Lightning strike at Atlantis shuttle launch pad.

[Jupiter]

here

[h0ughy (David)]

glad I wasnt scrubbing the gang plank!

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Not a rare event given the location of the launchpad and how many lightning storms they get per year. Just lucky they had the systems in place to remove the danger from the orbiter and tanks.

[rowena]

though they have delayedt the launch by a day.
tuesday morning around 6am

[Sonia]

Its better to have delayed it than have anyone injured.

[iceman (Mike)]

Is launch still set for tomorrow morning (Tuesday) ? I heard on the news this morning about another 24 hour delay, but I don't know if that means wednesday now?

[rowena]

latest is that they are making a decission this morning(our evening sometime) for go/no go, but the astronaunts will be gearing up until they get a no go status. otherwise iif deLlayed today the shuttle may be possibly be getting rolled back to the assembly bay due too another hurricane, and considering they will not launch with storms withiin 20 miles of the launch site wll be interesting to see what happens.

[Sonia]

Nasa has cancelled Tuesday's planned space shuttle launch and is preparing to move the orbiter indoors because of the approaching Tropical Storm Ernesto. Officials delayed a decision on moving shuttle Atlantis off its launch pad, in case Ernesto heads away from Florida.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5291646.stm