NASA and Russian space managers agreed today to extend the shuttle Atlantis' launch window by one day, to September 8, to bolster the U.S. space agency's chances of getting the weather-delayed shuttle off the ground this month.If shuttle Atlantis weathers tropical storm Ernesto without any major problems, and if engineers can complete hurried preparations, NASA may be ready to make a launch attempt as early as September 6, one day before the shuttle's launch window closes, officials said late Tuesday (August 29).
If the shuttle Atlantis fails to get off the ground before the September 7, the end of its current launch window which could delay the flight to late October, NASA managers may reconsider an earlier decision to only launch in daylight.