NASA Set For Third Attempt To Launch Endeavour
NASA continued final preparations for its third attempt to launch space shuttle Endeavour on Saturday.
NASA expects to launch Endeavour on Saturday at 7:39 p.m. Eastern. However, the weather forecast only leaves the mission with a 40 percent chance of being able to launch on schedule.
"We’re expecting we’ll see some afternoon thunderstorms in the area around launch time," said shuttle weather officer Kathy Winter.
"We are forecasting 60 percent (chance of) weather prohibiting launch — which is of course, 40 percent chances for ‘go’ weather."
The two previous attempts to launch Endeavour were hampered by hydrogen leaks in the shuttle’s external fuel tank last month.
NASA officials said the leaks have been repaired, and tests have turned up good results.
"The test was very successful. We did not have any leaks, any issue or any anomaly," NASA test director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told reporters on Wednesday.
The countdown to STS-127 launch began July 8 at 10 p.m. EDT.
Endeavour will carry seven astronauts and a payload of spare equipment to make upgrades to the International Space Station. The Endeavour crew is expected to finalize work on the Japanese laboratory Kibo during their 16-day mission.
Astronauts are expected to install a permanent platform to the Kibo lab over the course of five spacewalks intended to last about 32.5 hours.
Once in orbit, Endeavour’s crew of Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette will meet with the current space station crew. Kopra is expected to replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.
"We’re all eager to get Endeavour and her crew on their way to the International Space Station," said Blackwell-Thompson.
"We’re ready to fly this mission."
NASA has four days to launch space shuttle Endeavour before being forced to wait for Russia’s space agency to launch an unmanned craft. If NASA does not launch within the four-day period, it won’t get another chance to launch until July 27.
"I am pleased to report that our launch countdown operations are proceeding on schedule and without significant issues," said Steve Payne, test director at NASA.
"Currently, our systems are in excellent shape, we have no issue whatsoever to report. The Endeavour crew and the launch team are ready to go," he said.
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