US space shuttle launch delayed over hydrogen leak

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2009

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AFP) — The US space shuttle Endeavour's launch was delayed on Saturday following a hydrogen leak, postponing a mission to the International Space Station by at least four days.

The launch had been scheduled for 7:17 am (1117 GMT) from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Now the earliest opportunity for the shuttle's liftoff will be on June 17, officials said.

The crew's commander, Mark Polansky, wrote on the micro-blogging website Twitter that his crew would await further word from NASA chiefs on how to proceed.

"What happens now? We work 2 a Wed launch while senior management meets to decide on the plan. My crew stays in quarantine at KSC (Kennedy Space Center) for now."

The leak in a venting system was detected near the Ground Umbilical...