Monday, September 20, 2010

Forecast good for Discovery's final roll to launch pad

Preparations continue at Kennedy Space Center to begin rolling Discovery to its launch pad after sunset today, and it appears the weather will cooperate.

A morning weather briefing confirmed plans to call teams to their stations at 4 p.m., four hours before the first motion by a giant, eight-tracked crawler-transporter carrying the shuttle stack.

Discovery should emerge from the Vehicle Assembly Building bathed in xenon lights as it begins its 3.4-mile trek to launch pad 39A for what is expected to be the last time.

The fleet leader's 39th and final scheduled mission is targeted to launch at 4:40 p.m. Nov. 1 to the International Space Station.

If the "rollout" goes according to plan, Discovery's mobile launcher platform is expected to be fastened "hard down" on the pad by 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Shuttle rollouts typically start at midnight to catch the day's best weather. NASA advanced the time to give more KSC employees and family members a chance to see and photograph the historic event.

For about 900 employees of United Space Alliance, the lead operator of the shuttle fleet, it's the last chance to see a shuttle move to the pad. Their layoffs are effective in less than two weeks, on Oct. 1, part of ongoing reductions as the shuttle program nears an end next year.

You can watch Discovery exit the assembly building live with NASATV coverage starting at 8 p.m.

IMAGE: At Kennedy Space Center on April 22, shuttle Atlantis atop its mobile launcher platform moved in silhouette along the crawlerway from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

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