WASHINGTON, 20 Feb. 2010. NASA officials are targeting Monday, 5 April for the launch of the next space shuttle from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Space Shuttle Discovery's seven crew members had planned to lift off on 18 March to begin the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. However, cold weather in Florida has delayed Discovery's move to the Vehicle Assembly Building to complete the shuttle's processing, which has delayed the rollout to the launch pad.
The Space Shuttle program has specific rules against transporting the shuttle when temperatures are below a certain level for extended periods. The vehicle has thrusters with seals that could leak under cold temperatures.
