POSTPONED ! SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR & MISSION STS127 TO LIFT-OFF TODAY JULY 12, 2009 AT 7:13 PM

It is official...NO GO FOR LAUNCH TODAY. NASA WILL TRY
6:51:24 PM ON MONDAY.











Image above: Storm clouds roll in over the NASA Vehicle Assembly building and Launch Control Center moments after Space Shuttle Launch Director Pete Nickolenko called the launch a "No Go" due to weather conditions.NO GO FOR LAUNCH AT THE MOMENT DUE TO LIGHTHING IN THE AREA. NASA IS OBSERVING THE SITUATION. KEEP CHECKING BACK HERE FOR UPDATES.

Endeavour Launch Now Scheduled for July 13
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:46:24 PM EDT

Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-127 launch now is scheduled for July 13 at
6:51 p.m. EDT.

Officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida called off Sunday's planned liftoff 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.

The STS-127 astronauts left Launch Pad 39A at about 8:35 p.m. EDT to return to crew quarters at Kennedy's Operations & Checkout Building for the night.

Monday's live countdown coverage will begin at 1:30 p.m on NASA Television and NASA's Launch Blog.

After 3 delays, two to do with leaks back in June, and yesterday due to rain and lighting strikes in the area on Friday that needed to be throughly checked out, Endeavor is scheduled to launch @ 7:13 PM tonight.












UPDATE:
Launch Team to try Again Monday
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:03:07 PM EDT

Endeavour will be readied for another launch attempt Monday with a launch time at 6:51 p.m.

Poor Weather Scrubs Tonight's Launch Attempt
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:01:55 PM EDT

"We got the vehicle ready, but the weather didn't cooperate," Launch Director Pete Nickolenko told Endeavour's seven astronauts. Today's launch attempt has been scrubbed.

Runway Weather is Focus of Concern
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:47:36 PM EDT

Weather forecasters are monitoring conditions at Kennedy, but right now a launch would not be allowed because of storms within 20 miles of the Shuttle Landing Facility.

Readiness Polls Coming Up
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:27:41 PM EDT

Three major polls to clear the way for the last phase of the countdown will be conducted during this hold. The Mission Management Team will give its final readiness approval during this time and then Launch Director Pete Nickolenko will query the Kennedy launch team, mission control in Houston and the astronauts for their readiness before allowing the countdown to resume. Weather remains the primary concern for this evening's launch.

Countdown Enters Last Planned Hold
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:17:55 PM EDT

T-9 minutes and holding . . . The countdown has paused as planned for the final time before today's scheduled launch of Endeavour. This hold will last about 45 minutes and can be adjusted to set up the best launch time for the shuttle's liftoff to the International Space Station. The launch team will receive weather updates during the hold, since meteorologists are concerned about storms encroaching the areas around the Shuttle Landing Facilty and Launch Pad 39A.

Countdown Proceeding as Weather Raises Concerns
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:13:58 PM EDT

T-13 minutes and counting . . . The launch team is evaluating weather conditions near Launch Pad 39A and the Shuttle Landing Facility after clouds and lightning began building near the locations. The specific concerns are for cumulus clouds and lightning potential closer than 20 miles from the Shuttle Landing Facility. There are also worries that clouds will encroach the 10-mile boundary for the launch pad as well.

Weather Conditions Currently "No-Go"
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:03:07 PM EDT

Forecasters at NASA's Spaceflight Meteorology Group say current conditions violate 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. There is also a seabreeze coming off Florida's west coast that is making the weather more dynamic.

Technicians Close Endeavour's Hatch
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:01:46 PM EDT

The technicians known collectively as the closeout crew have swung the hatch of Endeavour closed for flight. A series of leak checks will be completed before the workers leave the White Room and the launch pad.

After the technicians leave, the hatch can be opened by the astronauts if there's an emergency at the pad.

