[The launch should be live on both HD-Net Channel 9422 and NASA Channel 213]
Thursday, May 31, 2007
NASA gives go-ahead for June 8 launch
NASA has, as expected, decided to clear shuttle Atlantis for a launch next Friday. Liftoff time will be 7:38 p.m., agency officials said just moments ago at the conclusion of a two-day review by top agency brass at Kennedy Space Center.
"We are extremely confident," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said of the repairs to the hail-battered external tank.
There were no dissenting opinions during the final poll on whether to launch or not. "It was unanimous," Hale said.
There are minor technical issues to be resolved, but Hale said nothing that would prevent an on-time launch on Friday as planned.
That includes some earlier concerns related to the space shuttle main engines, which caused one engineer to suggest that the Atlantis engines be changed out just in case. In the end, Hale said that everyone was comfortable with the decision to fly.
NASA would try as many as four opportunities in the five day period beginning June 8. If the shuttle has not launched by June 12, NASA would stand down for four days to allow the higher-priority launch of National Reconnaissance Office spacecraft.
That launch, aboard an Atlas 5 rocket, is currently set for June 14. United Launch Alliance has told NASA that the Atlas 5 and its spy satellite payload are on track for launch that day.
NASA's next opportunity to launch the shuttle after that would be June 17.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
NASA gives go-ahead for June 8 launch
NASA has, as expected, decided to clear shuttle Atlantis for a launch next Friday. Liftoff time will be 7:38 p.m., agency officials said just moments ago at the conclusion of a two-day review by top agency brass at Kennedy Space Center.
"We are extremely confident," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said of the repairs to the hail-battered external tank.
There were no dissenting opinions during the final poll on whether to launch or not. "It was unanimous," Hale said.
There are minor technical issues to be resolved, but Hale said nothing that would prevent an on-time launch on Friday as planned.
That includes some earlier concerns related to the space shuttle main engines, which caused one engineer to suggest that the Atlantis engines be changed out just in case. In the end, Hale said that everyone was comfortable with the decision to fly.
NASA would try as many as four opportunities in the five day period beginning June 8. If the shuttle has not launched by June 12, NASA would stand down for four days to allow the higher-priority launch of National Reconnaissance Office spacecraft.
That launch, aboard an Atlas 5 rocket, is currently set for June 14. United Launch Alliance has told NASA that the Atlas 5 and its spy satellite payload are on track for launch that day.
NASA's next opportunity to launch the shuttle after that would be June 17.