CAPE
CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- After a week of weather delays,
NASA officials on Thursday set a Wednesday launch time for space shuttle
Atlantis on its mission to resume construction of the international space
station.
The launch decision was
made after a check of Kennedy
Space Center
following Ernesto's pass as a tropical depression on Wednesday found no serious
damage.
"We're back,'' said
NASA spokesman Bill Johnson. "There was no water
intrusion in any operational areas, and so basically we came through this one
unscathed.''
The launch time was set for
12:29 EDT
on Wednesday. If the shuttle doesn't lift off then, NASA has launch
opportunities in the following two days.
Atlantis' six astronauts,
who flew in their training jets back to Houston
earlier this week, planned to return to Florida
Saturday morning. The countdown was set to begin Sunday morning.
Tropical Storm Ernesto's
approach and a lightning strike on the launch pad last week had forced NASA to
delay the launch.
·
Complete Coverage --
STS-115 Atlantis Mission
·
NASA's
Shuttle Atlantis Weathers Storm at Launch Pad
·
Launch
Delayed, Shuttle Atlantis Takes Shelter from Tropical Storm
·
NASA
Scrubs Shuttle Launch Citing Lightning Strike, Weather