Discovery ready for fueling; launch window update

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Discovery ready for fueling; launch window update

The shuttle Discovery's countdown continues to tick smoothly toward blastoff
Tuesday. There are no technical problems of any significance at pad 39B an
if all goes well, engineers will begin pumping a half-million gallons of
liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket fuel into the shuttle's external
tank around 12:15 a.m. For a launch attempt at 10:39 a.m. Tuesday.

For readers interested in such details, the launch window has been modified
very slightly based on the latest tracking of the international space
station. Discovery's launch window now opens at 10:33:59 a.m. and closes at
10:44:00 a.m. The preferred launch time, when Earth's rotation carries the
launch pad into the plane of the station's orbit, is 10:38:59 a.m., one
second earlier than NASA's previous estimate.

Forecasters are continuing to predict a 60 percent chance of acceptable
weather, although there is concern about off-shore rain showers and detached
anvil clouds moving into the launch area or within 20 nautical miles of the
shuttle's emergency runway. The forecast remains 60 percent "go" Wednesday
and 70 percent favorable Thursday.

Should launch be delayed 24 hours, Discovery's window will be shortened to
five minutes and liftoff will be targeted for 10:11:29 a.m. The window will
close at 10:16:02 a.m. The shortened window is the result of the station's
orbit and a requirement to dock with the station two days after launch
(flight day 3).

Here are remaining countdown highlights at a glance (in EDT and HH:MM to
launch; times rounded to the nearest minute until T-minus 9 minutes):

HH...MM...SS...EDT...........EVENT

Monday, July 25
25...34...00...09:00:00 AM...Flight crew weather briefing
21...04...00...01:30:00 PM...Pad gantry to park position
19...04...00...03:30:00 PM...Crew sleep begins
16...50...00...05:44:00 PM...Resume countdown after a built-in hold
14...50...00...07:44:00 PM...Pad clear of non-essential personnel
14...20...00...08:14:00 PM...Booster joint heater activation
14...05...00...08:29:00 PM...Fuel loading weather briefing
11...50...00...10:44:00 PM...Begin 2-hour built-in hold
11...00...00...11:34:00 PM...Mission management team meeting

Tuesday, July 26
10...34...00...12:00:00 AM...NASA television coverage begins
10...04...00...12:30:00 AM...Crew wakeup
09...50...00...12:44:00 AM...Resume countdown
09...50...00...12:44:00 AM...Fueling begins (transfer line chilldown)*
09...05...00...01:29:00 AM...Hydrogen ECO sensors "wet"
06...50...00...03:44:00 AM...Begin 3-hour built-in hold
05...34...00...05:00:00 AM...Crew photo opportunity
03...50...00...06:44:00 AM...Resume countdown
03...45...00...06:49:00 AM...Crew departs O&C building
03...19...00...07:15:00 AM...Hydrogen ECO sensor test
03...15...00...07:19:00 AM...The astronauts begin strapping in
01...10...00...09:24:00 AM...Begin 10-minute built-in hold
01...00...00...09:34:00 AM...Resume countdown
00...49...00...09:45:00 AM...Begin T-minus 9-minute hold; ECO sensor test

00...09...00...10:29:59 AM...Resume countdown at T-minus 9 minutes
00...00...00...10:38:59 AM...Launch

* Fueling is expected to begin a half-hour earlier than listed if all
preparations are completed in time.


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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info