Clouds Diminish Shuttle’s Odds

A mass of dark clouds moved toward Kennedy Space Center today and forecasters saw only a 20% chance that conditions would improve enough to launch space shuttle Atlantis on a top-secret military mission Thursday.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration also confronted a new problem: The launch pad crew discovered two stripped bolts on a servicing access panel leading to a cluster of small jet thrusters used to steer the shuttle in orbit. NASA said the stripped fasteners were replaced with studs that were glued in place with a special epoxy. He said that the quick fix would be checked later in the day and that if it is not holding, the launch might have to be delayed by a day or two.