NASA’s shuttle managers decided Wednesday to launch the space shuttle Discovery next Wednesday for a two-week mission to the International Space Station.

The decision to fly was reached after the managers spent most of the day studying engineering tests and computer simulations involving a critical fuel valve that cracked on a flight in November.

Top space agency officials will meet Friday to review the decision.

Discovery’s astronauts have been trained to install a $297 million solar-power module outside the space station, allowing it to generate enough power to increase the number of permanent residents from three to six.

The shuttle’s crew of seven also plans to repair a water recycling device and other equipment.

Originally, space agency officials had planned to launch the Discovery in mid-February. The launch has been delayed four times to give engineers time to find ways to prevent the valve from breaking again.

The hydrogen-flow control valve was one of three identical devices that regulate pressures in the shuttle’s main fuel tank. A fingertip-size piece of the valve broke free when Endeavour launched Nov. 14. The damage to a gas line was minor, and the two companion valves provided adequate pressure in the fuel tank.

Such breaks, however, could be catastrophic. It could cause a hydrogen leak, posing a risk of an explosion. It could also drain so much fuel that the shuttle would fail to reach orbit.

Wednesday’s decision to aim for a Wednesday liftoff gives the shuttle’s controllers time to make several attempts to launch before March 13, when a 25-day delay begins.

That delay gives the Russians a window to launch a manned Soyuz capsule to the space station without interference from the shuttle.