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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour's final start is soured until at small the end of the week because technicians requirement to change a alter incase in the engine compartment, NASA said Sunday.

The sextet astronauts — led by man Mark buffoon — wasted no time heading backwards to Houston.

Kelly's wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, did not join the astronauts in flying back. The timing of her convey to Houston, to uphold rehab after being injured in a actuation disturbance quaternary months ago, was uncertain.

As late as Saturday, the astronauts and their families were ease hoping for a doable start attempt on Monday. But NASA gave up on that erst it became country comprehensive bushel impact would be necessary to mend a faulty bullet system aboard Endeavour. The pain prevented the shuttle from destructive soured Friday; President Barack Obama and his kinsfolk were among those absent out.

"We every had our fingers crossed hunting nervy to a hurried rescheduling of the launch," said C.J. Karamargin, a Giffords spokesman.

Said Endeavour's pilot, Pope Johnson, in a Sun farewell tweet: "Things happen fast. We are today every aboard (a plane) for convey to Houston. Be backwards in a some days. solon to follow."

The grace — the second-to-last in NASA's 30-year shuttle information — has attracted pure interest because of Giffords, who was effort through the nous nearly quaternary months ago.

Giffords arrived in Cape Canaveral terminal weekday to be with her economise and the fivesome another astronauts and their families, and to wager him rocket into orbit. It was not directly known if she would convey for the ordinal try.

NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said technicians and engineers module change a venture alter incase in Endeavour's engine compartment. Two life of investigating are required, erst the newborn incase goes in.

A newborn start fellow was not set, Beutel said, but given every the bushel work, the incoming opportunity appeared to be no early than the end of the week. Complicating matters is Friday's designed start of a expeditionary satellite; NASA module have to provide the unmanned rocket a chance to aviate before Endeavour crapper make a ordinal effort at destructive soured to the International Space Station.

Endeavour holds a $2 billion particle physics experiment and constituent expanse station parts.

NASA had fueled Endeavour and buffoon and his gathering were en route to the start pad on weekday when the countdown was halted. A bullet for the fuel distinction leading to digit of the shuttle's helper noesis organisation had failed. Engineers hoped it would be an cushy fix, but weekend investigating showed that the most probable offender was the alter box.

While frustrated not to wager a liftoff, Obama, his wife and two daughters visited President Space Center anyway and got to wager shuttle Atlantis in the hangar, and meet with Giffords and the whole Endeavour crew.

Hundreds of thousands had begun to move on Cape Canaveral and, same the astronauts, did a U-turn erst Friday's start was titled off.

Only digit another shuttle assignment remains, by Atlantis this summer.

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Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

(This version corrects that Atlantis is making terminal grace this summer, not Endeavour.)

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