Ice Formation Draws Attention
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:00:38 PM EDT

The Final Inspection Team found a formation of slushy ice built up on one of the umbilical connections between the launch pad and Endeavour. The ice measured up to four inches at one point, but it has been reducing since then and doesn't appear to pose a threat to launch.The Final Inspection Team found a formation of slushy ice built up on one of the umbilical connections between the launch pad and Endeavour. The ice measured up to four inches at one point, but it has been reducing since then and doesn't appear to pose a threat to launch.

At t minus 9 minutes and holding there are weather problems looming. It the weather clears up launch will go off as Scheduled at 7:13 PM. Check back for pics of the launch if it goes up today. PM.

Endeavour is set to launch the crew of STS-127 and start a 16-day mission that will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory.

Endeavour's Launch Countdown Continues on Schedule
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:33:43 PM EDT

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, final prelaunch preparations for the liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour continue on schedule. The countdown is in a planned hold at T-3 hours and will resume at 3:18 p.m.

Endeavour's external fuel tank has been filled with more than 500,000 gallons of chilled liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. The shuttle's trio of main engines will draw from the external tank during the push to orbit. There are no indications of a leak, and fueling has entered the "stable replenish" mode.

The closeout crew is at Launch Pad 39A preparing for the astronauts to arrive and board Endeavour later this afternoon, and the final inspection team is performing a routine scan of the space shuttle assembly to check for ice, debris or damage.

Weather is not hampering any operations at Kennedy as the countdown progresses. Launch remains set for 7:13 p.m. EDT.
















AT MINUS 3 HOURS AND HOLDING THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOR AND MISSION STS-127 IS FUELED AND READY FOR THE ASTRONAUTS TO BOARD IN A LITTLE WHILE FOR ITS MISSION TO THE SPACE STATION.
It will install a FRONT PORCH so to speak for experiments in the future. See picture below.

If not rain comes within 23 miles of the shuttle it will lift off today at 7:13 PM from pad 39-A.

Check back later for more info and pictures in another post.

















STS-127 Launch Blog

Join Launch Blogger Steven Siceloff as NASA counts down toward the launch of space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station. The blog will follow all the critical milestones leading up to liftoff, including the crucial filling of the external tank. The astronauts' suit-up and drive to the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida also will be covered. Launch is scheduled for 7:13 p.m.

The blog originates from Firing Room 3 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy, where a veteran team of engineers and managers watches every detail as Endeavour is fueled and readied for its 8 1/2-minute climb into space.

NOTE: All times are posted in Eastern.








http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/launch_blog.html
Weather Briefing Under Way
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:47:43 PM EDT

STS-127 commander Mark Polansky and his crew are getting a rundown of weather conditions at Kennedy and what the conditions are expected to be at launch time. As can be expected, the weather is dynamic this afternoon. The atmospheric conditions have not violated limits to this point and there are no technical issues, either. The launch remains on schedule for 7:13 p.m.


An International Crew of Veterans and First-time Fliers
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:22:17 PM EDT

Two-time shuttle astronaut Mark Polansky will command the STS-127 mission, with first-time flier Doug Hurley serving as pilot. Dave Wolf is the most experienced member of the crew, having flown three times already, including a 128-day stay aboard the Russian space station Mir. Canada’s Julie Payette flew before on the STS-96 mission in 1999, and will perform much of the shuttle’s robotic arm work required during STS-127.

Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn and Tim Kopra are each making their first flights. The three and Wolf will perform spacewalks during the mission. Kopra will stay on the International Space Station taking the place of Japan’s Koichi Wakata, who will return to Earth with Endeavour.

The astronauts will begin getting into their launch-and-entry suits just before 3 p.m. and then head out to the launch pad.

Final Inspection Team Surveying Endeavour
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:04:11 PM EDT

The Final Inspection Team is using binoculars and temperature scanners to search for signs of ice, debris or damage on the outside of Endeavour. The team, not to be confused with the closeout crew, does not venture inside the shuttle during its work, but spends about two hours scanning the shuttle stack from the outside while standing at different points on the launch tower and mobile launcher.

It may seem odd to talk about ice in Florida during the summer, but the propellants inside the external tank are hundreds of degrees below zero, so the water in the air can condense on the tank and freeze.

