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Astronauts arrive at Cape for practice countdown BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: August 7, 2006 The crew of the shuttle Atlantis flew to the Kennedy Space Center today for launch-site training and to participate in a dress-rehearsal countdown Thursday that will set the stage for blastoff Aug. 27 on a space station construction mission.
"We're very happy to be here, like all crews are for TCDT (terminal countdown demonstration test)," Jett said at the runway. "The training events of this week mark the last milestones for us in flight preparations. We're looking forward to a good week of training with the launch team and a real smooth countdown, or at least a smooth practice countdown, on Thursday. Once that's complete, we'll be real anxious to get back here at the end of the month and go into a real countdown and launch. "It's a beautiful day today," he added. "I was kind of (thinking) we ought to save some of these days for the end of the month because I think we're going to need them. ... If we get a day like today on Aug. 27, we'll be in good shape." The goal of the 116th shuttle mission is to attach and deploy a huge set of solar arrays on the port side of the space station's main truss. Launch is targeted for 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, but that date won't be official until after a two-day flight readiness review next week. Atlantis' launch window extends through Sept. 7. Assuming the shuttle gets off within that window - and assuming minimal amounts of foam insulation fall off the ship's external tank - NASA managers are expected to resume night launchings, greatly expanding the agency's launch opportunities.
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VIDEO:
ATLANTIS ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD 39B 