NASA held a practice run Wednesday, 10 weeks before the rescheduled liftoff of the space shuttle Discovery — the first since the 2003 Columbia disaster as it reentered the earth's atmosphere.
Heightened post-9/11 security was in evidence as the seven-person team of astronauts, dressed in orange space jumpsuits, arrived around 7:15 am for the rehearsal.
"The exercise will enable the shuttle launch team and Discovery's crew to get familiar with all of the procedures they'll go through in the days and hours leading up to the real liftoff," said Bruce Buckingham, news chief for the Kennedy Space Center.
NASA announced last week it was delaying its resumption of shuttle flights by nearly two months, and that the new date for liftoff would be July 13.
On Wednesday, commander Eileen Collins told reporters that the risks associated with a May launch of the Discovery were "unacceptable."
NASA pushed back the Discovery's mission to the orbiting International Space Station to carry out a more exhaustive review of modifications the shuttle has undergone since the Columbia disintegrated on reentry on February 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board.
earlier related report
Risks for May flight of Discovery were too high, says shuttle commander
