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Orbiter: Discovery
Mission: STS-116
Launch: Dec. 9, 2006
Time: 8:47 p.m. EST
Site: Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing: Dec. 22 @ 5:32 p.m. EST
Site: Shuttle Landing Facility, KSC

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Weather forecast remains poor for Discovery launch
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: December 8, 2006

Shuttle weather officers are continuing to predict a 70 percent chance of bad weather for Saturday's attempt to launch Discovery on a space station assembly mission. "High pressure is migrating into the Eastern US, increasing the pressure gradient over Central Florida; therefore, cool, windy conditions will affect Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Friday," according to the official forecast. "By Saturday, winds will gradually decrease as the high pressure area migrates east, but Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) crosswinds worsen as the winds continue to turn northeast.

"Also, the easterly flow causes concern for low clouds and isolated showers. Our primary concerns for launch day are SLF crosswinds, a low cloud ceiling, and isolated showers."

The Spaceflight Meteorology Group at the Johnson Space Center in Houston predicts scattered clouds at 3,000 and 20,000 feet with a chance for broken clouds at 3,000 feet and showers within 20 nautical miles - both violations of NASA's flight safety rules. Winds will be out of 40 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 18, translating into a 16-knot crosswind - another violation - on the shuttle's emergency runway.

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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: LONGER LENGTH MOVIE OF THE SCRUB PLAY
VIDEO: SCRUB CALLED DUE TO LOW CLOUDS PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR PAD PLAY
VIDEO: CREW FINISHES DONNING SPACESUITS PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS IN DINING ROOM THURSDAY PLAY
VIDEO: PAD'S ROTATING SERVICE STRUCTURE ROLLED BACK PLAY
MORE: STS-116 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Conditions are only marginally better Sunday and Monday, when the forecast for both days is 60 percent no-go.

Hoping for the best, engineers plan to top off on-board supplies of liquid hydrogen for Discovery's fuel cells tonight. That will permit launch tries Saturday and Sunday before a standown Monday to top off liquid oxygen. Additional attempts will be possible Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, Dec. 16.

Dec. 17 is the end of the currently approved launch window. If Discovery is launched on or before Dec. 17, it can complete its 12-day mission and land before the end of the year, even if up to two contingency days are needed because of bad weather or other problems.

Based on the space station's orbit, the window extends through Dec. 26 but any launch past Dec. 17 would require NASA managers to approve flying Discovery over the new year transition. The shuttle's flight software was not designed for use during year-end rollovers and some internal clocks would consider Jan. 1 to be day 366 instead of the first day of a new year.

While the astronauts can reset the computers in flight, managers likely would want the shuttle docked with the international space station on New Year's day just to be safe. That requirement would rule out launches between Dec. 18 and 22.

Spaceflight Now Plus
Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: POST-ARRIVAL COMMENTS FROM THE CREW PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE IN WAVE OF T-38 JETS PLAY
VIDEO: BIOGRAPHIES OF THE DISCOVERY ASTRONAUTS PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED STS-116 MISSION PREVIEW MOVIE PLAY

VIDEO: WEDNESDAY'S SHUTTLE BRIEFING IN ITS ENTIRETY PLAY

BRIEFING SOUNDBITES:
VIDEO: THE ISSUES DISCUSSED AT FRR PLAY
VIDEO: NOT YOUR FATHER'S FRR PLAY
VIDEO: READY TO RESUME NIGHT LAUNCHES PLAY
VIDEO: LAUNCH PREPS PROCEEDING WELL PLAY
VIDEO: YEAR-END ROLLOVER CONCERNS PLAY
VIDEO: REASSESSING TANK FOAM RISK PLAY
VIDEO: STATION SOLAR ARRAY DRIVE SYSTEM PROBLEM PLAY
VIDEO: PRESSURIZATION PRECAUTIONS AT THE PAD PLAY

VIDEO: OVERVIEW OF STS-116 MISSION PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE/ISS PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE PLAY
VIDEO: PREVIEW OF MISSION'S SPACEWALKS PLAY
VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS' PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING PLAY

VIDEO: COVERAGE OF PRACTICE COUNTDOWN ACTIVITIES PLAY

VIDEO: DISCOVERY ROLLS TO THE PAD PLAY
VIDEO: DISCOVERY MATED TO TANK AND BOOSTERS PLAY
VIDEO: SHUTTLE HOISTED VERTICALLY INSIDE VAB PLAY
VIDEO: DISCOVERY HAULED FROM HANGAR TO VAB PLAY
VIDEO: PORT 5 TRUSS PAYLOAD PACKED UP PLAY
VIDEO: CREW VISITS KENNEDY SPACE CENTER PLAY
VIDEO: EXTERNAL FUEL TANK MATED TO BOOSTERS PLAY
MORE: STS-116 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Expedition 20
The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 20 crew is now available from our stores.
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STS-128 patch
The official embroidered patch for shuttle Discovery's flight to deliver equipment and research gear to the space station.
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Hubble Patch
The official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase.
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