The Nation - News from Aug. 24, 1988

NASA managers put off making a decision on when to launch the shuttle Discovery on the first post-Challenger flight until at least the end of the week to give engineers more time to discuss what to do about a hydrogen leak and two sluggish valves. Frederick H. Hauck, Discovery commander, said it would be prudent to resolve the leak issue by proving the problem will not get worse during blastoff before proceeding with announcement of a launch date. During a teleconference, Kennedy Space Center managers in Florida are thought to have recommended a Sept. 29 blastoff while managers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston voiced support for Sept. 26. Shuttle program director Arnold D. Aldrich decided the leak issue and the valve problem had to be resolved before a launch date can be set, sources said.