| Early this morning,
launch controllers added 23 ½ hours to the launch count at the T-11 hour built-in hold,
slipping the launch of Shuttle Atlantis to Friday at about 6:12 a.m. The decision followed
a Tuesday evening postponement of the Air Force Atlas III launch and was part of an
preplanned agreement between NASA and the Air Force. Space
Shuttle Atlantis remains in excellent health with Shuttle engineers working no significant
technical concerns. Throughout the day, engineers will monitor Shuttle systems from the
launch control room and perform minor maintenance tasks on ground support equipment at the
pad.
The orbiter's communication system will be activated early
tomorrow morning, and flight crew equipment late stow efforts will slip into Thursday as
well. The Rotating Service Structure at the pad will move away from the vehicle at about
10 a.m. tomorrow. Loading of the external tank with more than 500,000 gallons of liquid
propellant begins at about 8:47 p.m. tomorrow.
Weather forecasters indicate only a 10 percent chance of weather prohibiting launch on
Friday. The forecast calls for few clouds at 3,000 feet and scattered clouds at 6,000
feet; visibility at 7 miles; winds from the south southwest at 7 peaking to 10 knots;
temperature at 74 degrees F; dew point at 65 degrees F; and relative humidity at 74
percent. The primary concern is for possible fog in the KSC vicinity.
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