Final shuttle launch on target for Friday despite thunderstorms

Jul 8, 2011, 1:32 GMT

Cape Canaveral, Florida - Weather has long played havoc with US shuttle launches, and for a while on Thursday, it seemed lightning and thunderstorms had once again conspired to delay the final launch of the 30-year programme.

But the US space agency said late Thursday that the Atlantis launch preparations continued 'on schedule despite inclement weather near the launch pad near midday.'

Launch time was set for 11:26 am (1526 GMT) Friday if things continued to look good.

The troubles started when a severe thunderstorm passed overhead as engineers prepared to move a service structure away from the Atlantis shuttle, a routine manoeuvre ahead of the launch.

Two strikes of lightning hit near the launch pad - the first at a water tower 157 metres from the pad and the second at a beach north-east of the pad, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said.

After a review, there appeared to be 'no issues with any systems, including shuttle Atlantis, external tank, solid rocket boosters, space shuttle main engines or ground support equipment,' NASA said.

The engineering review board gave the green light for the launch.

Further reviews are to occur 10 hours before the launch when the weather forecast would be checked ahead of fuelling. Fuelling was to start at 2:01 am.

Earlier weather forecasts said Atlantis would have a 30-per-cent chance of having clear enough weather for lift-off.