LIVE IMAGES: Refresh this page for updates and the latest still images from the Air Force 45th Space Wing Weather Channel (left) and Launch Complex 41 (right).
The weather forecast for the planned launch tonight of an Atlas V rocket and a new-generation military communications satellite just got better, but engineers and technicians are working a problem with a gaseous nitrogen supply tanks at the launch pad.
The 192-foot Atlas V and its payload -- a Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft -- remain scheduled to blast off from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 9:24 p.m. The launch window tonight will extend through 10:01 p.m.
We'll be providing countdown updates throughout the afternoon and evening here in The Flame Trench, so be sure to refresh this page for the latest news. You can also watch the final countdown and launch here. We'll be webcasting the United Launch Alliance satellite TV coverage beginning about 25 minutes before liftoff.
Air Force meteorologists now say there is a 70-percent chance conditions will be acceptable for launch. Their main concern is the chance that thick clouds now hovering over the Tampa Bay area and the eastern Gulf of Mexico might sweep into the Cape Canaveral area around launch time. The clouds are expected to push south of the Cape, but forecasters say there is a chance they'll migrate into the area.
Forecasters also are keeping close tabs on strong, gusty winds at the pad. Sustained winds are expected to be 20 knots with gusts up to 25 knots. The upper limit for launch is 33 knots.
Engineers reported a developing problem with a gaseous nitrogen supply tank at the launch pad. Sensors used to monitor the tanks show pressure dipped below a 4,000 pounds per square inch limit. The trouble appears to be with valves on the tanks and the contractor who maintains them -- Air Liquide of Merritt Island -- is being called in to investigate and fix the problem.
Gaseous nitrogen is used to pressurize propellant tanks and purge rocket systems to eliminate any chance of a build-up of explosive gaseous hydrogen or oxygen during fuel-loading operations. So it's critical that the gaseous nitrogen supply system is working properly during fuel-loading operations.
Launch directors told engineers to continue troubleshooting the matter and to report back later with updates. The pad is scheduled to be cleared of all personnel around 6:30 p.m. and fuel-loading operations are scheduled to begin around 7:30 p.m.
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