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From: alb@brunix.UUCP (Adam Buchsbaum)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: More Launch Delays
Message-ID: <12323@brunix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 28-Feb-85 19:23:59 EST
Article-I.D.: brunix.12323
Posted: Thu Feb 28 19:23:59 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Mar-85 02:42:36 EST
Lines: 16

NASA today postponed the launch of the Challenger by
three more days, until 7 March, if order to give
technicians more time to troubleshoot one of the
batteries on the TDRS satellite in the cargo bay.
One of its twenty-four cells will not accept a
charge.  The battery is one of three that supplies
power to the satellite when it is out of sunlight.

The new delay has forced a postponement of the next
launch of the Discovery, originally scheduled for
17 March.  The new launch date for that mission is
now 20 March, giving a mere 3-day launch window.
The window is due to the orbit needed for the Discovery
to rendezvous with a satellite that its crew is
scheduled to retrieve.  The next launch opportunity
would come three weeks later.