‘Here We Are Again!’--Crew of Discovery Ready for Launch

The shuttle Discovery’s crew flew back to Florida on Sunday for blastoff Tuesday on a critical flight to carry the $1.5-billion Hubble Space Telescope into orbit, 14 days late because of hydraulic problems.

“Well, here we are again!” Discovery skipper Loren J. Shriver said shortly after the crew arrived. “We feel very confident that things are going to go well this time.”

Air Force meteorologists predicted a 70% chance of good weather at launch time Tuesday, although an approaching frontal system could cause problems should it slow down or stall today as it moves through the area.

With Discovery’s countdown ticking smoothly toward a second launch attempt, engineers Sunday hauled another shuttle, Columbia, from the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building to pad 39A for liftoff May 16 to ferry a battery of more modest telescopes into space.

Discovery is making its 10th flight. If all goes well, Shriver, 45; co-pilot Charles F. Bolden, 43; Steven A. Hawley, 38; Bruce McCandless, 52, and Kathryn D. Sullivan, 38, will blast off on the 35th shuttle mission at 5:31 a.m. PDT Tuesday.

Vice President Dan Quayle, chairman of the National Space Council, may attend the launching if his schedule permits, sources said.

Discovery’s first launch try was called off just four minutes prior to liftoff April 10 after one of three auxiliary power units, or APUs, malfunctioned. The APUs pressurize the shuttle’s hydraulic system for steering during launch and their operation is crucial for a safe flight.

The crew is scheduled to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope on Wednesday. Once the instrument is checked out and operating on its own, the astronauts will devote the remainder of their five-day mission to a series of relatively minor experiments before gliding to a touchdown at Edwards Air Force Base on Sunday.