Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Live Thread (1:36 AM EDT 08/25/09)

08/24/09 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

DVR GO!!!

[Pajamajan]

Storm cells developing over launch site- Ruh-Roh...

[GeronL]

Always good to see a launch.

[Pajamajan]

Hopefully we’ll get to see a launch. Just heard on NASA channel that there are some storm cells and lightening in the area.

[GeronL]

These things take too much time. Somebody invent anti-gravity already!

[hoagy62]

I have a feeling this is gonna be an exercise in futility, just like Endevour’s many launch-attempts were.

*sigh* Florida summer weather.....

[filbert]

Weather officer is getting ready to lower the chance of meeting the weather criteria to 40% (60% chance of violating the launch criteria).

[tapatio]

They are say 60% chance of weather violating launch.

[hoagy62]

*deep sigh* Told ya....

Okay...who’s up for a scrub pool?

I say scrub comes at the systems poll for the end of the 9:00 hold.

[Pajamajan]

So they went from 80% chance of being able to launch to 60% chance of not being able to launch- due to weather. I’m still hoping to see a launch tonight- fingers crossed.

[Pajamajan]

Phase 2 lightening alert. Anybody know what that means?

[JerseyJohn61]

It means it getting hairier.

[JerseyJohn61]

Tune in weather channel.

I think i just heard Paul Goodloe say” If i were a betting man, i’d say the shuttle won't launch tonight”.

Storms with lightning moving north up the coast on radar.

[tapatio]

[Pajamajan]

They just showed an outdoor shot of the shuttle-saw some lightening.

It also looks like they are burning off some kind fuel? Anybody know what that is?

[JerseyJohn61]

I saw that “burn-off” too.

It puzzled me.

Looked like a refinery stack around Port Linden.

JJ61

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/bkmark

[hoagy62]

They always burn off liquid hydrogen during fueling. Looks a little more spectacular at night.

As for as what a Phase II lightning alert means, this is direct from a NASA paper on lightning at KSC....

KSC pioneered a two-phase lightning warning policy. In Phase I, an Advisory is issued that lightning is forecast within five miles of the designated site within 30 minutes of the effective time of the Advisory. The 30-minute warning gives personnel in unprotected areas time to get to protective shelter and gives personnel working on lightning sensitive tasks time to secure operations in a safe and orderly manner. A Phase II Warning is issued when lightning is imminent or occurring within five miles of the designated site. All lightning-sensitive operations are terminated until the Phase II Warning is lifted. This twophase policy provides adequate lead time for sensitive operations without shutting down less sensitive operations until the hazard becomes immediate.

[hoagy62]

And the weather officer says there’s a lightning strike within 4 nautical miles.

get out your brushes...I smell a scrub a-comin’....

[TomGuy]

[JerseyJohn61]

Thanks for the hot, timely updates H62.