Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Cracked Hinges May Delay Shuttle Flight

NASA’s first space shuttle flight of the year, a March military mission, could be delayed up to a month because of cracked door hinges that appear limited to the shuttle Discovery, officials in Cape Canaveral, Fla., said. A quick check of the other two shuttles uncovered chipped paint on the hinges but no cracks, the launch director said. Engineers were studying the problem to determine whether to return Discovery to the hangar for repairs--a move that would mean a delay of several weeks to a month--or go ahead with liftoff around March 9.