Let's Go Fly!Tanking of Discovery's large orange external tank with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen began this morning at 7:11 a.m. Tanking was delayed about an hour when one of two heaters needed to purge the External Tank failed. Primary and backup heaters are required for tanking to begin. A "red team" was being dispatched to the pad and the problem was resolved. Activities continue for an ontime launch of Discovery at 3:51 p.m. EDT today.
At about 11 p.m. Tuesday evening, Launch Pad 39B's Rotating Service Structure (RSS) was retracted from Discovery in preparation for Wednesday's Return to Flight launch. When in place, the giant enveloping appendage is used to install payloads into an orbiter's cargo bay and provide protection from inclement weather.
Early Tuesday evening at Launch Pad 39B, the cover of Discovery’s window #7 fell approximately 60 feet and struck a carrier panel on the orbiter's left Orbital Maneuvering System pod, damaging several tiles. A replacement carrier panel was quickly located and successfully installed on the orbiter. Work on the panel took approximately one hour, slightly delaying tonight's planned 7 p.m. rollback of the pad's Rotating Service Structure. No other issues are being tracked by the Launch Team.
Earlier on Tuesday at a Countdown Status Briefing, NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding and STS-114 Payload Manager Scott Higginbotham agreed that everything is go for launch on Wednesday. Discovery, its payloads, the launch team, and the Expedition 11 crew aboard the International Space Station are ready for the mission. Shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters reported a slight increase of a weather delay during countdown -- 40%, up from 30% Monday -- due to the possibility of showers or a thunderstorm, which is typical for this time of year at the launch site.
The families of the Columbia astronauts issued a statement today, saying "we have every confidence that the sacrifice of our loved ones and those that preceded them will be realized for the benefit of all humankind" See below.
As of 08:00 (EDT) Wednesday, the National Weather Service report for launch time:
Mostly cloudy with 70% chance of precipitation and 70% chance of lightning during isolated thunderstorm activity for early afternoon. The forecast for Thusday and Friday is currently the same.
This would indicate a definite scrub. No launch will take place if the forecast exceeds 40% chance of lightning. The current launch schedule is for a second try on Thursday, July 14, and then on Saturday.
Update 10:30 EDT: NASA has scrubbed today's scheduled launch of Discovery, STS-114 due to "anomalous readings" from one of the four fuel cut-off sensors on the External Tank. The sensor indicated that the tank was low, even though the tank contained a full load of 535,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen.
The current launch window opportunity extends to the end of July, after which operations will have to wait until September. This is dictated by the choice of a daylight launch, for purposes of meticulously photographing the Shuttle and by the position of the International Space Station.