NASA has given tentative launch dates for the next three Space Shuttle missions as wiring inspections and repairs on orbiters Discovery and Endeavour near completion and similar work begins on Atlantis.
The STS103 Discovery, the Hubble Space Telescope-Servicing 3A mission, will be launched on 2 December.
The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, to be flown by the STS99 Endeavour, flies on 13 January, while the International Space Station Logistics and Assembly Mission 3A on the STS101 Atlantis will be launched on 10 February.
"Our number one priority is to fly safely," says Ron Dittemore, the Shuttle programme manager, who added that "significant changes" have been made to protect electrical wiring.
The STS103, the third mission to service the Hubble, will be followed by flights in 2001 and 2003, to install new solar panels and instruments, respectively.
Source: Flight International
