Space shuttle with Briton delayed

THE space shuttle was left grounded yesterday after a planned Nasa launch was delayed due to bad weather.

The spacecraft was due to blast off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 4:39am (9:39am GMT) but low cloud resulted in the countdown being called off with just minutes to go.

Launch managers said they will try to get space shuttle Endeavour on its way to the stars again this morning. Among those on board was British-born astronaut Dr Nicholas Patrick, who is originally from Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire.

Dr Patrick, 45, is part of a team that will embark on a 13-day construction mission to the International Space Station.

The latest mission – which will feature three spacewalks – comes as America prepares to scale back its space programme.

The White House has announced it is to axe the Constellation mission which had aimed to take space travellers back to the moon.

Much of the money saved in the process will be directed toward new rocket technology research, the US administration has said, but it does not deny that funding cuts are likely.

Dr Patrick is part of a small band of British-born astronauts to have made it into space.

In 2006 he was part of a seven-member crew of the shuttle Discovery that blasted off for a 12-day mission to the International Space Station.