Launch may be delayed
Thunderstorms threatened to delay NASA’s last space shuttle launch set for Friday with lightning striking near the pad as astronauts descended on Cape Canaveral by the dozens on the eve of the historic flight.
Despite a 70 percent “no-go” forecast, senior managers said they would try for an on-time launch of Atlantis anyway.
NASA test director Jeff Spaulding pointed out that space shuttles have managed to launch with worse forecasts.
“There’s some opportunity there,” he said Thursday as the rain set in. “It’s a really tough day if you make a decision not to go and it turns out to be good weather.”