The Nation - News from July 29, 1988

Fueling of the shuttle Discovery in a twice-delayed countdown test was interrupted by a small leak in an 8-inch liquid hydrogen rocket fuel line at the launch pad, officials said. If the leak persisted, they planned to pressurize the line in a bid to reseat a suspect seal. The three-hour procedure to fill the giant external tank with supercold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel served as a rehearsal for a crucial main engine test firing Monday. The space shuttle, bathed in high-power spotlights, was visible for miles around.