NASA pushes back Endeavour launch until at least Monday

The launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour has been postponed at least until Monday because of equipment problems, NASA said Friday afternoon.

NASA said the launch would be rescheduled for no earlier than 2:33 p.m. on Monday.

The launch had been set for 3:47 p.m. Friday in what was to be the penultimate space shuttle flight for NASA, which is ending the program after 30 years. The space agency tweeted Friday that there was "an issue with two heaters associated with Endeavour's Auxilliary Power Unit (APU 1)." 

"SCRUB due to APU heater issues," the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., said on its Twitter page. "At least a 48 hour turnaround."

Just an hour earlier, the agency had tweeted that the astronauts were about to head to the launch pad.

"Endeavour’s astronauts are donning their orange launch and entry suits and will depart crew quarters at 11:57 a.m. EDT for launch pad 39A," NASA tweeted at 11:34 a.m.

The space shuttle launch was scheduled to be attended by President Obama, who was to be in Florida on Friday to deliver a graduation speech, and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who is recovering from a Jan. 8 assassination attempt.

The White House told reporters traveling with the president in Alabama to survey tornado damage there that he and the first family would still go to the Kennedy Space Center, as planned, on Friday, despite the cancellation.

Endeavour is set to be sent to the California Science Center in Los Angeles after it returns from its final flight. 

This post was updated at 1:08 p.m.

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