Amid Lightning, Space Shuttle Is Prepared for Launch
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Lightning plagued space workers Sunday as they readied the shuttle Columbia for a planned launch this morning.
The German-financed science flight has already been delayed a month.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said that Columbia, the oldest shuttle, was mechanically sound and only weather could delay the 6:51 a.m. PST launch. Forecasters are predicting a 70% chance of favorable liftoff conditions.
Rain showers drenched central Florida for a fifth straight day Sunday. A morning lightning bolt briefly blacked out the launch control center and Columbia’s launch pad, but launch director Robert Sieck said no damage was done.
“We were able to keep on with the countdown without any impact,” he said.
About two-thirds of the experiments will be done on behalf of German investigators. Japan, the United States and the European Space Agency also have experiments on board.
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