A leaking hydraulic seal on the space shuttle Discovery's right main-gear strut could delay the launch of the shuttle to the International Space Station set for October 23, NASA said Monday.
"The struts act as shock absorbers during the shuttle's landing. Shuttle managers made the decision to go ahead with the repairs during a meeting Monday afternoon," the US space agency said in a statement on its website.
Mission officials will assess repair work and decide how it might affect the scheduled liftoff on this year's second ISS construction mission, NASA added.
Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts are due to attach to the ISS an Italian-made module during their 13 days in orbit.