Here is a link to a feature written about the team by Web writer Cheryl Mansfield:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/ice_team.html

Polansky's Insight
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:53:02 PM EDT

STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky reported on his Twitter feed that the crew had its final meeting before launch. During the next hour, the astronauts will get their last weather briefing and then they will get into the pressure suits. The countdown is in its planned hold at the T-3 hour mark. The clock should begin ticking backward again at 3:18 p.m. Launch preparations remain on target for a launch at 7:13 p.m.

Closeout Crew Working at Endeavour
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:32:25 PM EDT

The team of technicians that straps the astronauts into the shuttle is already at Launch Pad 39A setting up Endeavour for its crew. They are called the closeout crew, and, just like the astronauts, they are well-practiced in the art of moving around the shuttle’s cockpit when it is standing on its tail. They know where to step, what not to touch and which things to take with them when they leave the shuttle and launch pad.

The astronauts will start boarding Endeavour at about 3:53 p.m.

Endeavour Fueled for Flight
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:53:18 PM EDT

The large burnt-orange external fuel tank for Endeavour has been filled with about 535,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Endeavour’s three main engines will consume the fuel and oxygen during the 8 1/2-minute climb to orbit. The launch pad's pump system will trickle in just enough fresh propellants to replace what evaporates during the countdown.

Countdown in Planned Hold
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:49:07 PM EDT

At T-3 hours and holding, everything is on schedule for the launch of Endeavour this evening at 7:13 p.m. The countdown is to resume in 2 1/2 hours.

Hydrogen Tank Filled
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:27:28 PM EDT

Endeavour has been loaded with its allotment of liquid hydrogen and pumps are now set to put in just enough new fuel to replace the amount that evaporates during the countdown. The Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate is not showing any signs of leaking. The vent system is moving evaporating hydrogen away from Endeavour and to a flare stack where the excess gas is safely burned off.

No Leaks Spotted at Carrier Plate
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:00:52 PM EDT

The early looks at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate show no signs of a leak like those that scrubbed two previous launch tries for Endeavour. Realignments to the plate were successfully tested July 1, but engineers will watch the readings closely during today's countdown nonetheless.

Carrier Plate Under Close Watch
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:50:50 AM EDT

Now that the external tank has been filled with more than 98 percent of its allotment of liquid hydrogen, engineers will keep a close eye on the readings from the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate that was blamed for leaks which prompted two previous launch attempts by Endeavour to be scrubbed. The device is on the side of the external tank and is basically a connecting point between the tank and a pipe from the launch tower. The venting system is designed to safely funnel evaporating hydrogen away from the shuttle during the countdown. The tanking system is moving to stable replenish mode, which will put just enough fuel into the tank to replace the amount that evaporates during the countdown.

535,000 Gallons
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:33:29 AM EDT

The external tank holds more than twice as much liquid hydrogen as liquid oxygen. Endeavour will carry about 390,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and about 145,000 gallons of liquid oxygen in its external tank. The engines burn the propellants extremely fast, meaning that the tank will weigh less and less as the engines burn. Endeavour's orbital speed will be about 17,500 mph when its engines turn off 8 1/2 minutes after liftoff and the tank is jettisoned back to Earth.

Weather Outlook Improves over Yesterday
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:08:32 AM EDT

Today’s weather forecast is quite a bit more optimistic than yesterday’s. The outlook calls for a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions at launch time. Meteorologists are mainly concerned about the potential for thunderstorms within the 20-mile limit of the Shuttle Landing Facility. The launch team is not working any technical issues with Endeavour or its systems. Afternoon thunderstorms are common this time of year here in Florida, so the weather specialists hope that if any poor weather develops today, it will pass before it is time for Endeavour to head into space at 7:13 p.m.

Liquid Hydrogen in Fast-fill Mode
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:03:48 AM EDT

T-4 hours, 44 minutes and counting . . . The liquid hydrogen is in the fast-fill mode. The slow-fill process went quicker than expected, and controllers began fast-fill of the hydrogen tank at 10:37 this morning. The pumping system for the hydrogen is not mechanical, but turns a small portion of hydrogen into gas to pressurize the pipes and push the slushy liquid hydrogen through the lines.

