Next Launch Attempt for Endeavour on Wednesday

July 13, 2009

Update: Well, I have an addendum to my post about covering 100 shuttle launches  -- never count your missions until they're off the ground. 

Another long and tedious day at the Kennedy Space Center, watching the clouds roll in, having your hopes raised when the sky clear, then like a game of cat-and-mouse, a triple killer at the end of the day: lighting, electric fields warnings and thunderstorm clouds. And so, it's launch scrub No. 5 for Endeavour on NASA's 127th shuttle mission, and a 48-hour stand-down. 

The next attempt won't be until Wednesday, which will give the launch team a rest and allow time for technicians to replace a protective cover that's partly peeled off one of the shuttle's thruster rockets. 

The weather is supposed to be a bit better by then, with a 60 percent chance conditions will be suitable for launch. If Endeavour is delayed again, which would tie for the most-delayed mission in shuttle program history, NASA likely will stand down until July 27 to allow time for Russia to launch a Progress cargo vehicle to the station. 

And the beat goes on ...

(Shuttle crew was hoping to see black skies in space -- not at the launch site. Credit: NASA)

After a disappointing last-minute scrub on Sunday due to bad weather, NASA is ready to try again today to launch shuttle Endeavour on a 16-day construction mission to the space station. 

The forecast isn't  terribly optimistic -- 60 percent chance of thunderstorms and rain at 6:51 p.m. EDT, the time the shuttle would be launched to meet up with the station two days later. But the odds have been worse ...

As the commander Mark Polansky wrote on his Twitter feed this morning, "While we all hope that today's the day, we have a saying that you never know for sure until the solid rockets light off."

Fueling is under way. Fingers are crossed.

Comments

[David Buchner]

Tedious day? C'mon -- you get to hang out at Kennedy flippin' Space Center! I was helping re-do the plumbing in somebody's kitchen. Wanna trade? :-)

[Irene]

You have a point ...