Clocks ticking toward Atlas launch

Countdown to the planned launch today of an Atlas 5 rocket is progressing without problems today at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The 191-foot-tall rocket and its payload -- a European direct-to-home television satellite -- remains scheduled to launch during a window that will open at 4:27 p.m. and close at 7:16 p.m.

The weather forecast for launch still looks good. Meteorologists say there is a 70 percent chance that conditions will be acceptable for launch. The only concern remains a chance of thick clouds associated with isolated rainshowers in the area. A rocket flying though electrically charged clouds can trigger destructive bolts of lightning in flight.

Check out the official launch day weather forecast here: AtlasWX0420.pdf