NASA managers completed a review Wednesday of space shuttle Endeavour's readiness for flight and selected June 13 as the official launch date for the STS-127 mission to the International Space Station. Commander Mark Polansky and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 7:17 a.m. EDT from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"Folks have done a tremendous job getting ready to go fly again," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations. Gerstenmaier cited the recent STS-125 mission flown by space shuttle Atlantis as a factor in today's flight readiness review, and commented on the complexity of the STS-127 mission timeline, which includes five spacewalks and intricate robotics work. "It will be a very challenging mission."
The countdown to launch of space shuttle Endeavour on its STS-127 mission officially began at 9 a.m. today as countdown clocks began counting backward from T-43 hours.
Prelaunch activities remain on schedule as NASA prepares for liftoff of Endeavour on Saturday, June 13, at 7:17 a.m. EDT. The seven STS-127 crew members arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility late Monday night.
"The teams here at Kennedy Space Center have been working extremely hard to try to get to this point," said NASA Test Director Steve Payne during a countdown status briefing Wednesday. "But it's paid off, and we have a vehicle poised at the pad that's ready to go."
The weather forecast at the Florida launch site is expected to cooperate with final launch preparations and should also be favorable at launch time.
The launch of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission to the International Space Station is on hold due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At 12:26 a.m. EDT Saturday, managers officially scrubbed the launch for at least 96 hours.
The earliest the shuttle could be ready for liftoff is June 17, however there is a range conflict on that date with the scheduled launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Mission managers will hold a meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday to discuss the repair options and Endeavour's launch attempt opportunities. A news conference will follow the meeting's conclusion and will air live on NASA Television and the agency Web site.
Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 Launch Set for June 17.
NASA managers have scheduled the next launch attempt of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 mission for 5:40 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 17.
Endeavour's planned June 13 liftoff was postponed because of a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the shuttle's external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.
As a result, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, are set to lift off together aboard an Atlas V rocket on Thursday, June 18. That launch was moved to June 18 to accommodate Endeavour's June 17 liftoff.
Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 launch of June 17 was officially scrubbed at 1:55am EDT when a gaseous hydrogen leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate occurred. This is the same location where a similar leak resulted in a launch scrub on June 13. Vent valve troubleshooting took place for about an hour before it became clear the problem could not be solved.
"We're going to step back and figure out what the problem is and go fix it," said Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager LeRoy Cain during a briefing afterward. "Once we get it fixed, and we're confident that we have a solution that's going to work and allow us to go fly safely, then we'll proceed forward."
Endeavour's next launch attempt for its STS-127 mission is targeted for July 11 at 7:39pm EDT.
Launch countdown operations are on schedule with no issues to report, according to launch officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The countdown to space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 launch began on time July 8 at 10 p.m. EDT.
"All systems are in excellent shape," NASA Test Director Steve Payne said during a morning status briefing. "The STS-127 flight crew, Endeavour and launch team are ready to go."
The STS-127 astronauts will review their flight plan today, relax and check out their launch-and-entry suits as launch day approaches.
Liftoff is scheduled for Saturday at 7:39 p.m. Due to expected showers, thunderstorms and anvil clouds in the area, the launch weather forecast continues to be 40 percent "go."
Careful Testing Under Way After Lightning Strikes
Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:59:52 PM GMT+0200
The launch of space shuttle Endeavour was postponed until Sunday evening so engineers could evaluate the spacecraft's myriad systems following 11 lightning strikes in the Launch Complex 39A area.
None of the strikes hit the shuttle or its external tank and solid rocket boosters, but there were strikes to the lightning mast and water tower. The launch pad is equipped with a lightning protection system of wires that is intended to steer bolts away from the shuttle.
"We've seen nothing so far that shows anything affected any of the systems," said Mike Moses, chairman of the pre-launch Mission Management Team.
Two of the strikes were strong enough to trigger an evaluation by engineers just to make sure all of Endeavour's systems are ready for flight. Although early evaluations showed no problems, engineers wanted more time to make sure they have checked everything correctly.
"We need to be 100 percent confident that we have a good system across the board," Moses said.
The launch time for Sunday is 7:13 p.m. EDT. The weather forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions.
After the Mission Management Team cleared the lightning event that delayed yesterday's launch attempt, a "GO" was given for external tank fueling. Tanking operations will start at approximately 9:48 a.m. EDT. Liquid Hydrogen “topping” (gaseous Hydrogen vent valve cycling) will begin at about noon. Weather permitting, launch is scheduled for 7:13 p.m. The forecast is 70 percent “go” for liftoff.
Endeavour's Launch "No Go" Due to Weather
Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:03:28 AM GMT+0200
Officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have called off today's liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour due to inclement weather. Cumulus clouds and lightning violated rules for launching Endeavour because of weather near the Shuttle Landing Facility. The runway would be needed in the unlikely event that Endeavour would have to make an emergency landing back at Kennedy.
Endeavour's next launch attempt is 6:51 p.m. EDT Monday. NASA TV coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Endeavour Launch Rescheduled for Wednesday
Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:53:38 AM UTC+0200
Liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on the STS-127 mission has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 15 at 6:03 p.m. EDT.
Today's attempt was canceled due to poor weather conditions within the launch area at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Anvil clouds and storm cells containing lightning flared up toward the end of the countdown, violating stringent launch safety rules.
A postponement briefing will air live on NASA Television at 8 p.m. EDT this evening. The participants will be Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses and STS-127 Shuttle Launch Director Pete Nickolenko.
