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T-minus 20 minutes and holding. The countdown has paused for a 10-minute built-in hold. Launch is scheduled for 8:47 p.m. EST. Everything is going smoothly with the countdown and weather is still looking good. The clouds and crosswinds are not violating any rules currently.

The launch time forecast calls for scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken deck at 20,000 and winds out of 050 degrees at 8 knot gusting to 14. That equates to a crosswind of just under 14 knots. The safety limit is 15 knots.

During this built-in hold, all computer programs in Firing Room 4 of the Complex 39 Launch Control Center will be verified to ensure that the proper programs are available for the countdown; the landing convoy status will be verified and the landing sites will be checked to support an abort landing during launch today; the Inertial Measurement Unit preflight alignment will be verified completed; and preparations are made to transition the orbiter onboard computers to Major Mode 101 upon coming out of the hold. This configures the computer memory to a terminal countdown configuration.