( RIA Novosti ) - NASA has delayed the U.S. Atlantis shuttle launch until Saturday for technical reasons, the space agency's website said.
The launch which is due to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station (ISS) was delayed after engine cutoff sensors failed in pre-flight tests.
The STS-122 Mission Management Team chairman LeRoy Cain said the shuttle is now scheduled to lift off for its 11-day mission from the Kennedy Space Center on December 8 at 3:43 p.m. EST (8:43 GMT).
The crew consists of seven astronauts - commander Stephen Frick, pilot Alan Poindexter, mission specialists Rex Walheim, Leland Melvin and Stanley Love plus European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts, Hans Schlegel from German and French national Leopold Eyharts, who will remain on board the ISS replacing American Daniel Tani.
Crew members are due to carry out three spacewalks during the mission installing and activating the $2 billion Columbus space laboratory, which has taken twelve years to set up and will be Europe's first permanent outpost in space.
Citing weather officer Chris Lovett, NASA said weather conditions were less favorable for the launch on Saturday with a 40% chance the weather could worsen and the launch delayed further.