Weather threatens Saturday shuttle launch

Weather threatens Saturday shuttle launch

news.cnet.com

The shuttle Endeavour's countdown is ticking smoothly toward launch Saturday evening on a delayed space station assembly mission to attach an experiment platform to a Japanese lab module, to replace aging solar array batteries and to deliver spare parts and supplies.
There are no technical problems of any significance at launch complex 39A, but forecasters are predicting a 60 percent chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms and electrical activity that could trigger another delay. Launch is targeted for 7:39:35 p.m. EDT Saturday.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.tgdaily.com
www.computerworld.com
www.spaceflightnow.com

Conflicting reports from the Cnet and Computer world articles, one says 40% and one says 60% probability of the launch being on schedule, yet all agree NASA is indeed pressing a head with pre launch work. Hopefully this one will be third time lucky as they say, the weather forecasts don't really look to good though. The mission willl be 16 days long and is going to be one of the most technical yet from what I've read, there will be five individual space walks and the use of a robot that will "walk" along the outside of the ISS. Looks like this ones going to be another interesting one!

news.cnet.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Update a couple of minutes ago via reuters.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA postponed the launch of space shuttle Endeavour on Saturday to assess possible damage from lightning strikes at the launch pad overnight, a space agency official said. The next launch attempt will be Sunday evening. Endeavour had been scheduled to lift off at 7:39 p.m. EDT Saturday on a 16-day mission to install a Japanese-built porch on the International Space Station.

Source

Well you beat me to it during the Server downtime, so I'll just add to your thread, mate.

Excuse any redundant info.

BTW they're explaining on NASA TV , atm.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5e55d70f111f.jpg[/atsimg]

Endeavour (STS-127) scheduled for an evening lift off tonight at 7:39 .

Currently in a fueling hold to check electrical systems for damage from lightning strikes last night.
(ll strikes within .3 miles of the pad . One hit the mast and one the water tank)

60% chance of lift-off delay due to expected storms near Kennedy.

16 + days in space and 5 spacewalks scheduled to install the "front porch" Japanese Kibo science research facility.

kibo.jaxa.jp...

Fla Today (The Flame Trench) Space Team - twitter.com...


Edit: Liftoff scrubbed for today .

Looks like 2 possible attempts tomorrow if the electrical systems check out . Weather looks good.

[edit on Sat Jul 11 2009 by Jbird]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e2efb2103bf8.jpg[/atsimg]
www.floridatoday.com...

Seems Tuesday is the last chance to launch in order to complete their mission, and get out of the way of the next scheduled Russian arrival.

If all systems check out the liftoff is scheduled for 7:13 p.m Sun.

Engineers have given the green light to continue the launch countdown today after deciding the lightning strikes were of no consequence to critical systems.

External tanks should be filled by 1 pm-ish local Florida time.
The fix for the vent line Hydrogen leaks , responsible for scrubbing the mission in June seemed to be holding.

Weather looking good for the scheduled 7:13 pm launch.