Tue, Sep 05, 2006
Weather Looks Good For Wednesday Launch
They're counting down
again at the Kennedy Space Center... ticking away the minutes ahead
of Wednesday's scheduled launch of the shuttle Atlantis.
"At the end of the day we did our readiness poll to continue
from here toward launch and we got a 'go' from all the elements and
we feel like we're in very good shape," said LeRoy Cain, launch
integration manager, after reviews by the mission management
team,
This will be the fourth try for Atlantis and STS-115... after a
lightning strike forced two delays, and Tropical Storm Ernesto
scrubbed plans for a third attempt last week.
The launch is set for 12:29 Eastern Time Wednesday afternoon,
and forecasts call for only a 20 percent chance of a "no go"
decision due to weather at that time.
Between now and then, engineers and technicians are going over
the shuttle with a fine-toothed comb... checking all systems and
replacing fuel emptied from the orbiter in anticipation of its
planned move back to the Vehicle Assembly Building.
As Aero-News reported, before
the shuttle was halfway to the Vehicle Assembly Building -- and
shelter from the tropical storm -- launch managers decided it would
be okay to put Atlantis back on the pad, as Ernesto's winds weren't
as bad as had been initially forecasted.
That decision means the orbiter still has a chance to fly this
month -- before a scheduled Soyuz mission to the International
Space Station.
Commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates (above) will travel
to the International Space Station to install a new 17-ton segment
of the station's truss backbone, adding a new set of giant solar
panels and batteries to the complex. Three spacewalks are
planned.
More News
Back-Taxi A term used by air traffic controllers to taxi an aircraft on the runway opposite to the traffic flow. The aircraft may be instructed to back-taxi to the beginning of the>[...]
“Our WAI members across the nation are grateful for the service and sacrifice of the formidable group of WASP who served so honorably during World War II. This group of brave>[...]
“Many aspiring pilots fall short of their goal due to the cost of flight training, so EAA working with the Ray Foundation helps relieve some of the financial pressure and mak>[...]
Blind Speed The rate of departure or closing of a target relative to the radar antenna at which cancellation of the primary radar target by moving target indicator (MTI) circuits i>[...]
Aero Linx: International Airline Medical Association (IAMA) The International Airline Medical Association, formerly known as the Airline Medical Directors Association (AMDA) was fo>[...]