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.
Hey NASA, you call this a representative group ?
Where is the Asian-American astronaut ?
Where is the Middle-Eastern-American astronaut ?
Thanks for the reminder. The local news hasn’t been following Discovery much lately.
The new NASA will be muslim outreach. It hasn’t begun yet.
Wher’s the redneck asternot?
Someone’s gootta go outside n kick the starter?
I don’t have a good feeling about this. Massive complexity, low employee morale and long delays don’t make for a good recipe.
ping
Continuing prayers for the safety of the mission...
I don’t have a good feeling about this. Massive complexity, low employee morale and long delays don’t make for a good recipe.
Going out to the local marsh hoping to see this from Savannah, Ga
yah man...Launch Day on NASA TV is some of the best television around. They have so many hi-def cameras on the vehicle components these days, the launch videos are just frickin’ amazing.
This is the last one? Is this the one Gifford’s husband is commanding?
No, there’s still the final launch of Endeavour, the mission that Giffords’s husband is commanding, and a possible launch of Atlantis. I actually attended the last scheduled launch of Atlantis last May.
ML/NJ
Ping!
Protection of the US from possible future orbital attack.
Give me a break!
How are these people, who will be in orbit for something like a week, going to protect us from a future orbital attack? They couldn't even be reasonably be expected to prevent an attack while they are in orbit.
I guess maybe you like the country music wakeups, but NASA is just another huge government boondogle.
ML/NJ
Probably the same penumbra that created the internet we’re using.
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