Oxygen Pumps Move to Fast-fill
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:40:51 AM EDT

Liquid oxygen pumps are now filling the external tank at a faster pace, as the loading plan calls for.

Liquid Oxygen Begins Slowly Filling into Tank
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:29:12 AM EDT

Liquid oxygen is being pumped into the top of the external tank as liquid hydrogen continues flowing into the bottom portion of the tank. Endeavour's three main engines use more hydrogen than oxygen during ascent. Looking at the external tank, the portion below the ribbed section is the hydrogen tank and the area above is the oxygen tank. The ridged portion is a connector between the two and is called the intertank.

For a Look at the Mission Ahead
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:16:08 AM EDT

The Webcast for STS-127 is at
http://anon.nasa-global.edgesuite.net/anon.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_060909_sts127_webcast.asx
if you want a glimpse at the flight.

Astronauts Awake, Prepping for Launch
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:04:00 AM EDT

The seven astronauts who will fly Endeavour to the International Space Station are awake and have had breakfast. They are relaxing in the Astronaut Crew Quarters where commander Mark "Roman" Polansky reports on his Twitter feed that they are watching the Tour de France now. They will eat lunch just before 1 p.m. and will begin suiting up before 3 p.m.

Fuel Flowing into Tank
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:00:36 AM EDT

The pumps out at Launch Complex 39A are moving liquid hydrogen into Endeavour's external tank now. The process begins with a slow-fill into the tank and then the speed will increase. The process is on schedule for launch at 7:13 p.m. It will take three hours to completely load the tank with the cryogenic propellants.

Chilldown Under Way
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:49:02 AM EDT

T-6 hours and counting . . . The fueling of Endeavour's external tank began on time with the chilldown of the system. The super-cold propellants will soon begin flowing quickly into the tank shortly. At launch, turbopumps on Endeavour's three main engines will pull the chemicals out of the tank and into the engines where they will be mixed and ignited in a careful but dynamic process. Each of the main engines will produce about 500,000 pounds of thrust at liftoff and throughout the climb into space. The solid rocket boosters provide another 6.5 million pounds of thrust to lift Endeavour off the launch pad.

Chilldown to Start Soon
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:38:50 AM EDT

The team here in the Launch Control Center is readying the complex system of pipes and valves at Launch Complex 39A that will pump half a million gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into Endeavour’s external tank. The process is slated to begin at 9:48 a.m. with “chilldown” of the lines that run from storage tanks to Endeavour and the external tank. The hydrogen and oxygen require the chilldown procedure because both propellants are super-cold. The liquid hydrogen is minus 423 degrees and the oxygen is at minus 297 degrees. The countdown is in a planned hold at T-6 hours. It will pick up again when the fueling operations start.

Launch Day!
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:29:30 AM EDT

Good morning and welcome to NASA’s Launch Blog for the STS-127 mission! Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to power off Launch Pad 39A at 7:13 p.m. on a flight to the International Space Station. Sitting safely inside Endeavour’s payload bay is the last piece of the Japanese space lab complex Kibo, which means hope. Called the Exposed Facility, the segment is a sophisticated platform that will be a home for experiments that will work in the vacuum of space.

Endeavour Gets "Go" for Fueling
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:14:29 AM EDT

The Mission Management Team has cleared the launch team here at Kennedy to begin loading liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into Endeavour's external tank beginning at 9:48 a.m. The NASA Launch Blog will begin live coverage of the countdown at 9:30 a.m. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:13 p.m.

Mission Management Team Discusses Testing
Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:10:41 AM EDT

The Mission Management Team is meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center this morning to review the condition of space shuttle Endeavour following Friday’s lightning strikes at Launch Pad 39A. Engineers have been retesting systems in the Endeavour stack to be sure they are ready to go. We will begin our blog coverage of the countdown following the MMT’s decision whether to go ahead with the fueling of Endeavour’s 500,000-gallon capacity external tank. Launch time today is 7:13 p.m.