Monday, February 21, 2011

Forecasters: 80 Percent "Go" For Launch

NASA is preparing to pick up the countdown to the planned launch Thursday of shuttle Discovery and the weather forecast is exceptionally good for the first attempt.

The 18-story spaceship and six astronauts are slated to blast off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 4:50 p.m. Thursday, the middle of a 10-minute window to put Discovery and its crew on course for the International Space Station.

Forecasters say there is an 80 percent chance conditions will be acceptable for launch. The weather, however, degrades in each of the following two days, with 70 and then 60 percent chances of acceptable conditions on Friday and Saturday.

Check out the Official Forecast from the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron.

NASA's shuttle launch team will hold a Call To Stations in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at 2:30 p.m. today. The launch countdown will begin a half-hour later.

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