NASA on Wednesday uncovered two cracks in the fuel tank of the space shuttle Discovery, both of which measure approximately 9 inches long.

The cracks, located on a section of the tank's metal exterior, were discovered as technicians removed the external fuel tank foam insulation. "They were found one of the stringers, which are composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank's intertank area," NASA said in a statement.

Engineers are now reviewing those cracks to figure out how best to repair them, though NASA said it has repaired similar cracks in the past. Usually, technicians will remove the cracked aluminum and replace it with a "doubler," which is a twice-as-thick stringer section, before replacing the foam insulation, NASA said.

The announcement comes five days after NASA was forced to scrub the Discovery launch until at least November 30. Officials decided to postpone the launch due to a hydrogen gas leak, but they are also contending with a 20-inch crack in the external tank's foam.

Leaks and weather issues delayed the shuttle launch several times last week. 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. Electrical issues prevented launch on that day, however, while the Cape Canaveral weather marred a Thursday launch.

For more details, NASA has posted a YouTube video detailing Discovery repair efforts.