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Final shuttle launch on target for Friday despite weather
Jul 8, 2011, 7:02 GMT
Cape Canaveral, Florida - The fuelling of the NASA space shuttle Atlantis began on schedule ahead of the final launch of the US space agency's 30-year space programme on Friday.
The shuttle's external fuel tank was being filled with 1.89 million litres of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at the Kennedy Space Center's launch pad, according to NASA.
Atlantis was set to blast off at 11:26 am (1526 GMT) Friday. But bad weather - lightning, thunderstorms, rain - could ground it.
On Thursday NASA said launch preparations continued 'on schedule despite inclement weather near the launch pad near midday.'
The troubles started with a severe thunderstorm as engineers prepared to move a service structure away from the 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, 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,' it said.
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