Cape Canaveral

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A last-minute technical issue forced NASA officials to scrub the launch of space shuttle Endeavour at about noon EDT on Friday, a move certain to disappoint President Barack Obama, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and hundreds of thousands of spectators who flooded to Florida’s Space Coast.

The issue is one of three heating units aboard Endeavour that is designed to keep fuel lines from freezing in space. While these fuel lines are not particularly critical for launch, they are vital in ensuring that the airplane-like machinery of Endeavour works on re-entry — such as landing gear and its rudder speed brake.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Everything is on track for Friday's launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, with President Barack Obama, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and as many as 700,000 onlookers along the Space Coast on hand to cheer its final mission.

But the weather could disappoint everyone.

Shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters said Thursday that the prospects of crosswinds and cloud cover Friday afternoon have increased the probability of a weather-delayed launch to 30 percent, up from the 20 percent prediction NASA has been holding much of the week.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is delaying its next space shuttle flight -- the last voyage of Endeavour with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' astronaut husband in charge.

The flight was postponed because the original April 19 date conflicts with Russia's plans to send a cargo ship to the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is investigating after cocaine was found in a facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Discovery, the world's most traveled spaceship, thundered into orbit for the final time Thursday, heading toward the International Space Station on a journey that marks the beginning of the end of the shuttle era.

The six astronauts on board, all experienced space fliers, were thrilled to be on their way after a delay of nearly four months for fuel tank repairs. But it puts Discovery on the cusp of retirement when it returns in 11 days and eventually heads to a museum.

Thousands of sightseers are flocking to Florida's Cape Canaveral this month, eager for the lightning-bright, thunderously loud final launch of the space shuttle Discovery.

But to technicians and managers who work on Discovery, and to astronauts who have flown it, the spacecraft's last launch is more than a historic milestone.