NASA’s probably hoping the third time will be the charm, since the two space shuttle launches have been scrubbed in the past week, most recently Wednesday.
The Endeavour is on the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Fla., but a hydrogen leak caused NASA to scrub the early morning launch less than four hours before takeoff was scheduled, according to The Washington Post.
The leak — in a hydrogen vent line that is attached to the shuttle’s external fuel tank — is the same problem in the same place as the one that caused the first launch, set for last Saturday, to be scrubbed. According to the Post article, repairs had been made after that leak, including replacing the hookup and two seals. That did the trick back in March after a similar leak showed up, but not this time.
Endeavour’s mission will carry the Japanese contribution to the International Space Station, the module known as Kibo that includes a “front porch” that will be used — no, not for sitting in rocking chairs — for experiments in space. The Space.com website has a day-by-day schedule for Endeavour’s 17-day mission.