Shuttle launch plan still up in the air

Marcia Dunn, Cape Canaveral

Deputy shuttle programme manager Wayne Hale said the space agency still probably faces several days of troubleshooting to figure out what caused the faulty fuel-gauge reading that forced the cancellation of Wednesday’s launch.

The only way the shuttle would be able to fly on Sunday is “if we go in and wiggle some wires and find a loose connection”, said Mr Hale, who conceded that was unlikely to work.