NASA will try again to launch the shuttle Discovery to the international space station Wednesday after having to call it off because of thunderstorms. The storms popped up unexpectedly late Monday all around the launch site, and lightning lit up the sky. A strike was reported just five miles (eight kilometers) from the pad, and then it started to pour. The storms finally eased, but not fast enough. Launch director Pete Nickolenko waited as long as he could early Tuesday before halting the countdown. The space shuttle had seven astronauts inside as well as thousands of pounds of space station supplies, including a new treadmill named for TV comedian Stephen Colbert. “The vehicle and the operations were cooperating, but the local weather unfortunately did not,” Nickolenko informed the astronauts. “When the weather is ready to cooperate, we'll be ready to go,” replied commander Rick Sturckow.
