Shuttle on Schedule Despite Computer Bug
An electronics problem with a computerized display unit in the space shuttle Columbia resulted in extra last-minute work for NASA on Monday, but it was not expected to delay this week’s launch.
“That’s really our only problem. Everything else is going very smoothly,” NASA test director Al Sofge said.
Columbia is scheduled to lift off at 9:38 PDT tonight, carrying seven crew members and a $150-million observatory known as Astro that will be used to study ultraviolet light and X-rays emitted by stars and other objects.
Meanwhile, Air Force forecasters were predicting an 80% chance of favorable weather at launch time. The 9- to 10-day mission--the first one in five years to be devoted entirely to scientific research--already has been delayed two weeks because of repairs to the shuttle’s cooling system.
Because of the delay, fewer observations are planned of Comet Austin, which is receding rapidly from Earth. The comet is believed to be on its first trip through the solar system.
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