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Weather remains unfavorable; refueling on tap BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: December 9, 2006 Shuttle engineers are gearing up to refuel the shuttle Discovery for launch tonight at 8:47:34 p.m. to kick off a critical space station mission. Retraction of a huge service gantry ran behind schedule this morning, but a NASA spokesman said the work was expected to be completed in time to support fueling operations, scheduled to begin at 10:52 a.m. Weather remains the only major concern, with launch forecasters at the Air Force 45th Space Wing predicting a 70 percent chance of high crosswinds and low cloud decks that could force another delay. The ods are 60 percent "no-go" Sunday and Monday. "High pressure is dominating the Eastern U.S., inducing a strong pressure gradient over Central Florida," according to the morning forecast. "Over the course of the next several days the winds will gradually decrease and veer clockwise as the high pressure area migrates east. "Also, the easterly flow causes low clouds and isolated showers moving onshore across the launch complex and Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). 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, responsible for predicting landing conditions in case of an emergency return-to-launch-site abort, predicts scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken deck at 20,000 feet and a chance for showers and an out-of-limits broken deck at 4,000 feet. SMG also predicts winds out of 60 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 18, a direct crosswind on shuttle runway 15/33. NASA's launch limit is 15 knots. An initial attempt to launch Discovery Thursday night was scrubbed at the last minute by low clouds over the launch pad. NASA managers decided to skip a Friday opportunity because of a 90 percent "no-go" forecast. As it turned out, SMG was observed and forecast "go" Friday night and it appeared to the untrained eye that Discovery's crew would have had a shot at getting off had NASA opted for a 24-hour turnaround instead of 48. But that's hindsight. Florida's coastal weaher is notoriously difficult to predict, reinforcing former Launch Director Bob Sieck's observation that on any given day, the odds of launch are 50-50. Here is a timeline of today's countdown activities (in EST): DATE/EST......EVENT _________________________________________________________________ Sat 12/09/06 08:52:00 AM...Begin 2-hour built-in hold (T-minus 6 hours) 09:02:00 AM...Safe-and-arm circuit test 09:42:00 AM...Mission management team tanking meeting 09:52:00 AM...External tank ready for fueling 10:52:00 AM...Resume countdown (T-minus 6 hours) 10:52:00 AM...LO2, LH2 transfer line chilldown 11:37:00 AM...Hydrogen ECO sensors go wet 11:42:00 AM...LO2 fast fill 11:52:00 AM...LH2 fast fill 01:52:00 PM...Fueling complete 01:52:00 PM...Begin 3-hour built-in hold (T-minus 3 hours) 01:52:00 PM...Closeout crew to white room 01:52:00 PM...External tank in stable replenish mode 02:30:00 PM...NASA TV coverage begins 03:08:00 PM...Astronaut photo opportunity (time approximate) 04:27:00 PM...Astronauts don pressure suits 04:52:00 PM...Resume countdown (T-minus 3 hours) 04:57:00 PM...Crew departs O&C building 05:27:00 PM...Astronauts strap in 06:32:00 PM...Hatch closure 07:32:00 PM...Begin 10-minute built-in hold (T-minus 20m) 07:42:00 PM...NASA test director countdown briefing 07:42:00 PM...Resume countdown (T-minus 20m) 07:43:00 PM...Backup flight computer to OPS 1 07:47:00 PM...KSC area clear to launch 07:53:00 PM...Begin final built-in hold (T-minus 9m) 08:03:34 PM...NTD launch status verification 08:38:34 PM...Resume countdown (T-minus 9m) 08:40:04 PM...Orbiter access arm retraction 08:42:00 PM...Launch window opens (actual: 8:42:34 p.m.) 08:42:34 PM...Hydraulic power system (APU) start 08:42:39 PM...Terminate liquid oxygen replenish 08:43:34 PM...Purge sequence 4 hydraulic test 08:43:34 PM...Inertial measurement units to inertial 08:43:39 PM...Aerosurface movement check 08:44:04 PM...Main engine steering test 08:44:39 PM...Oxygen tank pressurization 08:44:59 PM...Fuel cells to internal reactants 08:45:04 PM...Clear caution-and-warning memory 08:45:34 PM...Crew closes visors 08:45:37 PM...Hydrogen tank pressurization 08:46:44 PM...Solid rocket booster joint heater deactivation 08:47:03 PM...Shuttle computers take control of countdown 08:47:13 PM...Booster steering test 08:47:27 PM...Main engine start (T-6.6 seconds) 08:47:34 PM...Booster ignition (LAUNCH)
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