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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Thursday (Reuters) NASA broke its silence on Wednesday to reveal one of its worst-kept secrets -- Thursday's launch time for the space shuttle Atlantis, which has been kept under wraps as part of the U.S. space agency's anti-terrorism plan.

The secrecy surrounding launch times has become part and parcel of NASA countermeasures, including helicopter gunships, guided missiles, machine guns and fighter-jet patrols, that have been in place for every shuttle launch since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

The launch time for Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts is 5:12 p.m. EST/2212 GMT.

But as Atlantis underwent last-minute preparations on Wednesday, the biggest question surrounding the launch time had to do with weather, not secrecy.

A storm system moving across Florida could delay lift-off of the shuttle by a day or more. NASA predicted just a 60 percent chance of fair skies at the anticipated launch time.

"Hopefully, Mother Nature won't throw a wrench into the works," shuttle flight officer Tom Crenshaw said.

NASA's new policy is not to announce shuttle launch times until exactly 24 hours before launch. 

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