CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The launch weather officer for the space shuttle Atlantis said the forecast appears favorable for the planned Wednesday Cape Canaveral, Fla., launch.
Kathy Winters said thunderstorms could hit the area around the Kennedy Space Center after the 12:29 p.m. launch, but the sky should be clear for liftoff, CNN reported Tuesday.
"We do have favorable conditions expected for launch time," Winters said. "(But) we always have a chance of uncertainty."
Atlantis' planned Aug. 27 launch was delayed to allow engineers to examine the spacecraft for damage from a lightning strike. A further delay occurred when Tropical Storm Ernesto approached the area.
The shuttle, which is the first to carry major upgrades to the International Space Station since the crash of Columbia in 2003, could launch later in the week if weather prohibits a Wednesday liftoff.
