Blogger Update, 11:36 p.m.: The RSS is in motion. Refresh the page to see the latest still image from a live video feed as NASA unveils Endeavour at pad 39A.
A massive service structure at Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A will swing away from shuttle Endeavour late tonight as NASA continues preparations for a planned launch Friday night.
Now resting on two eight-wheel, motor-driven trucks, the Rotating Service Structure will be rolled on rails away from the shuttle around 11:30 p.m., exposing Endeavour at the pad on the eve of its scheduled launch on an International Space Station outfitting and repair mission.
The move will start slowly and should take about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. Refresh this page to see the latest still image (above) from a live video feed at pad 39A, and you should be able to see what amounts to sequential still video of the unveiling.
The RSS rollback is a key milestone in the countdown to Endeavour's launch, which is scheduled to take place at 7:55 p.m. Friday.
The move sets the stage for the beginning of external tank fuel-loading operations, which are set to get under way at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Conducted by a team of 200 in Firing Room 4 of the NASA Launch Control Center, the three-hour operation involves loading more than 500,000 gallons of supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the 15-story external tank.
The propellants power the shuttle's three main engines during a nine-minute climb into orbit.
The weather forecast for launch remains the same: There is a 70 percent chance that conditions will be acceptable for launch.
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