The space shuttle Discovery rolls out to the launch pad after two months of delays.
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Courtesy of NASA

Discover Heads to Launch Pad Just in Time
News story originally written on November 15, 1999

Finally, after two months of delays, the space shuttle Discovery is on the launch pad. Wiring problems have set back the initial launch date to December 6th. Now that the shuttle is on the launch pad, NASA getting ready for the launch.

The good news couldn't have come at a better time. The Hubble Space Telescope is having problems. The telescope has 6 gyros, which keep the spacecraft in position for measurements. Four of these gyros are not working, forcing the Hubble into safe mode. This means that it can no longer be used for observations until it is fixed.

Although the telescope is not in any danger, scientists will lose 6 weeks of information. NASA believes that after astronauts fix the Hubble, it should be ready for use in January.

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