Countdown Will Begin On Tuesday

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 05.31.07 1545 EDT: It was a good omen, said NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Operations, Bill Gerstenmaier, that there was no hailstorm prior to Wednesday's flight readiness review meeting on the launch of the shuttle Atlantis -- unlike the last time engineers met to determine whether the orbiter was fit to fly into orbit, in February.

"We're on for a June 8 launch, at 7:38 pm," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale told reporters in a webcast news conference Thursday afternoon ago. The launch countdown will commence Tuesday night.

That result of the two-day meeting was not unexpected, as there were no significant hurdles or objections foreseen. As Aero-News reported, there were some concerns about the sturdiness of bolts holding low-pressure fuel pressurization units within the orbiter's three main engines... but Hale reports all inspections of those suspect bolts show no evidence of any problems.

"We quite confident this flight is good," Hale said.

NASA has four launch windows for Atlantis between June 8 and 13. After that, the agency must stand down for the scheduled launch of an Atlas rocket on June 15, before attempting a launch later in the month.

When asked if NASA forecast any possible weather-related complications this time around, shuttle program manager Mike Leinbach replied "as a Florida resident, I almost hope so -- we need the rain." There are no sigificant storms on the horizon.

"While we cannot control the weather, this team can ensure that when we do launch, it will be as safely as possible," added Gerstenmeier, who chaired the meetings. "This second Flight Readiness Review was as thorough as the first. The discussions were open, healthy, and are evidence of a team that is ready for a complicated and important station assembly mission."

During the 11-day mission and three spacewalks, the crew will work with flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, to install a 17-ton segment on the station's girder-like truss and deploy a set of solar arrays. The mission will increase the International Space Station's power capability in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space agencies.

Joining Commander Rick Sturckow on STS-117 will be Pilot Lee Archambault and Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, John "Danny" Olivas, Jim Reilly and Clayton Anderson. Anderson will replace current station crew member Sunita Williams, who has lived on the station since December. Williams will return to Earth on Atlantis.

FMI: www.nasa.gov