NASA Clears Shuttle Discovery for Launch

After an intense weekend of repairs and reviews, NASA cleared space shuttle Discovery for liftoff tonight from Cape Canaveral on a space station construction mission. But gusty wind threatened to push the launch later into the week. Meteorologist John Weems said there was a 70% chance that stiff crosswinds would prevent Discovery from taking off on NASA’s 100th space shuttle mission, not only today but Tuesday too. Discovery was supposed to depart for the international space station last Thursday, but was grounded by concerns over bolts on the external fuel tank. Also, a sluggish engine compartment valve had to be replaced.