NASA calls off Friday’s launch of Endeavour

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA has scrubbed Friday’s launch of the space shuttle Endeavour due to technical issues with its heating system.

The astrovan was on its way out to the launchpad when it turned around and returned back to the operations and check-out building.

As a result, a NASA spokesman said the next try will be Sunday at the earliest.

Earlier, the space agency reported that two heaters on an auxiliary power unit were not working. The launch was halted because engineers could not understand the problem.

The mission was highly anticipated for two reasons. It is Endeavour’s final flight, and Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head at a political event in January, was out of rehabilitation and on scene to witness her husband, mission commander Mark Kelly.

U.S. President Barack Obama had also planned to watch the launch, but had not yet arrived when the launch was called off.

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