Shuttle managers debate ways to get around fuel gauge glitch

NASA delayed the launch of space shuttle Atlantis until at least Sunday as managers debated whether to loosen launch rules to get around fuel gauge problems.

Atlantis’ countdown was halted Thursday after a pair of gauges at the bottom of the external fuel tank failed a routine test at the launch pad.

The delay was especially disappointing for the many visitors from the European Space Agency. Atlantis is supposed to carry a European-built science lab, Columbus, to the International Space Station.

Before a launch is allowed, NASA managers must be convinced that flight controllers and the astronauts can safely work around the problem while the shuttle is zooming to orbit.

Since last year, the rule has been that three of the four fuel sensors must be working; before then, the requirement was four-out-of-four good sensors. But managers were considering further lowering the standard in part because of new instrumentation added to the shuttle fleet.