The shuttle managers today postponed the flight from early Saturday for the third straight day because of rain and heavy winds.

At one point he got to ask Ralph Roe, a shuttle manager, why the photo request had been denied.

In order to speed preparations for the flight, shuttle managers decided to use software from a 1997 service mission to the telescope instead of writing new programs.

The latest change came two days after shuttle managers had decided on a two-day postponement.

The launching date became official at the conclusion of a two-day flight readiness review by shuttle managers.

Meanwhile, the shuttle managers announced that there would be no need for a focused inspection of the heat shield.

But he contends that if the program had been properly used and interpreted, it would have alerted shuttle managers to the need for further study.

The agency said shuttle managers would meet Saturday to decide whether to delay liftoff until Wednesday.

But shuttle managers decided against asking for pictures, and we all know what happened next.

A general aim of shuttle managers is to prove the 1-in-78 estimate wrong and to do everything in their power to increase the odds of success.