* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Shuttle launch

Blobrana · L

The Space Shuttle Discovery is at Launch Pad 39B undergoing final inspections and preparations for tomorrow's Return to Flight launch attempt at 14:39 GMT. to the International Space Station.
The countdown clock is in a scheduled built-in hold at T-11 hours (Time minus 11 hours) and will pick up at 21:44 GMT tonight.

Loading of the Power Reactant Storage Distribution system is complete. This is the operation where the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for the fuel cells is loaded on Discovery. The fuel cells provide power to the electrical systems while the Shuttle is in orbit. The by-product is drinking water.
The Rotating Service Structure will be rotated away from Discovery this afternoon at 16:30 GMT in preparation for launch.
The STS-114 crew arrived at Kennedy Space Centre on Friday.
Since Friday, Commander Eileen Collins and Pilot Jim Kelly have been practicing orbiter approaches and landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft. The crew is scheduled to wake up just after midnight tonight and will leave Crew Quarters for the launch pad at 10:49 GMT tomorrow.

Solid Rocket Booster retrieval ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star departed from KSC yesterday and are travelling to their location for launch, about 140 nautical miles downrange of the launch pad.

Today, the L-1 day weather forecast shows that the probability of weather prohibiting the launch of Discovery is 40 percent, with the probability of weather prohibiting tanking at only five percent. Temperature at launch time is forecast at 84 degrees and a relative humidity of 77 percent.

Blobrana · L

There is a 40-percent chance that unfavourable weather might force Nasa managers to call off Tuesday's launch of the space shuttle Discovery.
Should Tuesday's launch be scrubbed, weather conditions for another attempt would be similar the next day but would improve on Thursday, when chances of unfavourable weather are down 30 percent.

Nasa wants to have a clear view of the shuttle during its ascent into orbit, so that it can detect if anything goes wrong during that critical stage of the mission.

It will not launch if there is thunderstorm activity 37km offshore as this could affect an eventual emergency landing.
Tropical Strom Franklin, which is hundreds of kilometres away from the launch site is not a concern, as it should head on an north-eastern track well clear of land and fizzle out in the Atlantic.

Blobrana · L

Space Shuttle managers will brief media reporters today about NASA's Space Shuttle Return to Flight mission (STS-114).
The news conference starts no earlier than 21:30 GMT. It will be broadcast live on NASA TV from the Kennedy Space Centre.

It is speculated that the shuttle may actually fly without the sensor faults being fixed.

Blobrana · L

Space Shuttle managers will brief reporters this afternoon about NASA's Space Shuttle Return to Flight mission (STS-114).
The news conference starts no earlier than 21:30 GMT, and it will be carried live on NASA TV from the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.

Link:

Blobrana · L

The launch of NASA's Space Shuttle Return to Flight mission, STS-114, will now take place no earlier than Saturday, July 16 at 18:40 GMT.

Blobrana · L

A problem with fuel sensors in the shuttle's external fuel tank has forced NASA to abort today's planned launch of Discovery two-and-a-half hours before takeoff time

Blobrana · L

RE: Shuttle no launch

Blobrana · L

RE: Shuttle launch

Blobrana · L