The Nation : NASA Ready to Start Shuttle Countdown

Launch pad crews worked through a checklist of final activities as NASA prepared to begin its first countdown in nearly three years for sending a manned spaceship into orbit. The preparations continued despite a report that was to be aired on CBS News’ “West 57th” indicating that three safety engineers hired by Morton Thiokol Inc. to analyze the redesigned shuttle boosters found “potential catastrophic problems.” “We are confident about the boosters we have on the pad and about the test program and redesign those booster have undergone,” said Lisa Malone, spokeswoman for Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The countdown for Discovery’s launch at 6:59 a.m. PDT Thursday was set to begin at 9:01 p.m. PDT today, with an extra 24 hours built in to allow for last-minute problems.