NASA today reported no technical issues that would delay the start of a countdown today to space shuttle Endeavour's 7:39 p.m. Saturday launch, but weather will be closely watched. "Everything is looking good," said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA test director, during a 10 a.m. briefing at Kennedy Space Center. "All of our work is on schedule."
Countdown clocks are set to begin ticking down at 10 p.m. today, starting at T minus 43 hours. The countdown includes several planned pauses that sometimes last for hours, allowing time to catch up on technical problems or weather delays.
There is a 60 percent chance that thunderstorms or anvil clouds could blow within 20 nautical miles of Kennedy Space Center during a 10-minute launch window.
That would violate criteria needed to ensure that the shuttle could return to KSC if a main engine failed early in the flight. Read the forecast here.
Weather at abort landing sites in the United States and abroad is good for several days.
Locally, the chances of thunderstorms lessens a bit Sunday and Monday.
Launch managers plan to give Endeavour three launch attempts through Tuesday before they would stand down until July 27.
That's because a robotic Russian supply ship is scheduled to dock to the International Space Station July 27, and NASA prefers for the shuttle to have departed by the time it arrives.
The Progress spacecraft could loiter in space for a couple of days if needed, but Tuesday would be the last opportunity for Endeavour to start its 16-day assembly mission before the end of the month.
The mission has been delayed about a month since gas leaks during fueling scrubbed launch attempts June 13 and June 17.
If Saturday's launch scrubs, the next opportunities would be at 7:13 p.m. Sunday, 6:51 p.m. Monday and 6:25 p.m. Tuesday.
If the launch is successful Saturday, Endeavour's landing at KSC would be targeted for 12:20 p.m. on Monday, July 27.
Weather permitting, Blackwell-Thompson said Endeavour is ready to fly.
"Endeavour's in great shape," she said. "I have no technical issues to report. We're ready to fly this mission."
Tonight, Endeavour mission commander Mark Polansky and pilot Doug Hurley are scheduled to practice landings in a Gulfstream jet modified to handle like the shuttle on descent.
IMAGE NOTE: Viewed across the Indian River Lagoon on June 16, space shuttle Endeavour waits for launch after rollback of the rotating service structure, or RSS, at left. Endeavour's third launch attempt is scheduled for Saturday at 7:39 p.m. EDT. Click the photo to enlarge it. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett.
1 comment:
I am a bit uneasy about the upcoming launch of Endevour and have a two-part question for the Fla Today Flame Trench Team and/or the readers here:
How long ago were Endeavour's two SRB put together? What is the ATK/NASA maximum safe time limit for using assembled SRBs?
I recall that after Columbia, the shuttle stack in the VAB was taken apart when it became clear that it would not fly for two years or more. The reason given was that the fuel in the SRBs grows "stale" over time and that after a certain point could not be trusted to ignite or perform properly.
Endeavour has been assembled for a very long time now, and has stood outdoors for much of that time.
Just wondering how close we may be getting to some sort of SRB usability time limit (arbitrary or otherwise), and looking for some definitive info...
Thanks!
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