 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Weather good for Friday shuttle launch: NASA
Washington (AFP) Nov 13, 2008 Weather conditions have improved for Friday's launch of the space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station, NASA meteorologists said Thursday. Forecasters at the US space agency give a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions for the evening launch, up from 60 percent given a day earlier. The 27th shuttle flight to the orbiting space station and the fourth and final shuttle mission for 2008 is scheduled for liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 7:55 pm Friday (0055 GMT Saturday). If the launch has to be delayed an additional 24 hours, for any reason, there would be only a 30 percent chance for favorable weather conditions, Cape Canaveral meteorologist Kathy Winters told reporters. "Endeavour is ready, the crew is ready and the MMT (mission management team) gives a go for proceeding today," pre-launch preparation manager LeRoy Cain told a press conference on Wednesday. The countdown for the 15-day mission began Tuesday at 9:30 pm (0230 GMT Wednesday). The Endeavour's mission, launching nearly 10 years to the day since a shuttle crew first began constructing the International Space Station on November 20, 1998, will repair the station's power-generating solar arrays and expand its living quarters to accommodate bigger crews. "This mission is all about home improvement," shuttle commander Chris Ferguson, 47, said Tuesday. "Home improvement inside and outside the station." The shuttle's massive external tank will begin taking in some two million liters (530,000 gallons) of mostly super-cooled, liquid hydrogen Friday at 10:30 am (1530 GMT), launch director Mike Leinback said. The three-hour tanking operation will be the final pre-launch procedure. "Right now everything is going on track for (shuttle mission) STS-126 for Endeavour and looking good for a Friday night liftoff," Leinback said. If the mission should fail to launch by November 25, it would have to be postponed until January, Cain said. Related Links Shuttle at NASA Watch NASA TV via Space.TV Space Shuttle News at Space-Travel.Com
Shuttle's Fuel Cell Loading And Practice Landings Scheduled
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Nov 13, 2008Launch controllers will load oxygen and hydrogen into the fuel cells aboard space shuttle Endeavour this evening as the countdown to the launch of STS-126 moves ahead smoothly. The fuel cells convert the chemicals into electricity while Endeavour is in space. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement |
