Return to Flight

Talk about stereo separation; I can hear a Mockingbird outside my window in NorCal, and another one over the mike on the live broadcast from NASA TV

Discovery crew is currently (04:03 PDT - 07:03 EDT) in the Airstream on the way to the pad.

Countdown is - 02:37:00

Tourists

Just prior to entering the elevator, the Discovery crew stops to rubberneck and take pictures of one another. "What I did on summer vacation - my friend at the launch pad."

Sensor re-check completed and optimal.

T - 02:24 Led by Commander Eileen Collins, the astronauts are entering the Orbiter.

T - 02:00 3 hours to launch. Even the weather appears to sense it. Clouds and winds are receding from the 20 mile weather perimeter.

2 hours, 30 minutes to launch. All seven crew members are in the orbiter and secured.

The Morning Commute

As final strap-in and comm checks are completed before closing the Orbiter, Mission Specialist Charlie Camarda uses his assist strap to take a little weight off. The crew may spend as much as three hours lying on their backs in their pressure suits - only one reason for a rapid de-suiting after main engine shutdown.

Amother purpose is for one of the mid-deck Mission Specialists to photograph the External Tank upon separation.

At 01:55:00, The Orbiter cabin is being sealed and the Launch director has said that the original launch time, 10:39 EDT is selected and is the center of the 9 minute launch window.

And Liftoff, of Space Shuttle Discovery

Exactly on time, 10:39 EDT July, 26, 2005

Comments

[Rosemary]

Excellent coverage! I prefer the way you did it to those on the boob tube. :)