Low Clouds Postpone Liftoff of Space Shuttle

A fast-moving bank of clouds forced the cancellation of Monday’s scheduled launch of the space shuttle Columbia, but NASA forecasters predicted a 70% chance of favorable weather for a blastoff this morning at 4:35 PST.

The space agency will have 58 minutes to get the often-delayed mission off the ground, a constraint introduced by a primary mission of the shuttle: retrieving a valuable scientific satellite from orbit. The shuttle must lift off within that time frame in order to get into the same orbital plane as the endangered satellite.

Weather concerns for today include the possibility of low clouds and fog in the area at launch time.

Despite pessimistic weather forecasts, Monday morning dawned beautifully here, with blue skies and scattered clouds. By launch time, however, a 6,000-foot-high bank of clouds had scooted into the area. Regulations require 8,000 feet of visibility for a potential emergency landing at the Kennedy Space Center airstrip if the mission should be aborted shortly after launch.

Weather requirements for launch have been tightened considerably since the 1986 Challenger explosion, in which seven crew members died.

The launch now scheduled for today is the first of 10 shuttle missions NASA has planned for this year. During the 10-day mission, Columbia is scheduled to launch a Navy communications satellite and rescue the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) before it crashes back into the atmosphere in March. LDEF carries experiments designed to show the effects of exposure to the harsh environment of space on materials used in satellites.

The five members of Columbia’s crew will also carry out medical and other experiments during the 10-day mission in preparation for future 16-day and 28-day shuttle flights. NASA spokesman Hugh Harris said the five were in good spirits despite their four hours strapped into the shuttle.

The crew includes: Navy Capt. Daniel C. Brandenstein, 46, the mission commander; Navy Lt. Cmdr. James D. Wetherbee, 37, the pilot; and mission specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar, 40, Marsha S. Ivins, 38, and G. David Low, 33.