CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA said it still can't find the problem with the faulty fuel gauge on Discovery, which is creating a time crunch to get the shuttle off the ground soon.

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Official: NASA Mission Site

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One official said that they hope to find the glitch that stopped the space agency's return to space sometime in the next "24 to 48 hours."

However, even if the problem is found quickly, the shuttle won't fly any earlier than next Tuesday. NASA may decide to conduct yet another fueling test on the shuttle that day or soon afterward, which would bump the liftoff further into next week.

If NASA does not launch Discovery in the next two weeks, the spacecraft may have to remain grounded until September. Last week, mission managers said they could look at extending the launch window that closes July 31 a few days into August.

Mission Plan

The planned mission is to take a crew of seven to the international space station, where it will install a new gyroscope, among other tasks. They will also test methods for inspecting and repairing damage in flight.

There are three spacewalks planned during the mission.

Discovery is outfitted with a redesigned fuel tank and has dozens of motion and temperature sensors embedded in the wings to detect any blows from fuel-tank foam or other debris.