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The crew of Discovery STS-121 are now on their way to the launch pad and should be baording within the next 25 minutes.
Commander Lindsey has just received an updated weather briefing, launch is still looking unlikely due to the weather.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
Discovery’s fuel tanks have been filled with the 500,000 gallons super-cold cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The total tanking time was just short of three hours.
Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer, forecasts a 70-percent chance of weather prohibiting a launch this afternoon due to thunderstorms and anvil clouds.
If the launch is scrubed again today due to weather, mission managers will meet later to decide if they want to make a third consecutive launch attempt or stand down for one day and try again on Tuesday.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
Latest news from Florida is that the Shuttle launch is unlikely for today. Weather monitoring says that there is only a 30% chance that the weather will allow for a launch. If Discovery can’t launch today it will be Tuesday before they can try again!
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
The launch coundown for the Shuttle Discovery on STS-121 has restarted. Nasa are looking for a launch window that opens up at 19:26 GMT.
Nasa are hopeful for a launch but the weather forecast makes it look rather unlikely. There are a number of thunder storms in the area. However there is plenty of time for these to clear before the launch window.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
Due to weather constraints the launch has been scrubbed for today. The aim is to have a 24hr turn around to launch tomorrow at 19:26 GMT.
Feel very sorry for everyone involved, especially the crew that will have to wait quite some time before they can be extracted from the orbiter to do it all again tomorrow!
Fingers crossed!
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
Currently the launch of Discovery STS-121 is a negative due to weather. There are storms in the launch area but the weather conditions must be acceptable at one of the three Transatlantic Abort Landing (TAL) sites to launch. The sites are Zaragoza, Spain; Moron, Spain; or Istres, France. Today’s preferred landing site is in Moron, Spain.
Launch is still technically good and the prefered lift off time is 19:48.41 GMT.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
The closeout crew are just leaving the launch tower as we are part way through a 40 minute scheduled hold. The launch window has just been confirmed and is just over four minutes long!
There was an issue earlier on with a shuttle thruster but the issue has been cleared for launch by the Mission Management Team.
Matt
(Image credit: NASA/KSC)
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
The crew are no on board Discovery ready for the launch of STS-121 and are now conducting air-ground communication checks.
There were some concerns earlier on that the weather could preven a launch but a flight in a Shuttle Training Aircraft by Astronaut Mike Bloomfield will assess the weather during the reat of the launch countdown. There have been some reports of lightening in the area.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
The ‘Ice team’ are just finishing up their inspection of the vehicle on the pad and the countdown clock is running once again.
The crew a dressing in their space suits and will soon be entering the orbiter.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
NASA’s Space shuttle Discovery is all set for launch on what will be the second mission since the loss of Columbia.
Mission STS-121 (Discovery’s 32nd flight) should see Discovery launch at around 1549 EDT (1949 GMT) but is dependent on local weather conditions being suitable.
Modifications
NASA have made a number of modifications to the orbiter, the most significant being the changes to the external tank. The Proterberance Air Load Ramps have been removed from the fuel tank as this was the area that foam was previously shed from. Following extensive testing and analysis the PAL Ramps have been deemed unnecessary.
Changes have been made to Discoverie’s heat shield. More than 5000 gap fillers have been replaced and the heat tiles around the front landing gear doors have been replaced with ‘hardened’ tiles as this is a particularly vulnerable area.
Discovery Crew
From the left are astronauts Stephanie D. Wilson, Michael E. Fossum, both mission specialists; Steven W. Lindsey, commander; Piers J. Sellers, mission specialist; Mark E. Kelly, pilot; European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter of Germany; and Lisa M. Nowak, both mission specialists. Image credit: NASA
Matt
(Image credit: NASA/KSC)
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, STS-121]
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