The US Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off, on March 15, at Kennedy  Space Center in Florida. Discovery's flight is delivering the space station's fourth and final set of solar array wings, completing the station's truss, or backbone.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The mission's first spacewalk is expected to take place Thursday to install the new solar wings. The canceled spacewalk chores will be tackled by the space station crew after Discovery leaves.

Discovery's delay has also hindered plans to launch a new U.S. military communications satellite from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station near Discovery's seaside pad at the Kennedy Space Center. The Wideband Global SATCOM-2 satellite was due to launch Saturday atop an Atlas 5 rocket, but will stand down until next week.

The US Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off,  on March 15, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery's flight is delivering the space station's fourth and final set of solar array wings, completing the station's truss, or  backbone.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)