It's launch day at the Kennedy Space Center. Here's a run-down of what's on tap this morning as launch crews push ahead toward the planned 2:45 p.m. launch of Atlantis and seven astronauts on a mission to install a European science laboratory at the International Space Station.
Atlantis' astronauts were to wake around 4:15 a.m. for the big day, and the rest of the launch crew already will be busy getting their ride to space ready.
Around 4:45 a.m., mission managers will gather in the Launch Control Center here to review the latest weather forecast and make a decision about whether to go-ahead and fuel Atlantis for a launch attempt today. While the weather forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of unacceptable conditions at launch time, we expect the Mission Management Team to give the go for tanking.
Around 5:20 a.m., launch crews would begin chilling lines for the pumping of supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants into the shuttle external tank. The fueling would start minutes after that.
Then, just after 6 a.m., the engineering teams will get a chance to test those low-level fuel sensors inside the tank to see whether repairs made since the last launch campaign in December have solved the problem of intermittent readings. If at least three sensors appear to be working properly, the countdown can go on. If more than one malfunctions, NASA says it will not launch today.
We'll have live coverage starting with the MMT's go for fueling this morning or if news breaks overnight. You can check back here for updates and live images all night.
Meanwhile, if you're wanting more information and resources about the mission, you can check out our web extras for STS-122 below:
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the NASA photo of Atlantis on its seaside launch pad after a 104-foot-tall service structure was rotated away from the vehicle late Wednesday. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.
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