Weather Threatens Shuttle Launch

Remnants of Tropical Storm Jerry threatened to wash out NASA’s plans to launch space shuttle Endeavour on an already delayed science mission today.

Forecasters gave only a 40 percent chance of good weather for the 11:04 a.m. (EDT) liftoff.

Endeavour’s crew will release a solar research satellite, called Spartan, one day after blasting into orbit and retrieve it two days later.

They will also release and recover a flying saucershaped satellite intended for electronics research.

Scientists hope to create a contamination-free vacuum in the wake of the satellite as it hurtles around Earth at 17,500 mph. Extremely thin semiconductor films will be grown in this wake.