Fuel cell problem delays launch of space shuttle Atlantis
Nasa postponed the launch of US space shuttle Atlantis after discovering problems with a fuel cell early today.
Tanking of the shuttle at Cape Canaveral, Florida, never got under way before one of three cells providing electricity malfunctioned. The space agency planned to examine the problem and try again tomorrow.
The shuttle, which is on a construction mission to the international space station, had already delayed by the Columbia accident, continued safety problems after Discovery’s flight in 2005, a lightning strike in August and the threat of Tropical Storm Ernesto.
