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.
Yes, I sure did. Looked like they floated off, bounced off the starboard underside just forward of the wings.
Main fuel tank just separated as advertised. Discovery in now in orbit.
They’re officially in “outer space” now:)
Yeah, hope that debris fall wasn’t serious.
Whew :)
They’re beginning to take a look now at the foam.
Well thats all folks. From now on its NASA reaching out to Arabs. Somebody call Paul Ryan and tell him to put NASA on the shutdown list. That ought to save a few billion.
Godspeed indeed!
I cant get NASA TV. Is there another feed?
I get a message that its temporarily unavailable.
It’s not the Last flight! Just the last flight of Discovery!
Working for me.
Must be a problem with your server...?
Isn’t the head of NASA a muzzie? That can’t be good.
NASA controllers initially believe the object to be a Sonic Route 44 drink cup,that was properly destroyed by Range Safety Officials...
;-)
Relax people...It looked alot worse than it probably was...And if it is a problem, they sure as heck have a way to fix it now on orbit...
‘There is an Air Force guy who is part of the Joint Chiefs.’
Only after the original post office subsidies, and after the Air Corps was part of the US Army for 35 years. NASA’s main original work was done at the US Army’s Arsenal in Alabama under the leadership of Wernher von Braun. FWIW, I would have preferred that it had remained with the Army.
Oops. Wrong flight.
Sorry. I sent the wrong flight video clip. Please disregard.
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