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Electrical Issues Push Discovery Shuttle Launch to Thursday

 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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The launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery has been delayed yet again due to concerns about electrical issues. It has now been pushed to at least Thursday, Nov. 4.

The crew is currently examining two electrical issues from a main engine computer controller that were discovered Tuesday morning, NASA said in a statement. Mike Moses, chair of the pre-launch mission management team, said the problems are likely tied to a circuit breaker in the shuttle's cockpit.

"Rather than rush the shuttle launch team through an analysis and launch cycle quickly, Moses said he opted to let the engineers work throughout the night on the issue without having to worry about an early morning tanking and Wednesday afternoon launch," NASA said in a statement.

Moses's team will meet again at 2pm on Wednesday to determine whether or not it will be safe to launch tomorrow; if all systems are go, the shuttle would launch at 3:29pm.

This is the third delay for the Space Shuttle Discovery launch. The shuttle was initially scheduled to launch on Monday, but helium and nitrogen leaks in the pressurization portion of space shuttle pushed that to Tuesday. When repairs related to those leaks lasted longer than expected, NASA again delayed the launch to Wednesday at 3:52pm Eastern time.

In additional to the electrical issues, weather might also be a factor for a Thursday launch. During a Tuesday press briefing, NASA officials said there was a 70 percent chance that weather would delay a Thursday launch because of expected rainfall and cloud coverage. Early Wednesday, NASA updated that forecast to say that there was only a 20 percent chance for favorable weather for launch.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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