CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With a leaky line repaired, NASA fueled space shuttle Atlantis again on Monday even though stiff wind threatened to further delay the space station construction mission.
The forecast called for gusts of up to 35 mph at the pad, right at the safety limit for launch.
As the sun rose, NASA began pumping fuel into Atlantis' external tank. Less than three hours later, the tank was filled and all of the plumbing held, unlike last week.
NASA kept the 2:39 p.m. MDT launch time a secret until late Sunday, under a new policy intended to protect the shuttle and its seven astronauts from terrorist attack. No-fly and no-sail zones were in effect throughout much of the day.
Atlantis' astronauts will be the first visitors for the three men who have been living on space station Alpha since December. The shuttle flight will last 11 days, compared with the station crew's 189-day mission, which will set a U.S. space endurance record.