Space Shuttle going up again

The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis has been scrubbed until Saturday due to a problem with one of the vehicle's external tank ECO sensors. NASA managers will hold a press conference no earlier than 12:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the sensor issue and tomorrow's liftoff attempt.

The new launch time for Atlantis is targeted for 11:15 a.m. on Saturday.

The ECO sensor issue arose earlier in today's countdown when launch controllers detected a problem with one of the four ECO sensors inside the hydrogen section of the space shuttle's orange external tank. The sensors monitor hydrogen levels inside of the tank and trigger the orbiter's engines to shutdown when gas levels drop below a specified level.

The hatch into Atlantis' crew cabin has been sealed for flight following the strapping in of all six STS-115 astronauts inside the ship. Commander Brent Jett and his crew are now setting switches and bringing the orbiter's systems online as the countdown to an 11:15 a.m. launch ticks on.

Today's weather around Kennedy Space Center is nicely suited for a space shuttle launch. The current temperature is approaching 80 degrees, with light winds and only a few scattered clouds dotting the sky.