SPACE SHUTTLE READY FOR NIGHT LAUNCH THURSDAY~12-7-2006

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space shuttle Discovery remained on track for a Thursday night liftoff though NASA was beginning to have some misgivings about an approaching cold front, officials said on Tuesday.

The launch is scheduled for 9:36 p.m. (0236 GMT on Friday) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"The teams are ready and we're looking forward to an incredible mission of space shuttle Discovery and a safe and successful landing," Steve Payne, a shuttle launch manager, said at a briefing.

The purpose of the flight, which will be NASA's third and final shuttle mission this year, is to rewire the International Space Station's power system and to deliver an external truss segment, supplies and a new resident crew member.

A cold front was expected to move through Central Florida over the next two days but should leave skies clear enough for the shuttle's liftoff on Thursday night.

Meteorologists predicted a 60 percent chance weather conditions will be suitable for launch.

But if the shuttle is grounded by bad weather or technical concerns, the outlook for the rest of the week is bleak, with high winds and possible rain expected in the area.

"The first day is the best weather-wise," said meteorologist Kathy Winters.

For now, NASA has ruled out launch attempts beyond December 17 to avoid having the shuttle in orbit during the transition to the new year. The shuttle's computers would need a time-consuming software patch installed if it were in orbit on January 1, in order to remain synchronized with ground-base navigation systems.

"This mission has got a lot on its plate," Payne said. "We'd rather not give them all that extra work."

Overnight, engineers planned to assess two potential technical issues that were briefly discussed when managers reviewed launch preparations on Tuesday.

The first issue involves a potential electrical glitch that momentarily knocked out power to one of the shuttle's main switches on Monday night or early Tuesday.

"We're probably not going to have any issues" for launch, said LeRoy Cain, who oversees shuttle operations at the Florida spaceport.

The second potential problem involves an adhesive used in the shuttle's solid rocket boosters. Managers were told the results of a routine manufacturing test could raise questions about an adhesive used in a booster joint.

Both issues will be discussed when launch managers meet on Wednesday for a final launch review.