Lightning Strikes Pad; Ernesto Worries Controllers

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 08.27.06 1400 EDT: Mission managers at NASA have determined the space shuttle Atlantis will not launch before Tuesday, August 29. The second delay is the result of the lightning strike at the pad on Friday, and the need for additional time for further analysis of the shuttle and ground systems.

NASA stressed that no damage has been found to either the shuttle or pad at this time -- but they still want to run some more tests, to be on the safe side.

Additionally, the delay gives NASA time to monitor the storm track of what is now Hurricane Ernesto, to better determine if the storm (at this writing, a Category One storm) will head towards Houston, TX... and Mission Control.

Original Story

Sometimes, you just have to heed the signs... as is the case at NASA, which chose to delay the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis for one day after a bolt of lightning struck the launch pad Friday.

NASA reports the lightning strike (above, captured by the agency's cameras) caused no apparent damage to launch pad 39B, or to the shuttle... but mission managers decided to take the extra day to make doubly sure all is well before sending Atlantis into orbit.

"We're going to let the teams go off and work the plans," said LeRoy Cain, launch integration manager and chairman of the management team.

The next launch attempt for STS-115 will be at 4:04 pm EDT on Monday, August 28. NASA has until September 7 to launch Atlantis, after which time the current launch window closes.

While NASA is confident that no other issue except for weather can delay the launch, weather remains a primary concern... and not just because of storm clouds over Cape Canaveral. Mission controllers in Houston are also keeping a wary eye on Tropical Storm Ernesto, which is currently stewing in the Atlantic Ocean.

As the storm is currently tracking well west of the Cape, Ernesto should not affect the launch of Atlantis; what has NASA concerned is the strong possibility the storm will develop into the season's first hurricane -- and head directly for Houston.

Should that happen, controllers would have to evacuate -- forcing the crew aboard Atlantis to shorten their mission considerably. Such a situation would not give the crew enough time to complete their mission of resuming construction on the International Space Station.

"We would undock, de-orbit at the first safe opportunity, and leave the (space) station in the safest configuration we could," Cain told CNN.

And that would throw NASA's carefully orchestrated, jam-packed schedule of completing 16 successful shuttle missions before 2010 -- about four a year -- into disarray, as subsequent missions are hinging on the successful completion of STS-115.

Commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates are heading to the ISS to install a new 17-ton segment of the station's truss backbone, adding a new set of giant solar panels and batteries to the complex. Three spacewalks are planned.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/shuttle