Poor weather looks set to halt a second attempt in two days to launch the US space shuttle Discovery.

Nasa officials say the 1526 EDT (1926 GMT) launch is likely to be halted as the thundery clouds which thwarted Saturday's bid are still a problem.

Nasa scrubbed Saturday's launch from Cape Canaveral at the last minute.

Much is at stake for the mission, with some believing the shuttle has still to prove its safety since the loss of the Columbia ship and its crew in 2003.

Nasa officials say there is a high probability of Sunday's launch being abandoned.

"We have a 70% chance of not meeting the launch weather criteria due to thunderstorms or the associated effects of thunderstorms including anvil clouds," Nasa spokesman George Diller said early on Sunday, quoted by the AFP news agency.

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