Using a 16-foot pole with a V-shaped end, a technician pushed a kinked Freon hose into place, allowing Atlantis' payload bay doors to close Sunday night at 9:52 p.m.
At launch pad 39A, crews are preparing Atlantis for a 2:45 p.m. EST launch on Thursday. Countdown is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. today.
A cold front is expected to sweep into central Florida, bringing rain and thick clouds into the launch area. Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters says there is a 60-percent chance that bad weather will force NASA to scrub the launch attempt. NASA flight rules prohibit launch in rain because the shuttle's fragile heat-shield tiles could be damaged. Flying through thick, electrically charged clouds could trigger destructive bolts of lightning.
Atlantis' crew of seven astronauts is scheduled to arrive at Kennedy Space Center at 10:30 a.m. today. After a two-month delay to fix a connector that caused intermittent readings from a low-fuel sensor, the shuttle is on a mission to deliver the European Columbus module to the International Space Station.
Watch The Flame Trench for immediate reports from crew arrival and from a 9 a.m. countdown status briefing.
STS-122 Fact Sheet.
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the screen grab from the Air Force Weather Channel at the 45th Space Wing. It shows a cold front over the southeastern U.S. that is expected to drop down into central Florida later this week.
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