a mission to the International Space Station is on Friday at 1609 EST (2109 GMT).
The technical issue that forced the postponement was a problem that has cropped up before – false fuel level readings by sensors inside the shuttle's tank. The four engine cut-off (ECO) sensors in the shuttle's liquid hydrogen tank monitor fuel levels and can shut down the engines to prevent the tank from running out of propellant prematurely, which could destroy the shuttle.
Tucked inside Atlantis's cargo bay is the European Space Agency's primary contribution to the $100 billion space station program – an 8.2-metre-long, 4.6-metre-diameter module named Columbus.
ESA has waited patiently for this day for more than five years. Columbus's initial planned launch was postponed when NASA grounded its shuttle fleet for safety upgrades after the 2003 Columbia disaster.
Columbus "is our cornerstone, our baby, our module, our laboratory," said Alan Thirkettle, ESA's space station manager.
The Space Shuttle – learn more in our continuously updated special report.
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