NASA is pressing ahead with preparations for the planned launch of shuttle Atlantis and seven astronauts, and the agency is not working any significant technical problems.
But the weather forecast for a scheduled liftoff at 2:45 p.m. EST Thursday remains "dicey," said Air Force Shuttle Launch Weather Officer Mike McAleenan. Forecasters are keeping close tabs on a cold front making its way over northern Texas and Oklahoma. The front is expected to bring rain and thunderstorms into the central Florida area Thursday.
McAleenan briefed reporters here at the Kennedy Space Center this morning along with NASA Test Director Steve Payne and STS-122 Payload Manager Debbie Hahn. Candrea Thomas moderated the briefing for the NASA Public Affairs Office.
You can listen to the briefing here: L-2 Countdown Status. The file will take a minute or so to download before playing.
NASA's Mission Management Team is meeting at this hour to review launch preparations. A prelaunch news conference is scheduled for No Earlier Than 1 p.m. EST.
You can watch the briefing live here in The Flame Trench. Simply click the link below the Live NASA TV headline above to launch our NASA TV viewer.
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the screen grab from the Air Force 45th Space Wing Weather Channel. It shows the frontal boundary that forecasters are keeping track of.
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