Simulated Launch Countdown Sets Stage For August 7 Launch

The seven-member crew for the next shuttle launch, STS-118, arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday evening for the terminal countdown demonstration test.

Often referred to as TCDT, the test is a final round of prelaunch training. It concludes with a simulated launch countdown for the crew and the launch team.

On Tuesday, the full crew visited the launch pad for fire suppression training and a driving lesson in the M-113 armored personnel carrier, which could carry them safely from the pad in an emergency.

Commander Scott Kelly and Pilot Charlie Hobaugh are scheduled to practice flying and landing the Shuttle Training Aircraft, which mimics the flying characteristics of a shuttle orbiter, Tuesday night.

As ANN reported, the space shuttle Endeavour arrived at Launch Pad 39A early July 11, and the STS-118 payload -- including the S5 truss, SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3 -- is secured inside the orbiter's payload bay.

Launch is targeted for the evening of August 7.

And Enough About The Spelling Bugaboo, Please

Mischievous scamps that we are, ANN was one of the first media outlets to pick up on an unfortunate error on a banner erected by NASA at Launch Pad 39A last week, proclaiming "Go Endeavor." Right sentiment, wrong spelling.

Within 90 minutes of the orbiter's arrival at the launch pad, NASA corrected the error (as seen in the photo above) but not before cameras captured the image, and transmitted it throughout the world. (See above, RE: "mischievous scamps.")

Turns out the erroneous spelling was the fault of a print shop NASA contractor Space Gateway Support used to create the banner. "Those guys are so embarrassed," Lisa Malone, director of external relations and business development at KSC, told Florida Today.

Due to the tight schedule, no one proofread the banner before it was put up at the pad.

"It was just a human mistake," Space Gateway Support spokesman Sam Gutierrez said. "But it's my department's responsibility, so I'll take the hit on that."

Hey, we understand. We can't begin to count the number of people who have misspelled Finfrock's name.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/shuttle