Cracks found in another space shuttle

Nasa has discovered a fuel-line crack in its newest space shuttle today, the same potentially dangerous problem affecting the rest of the fleet.

The small crack was found in the metal liner of a hydrogen-fuel line inside Endeavour, which returned from orbit just last month.

Similar cracks have been found in the same parts on the three other shuttles, Atlantis, Discovery and Columbia.

Engineers are still inspecting Endeavour, which first flew in 1992, and more cracks are anticipated.

‘‘We’ve got it on the other three, so we’re not necessarily surprised to see that Endeavour has cracks, too,’’ said Bruce Buckingham, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Buckingham said there is no way to know, with certainty, when or how the cracks occurred. ‘‘But I think a reasonable person can assume we’ve been flying with these cracks,’’ he added.

The problem was first detected three weeks ago on Atlantis. Inspections quickly turned up cracks on Discovery and then Columbia. The work on Endeavour had to wait until the shuttle returned to Cape Canaveral in Florida from California’s Edwards Air Force Base, where it landed on June 19 following a space station visit.

Columbia’s science research flight with the first Israeli astronaut, which had been scheduled for a July 19 liftoff, is on indefinite hold. The launch dates of all other shuttle flights this year are also in question.

Buckingham said Nasa does not consider the shuttle fleet grounded - at least not yet.

There is a possibility that engineers may conclude that the spaceships can fly safely with the cracks and that no repairs are needed, he said.

But if the cracked liners need to be replaced, it could take months to manufacture new parts.