Posted on 02/23/2011 2:32:10 PM PST by Pyro7480
NASA Managers: It's a "Go" for Launch
At today's pre-launch news conference NASA's mission management team have given their unanimous approval for space shuttle Discovery's launch tomorrow at 4:50 p.m. EST.
"Everything is on track and going beautifully with the countdown," said Mike Moses, mission management team chair. "We're really looking forward to a very action-packed, successful mission and everything is on track."
Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director, agreed that everything is going extremely well with the launch countdown. He also acknowledged the processing teams who worked on Discovery, its flight systems and ground elements. "As we're powering up (the systems) we're seeing no problems at all."
The rotating service structure will be rolled away from Discovery at around 8 p.m. revealing it for the last time on the launch pad. Loading of the external fuel tank will begin at around 7:25 a.m. tomorrow morning. "We're not tracking any issues and it looks like Discovery will fly this time," said Leinbach.
Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer, reported that the weather remains exceptional with only a 20 percent chance that weather will be prohibitive at launch time. The only slight issue may be a localized off-shore shower in the late afternoon. The forecast during tanking also is looking very good.
At 7:15 a.m. EST NASA TV will begin coverage of the fueling of the external tank. Launch coverage for Discovery's final mission to the International Space Station will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Got a camera? I’m off the thread to full screen
Here we go!
Off to the driveway to watch the launch!
LIFTOFF.
It's obviously Constitutional.
ML/NJ
I thought of you too.
GOD BLESS STS-133.
I know it’s go. Didn’t say they couldn’t launch. I question the need, cost, schedule, value, etc. with respect to their (NASAs) first promises about its efficacy.
Booster Separation Complete.
-PJ
Yes. Obama’s goal is to remove all question of religion with respect to its citizens and government. If, as he intends, ALL citizens throughout the one world government are indeed MUSLIM, then there is no need for protection from other pesky religions. Seems that his plan for Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, et al is working perfectly.
YEah but it didn’t matter- we have cloud cover from about 50 seconds in and we lost it in the cloud. :( Blue skies in all other directions !
Anyone else see a couple of pieces of something fly past the camera?
Godspeed, astronauts!
Boy, that was one big chunk of something that just fell off and hit the orbiter...
They’ll be looking at that all day and night...
Man alive...Whew...
Rolling to a heads up position.
[ Anyone else see a couple of pieces of something fly past the camera? ]
I did too, about 2 mins into the flight....
That was a serious piece of the ET that peeled off and hit just to Starboard of the front attachment strut...
... by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
Whoa...WTH?
Gs at 3x
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