Shuttle Launch Countdown to Begin Today
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The countdown for the space shuttle Discovery and its secret military cargo was set to start today, including extra time to fix several last-minute minor technical problems, NASA said.
Space agency officials said none of the problems appeared serious enough to delay launch of the shuttle’s last classified Defense Department mission at 3:59 a.m. PST Wednesday.
Five military officers will fly the weeklong mission with the main goal of deploying a secret satellite that space experts believe will spy on Iraq, parts of Asia and the remnants of Yugoslavia.
The Pentagon plans to launch future satellites on unmanned rockets.
Countdown clocks are scheduled to begin ticking backward at 5 a.m. PST today, three hours early, NASA said.
Starting early will enable engineers to spend more time checking for leaking seals and lines in the system that produces electricity and drinking water for the crew in orbit, NASA said.
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