NASA managers this evening gave the go-ahead to continue counting down toward a 3:29 p.m. Thursday launch of Discovery, weather permitting.
The decision ended a four-hour meeting to discuss concerns about an electrical problem related to a main engine computer.
The Mission Management Team will meet again at 5:30 a.m. Thursday to evaluate the latest forecast and decide whether to proceed with fueling of the external tank just after 6 a.m.
The launch forecast is 80 percent "no go" as a cold front moving through the area is likely to bring low clouds, showers and thunderstorms near Kennedy Space Center.
There's a 40 percent chance conditions may be bad enough to delay fueling.
KSC teams planned to begin retracting the Rotating Service Structure at launch pad 39A to reveal Discovery at 6:30 p.m., but the threat of lightning delayed the operation. It's expected to proceed within an hour or two.
NASA plans to hold a briefing to discuss the launch plans at 7 p.m. You can watch it live by clicking the NASA TV box at right to launch a viewer.
9 comments:
Sometimes I wonder why they attempt a launch with such a high probability of bad weather. Even the Retrieval ships will have to endure the passing front 150 miles out at sea.
Rescheduling to Friday seems so logical.
Asaworker out there nothing they ever do makes sense...They never do what seems logical. But what do I know??? I only work on it.
or think about all those who have assignments that have to drive a couple of hours to be on the spot. Maybe a cancellation till December would work out the bugs that seem to creep in while on the pad. don't plan - just react. That's been half the problem with the latest thoughts for the NASA system.
9:34 - No, didn't say cancel the launch till Dec, just schedule when weather is likely to cooperate.
Counting down to an 80% chance of SCRUB to me doesn't make sense.
I'm sure they have some sound reasoning.
If they don't launch by tomorrow, they have to delay the launch until early December. Due to sun angles and such, the space station will not be able to support a docked space shuttle until then. Plus there are other planned launches of cargo ships (Russian) that will be meeting up with the space station.
So from the standpoint that there is such a low probability of acceptable launch conditions, why not just wait? That would give them time to more thoroughly analyze the technical issues they seem to be having.
At any rate, I guess the decision is made. So we will see if they made the "right" decision and if the weather will hold out for a launch....
I came down from NY and have been down here since Sunday afternoon. I started driving on Saturday before they delayed the Monday launch. So I'd rather just delay to Friday b/c I really don't want to see 5 seconds of a launch or however long it takes the Shuttle to clear the low cloud cover and disappear from view. I'd like to be able to see all the way to SRB separation.
Anonymous 8.07.
All they've done so far is continue with the countdown.Unless the weather forecast improves, I don't expect fuelling to go ahead.
They have until Sunday to launch (not tomorrow) and then will have to postpone until December.
DON'T YOU PEOPLE SEE THE SIGN'S FROM GOD!!!! SCRUB IT ALL TOGETHER!!!! THERE ARE TOO MANY SIGN'S FOR ME I WOULDN'T GO UP.. CAN'T YOU PEOPLE SEE THAT! BESIDES THIS BLOWING YET ANOTHER HOLE IN TO THE OZONE AGAIN!!!!!
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