NASA has postponed Saturday's planned launch of the space shuttle Atlantis by one day, the third delay this week, a spokesman said Friday.
Problems with fuel gauges on the shuttle's external tanks forced the US space agency to put off launches scheduled Thursday and then Friday.
The space agency has now scheduled a liftoff for 3:21 pm (2021 GMT) Sunday, said Kennedy Space Center spokesman Allard Beutel.
A NASA meterologist said that there is a 70 percent probability of favorable launch weather on Sunday.
Atlantis and its crew of seven is preparing for an 11-day mission to fly the European Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station, orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth.
Atlantis' crew includes a French and a German astronaut, joining the mission to add the European installation. Countries are developing the station as a possible future jumping-off point for deeper space exploration.
The current window of opportunity for a launch closes on December 13. If Atlantis has to return to its hangar for repairs, the mission would be delayed until mid-January, said launch director Doug Lyons.
This would disrupt the schedule of future trips to the space station, including one to deliver the next installation: the Japanese Kibo laboratory.
