Crews prepare Endeavour for Tomorrow's Launch

NASA will keep an eye to the sky on Saturday as late afternoon thunderstorms will likely pose a threat to the launch of space shuttle Endeavour as they await the start of the third shuttle flight of the year.

The Air Force Meteorology group here at Cape Canaveral continues to forecast a 40% weather "Go" for Endeavour's 7:39:33 pm EDT launch time tomorrow night. Thunderstorms will bring rain and lightning to the Space Coast during the final hours of the countdown.

On Thursday, Endeavour's commander Mark "Roman" Polansky, "met with the crew to go over all the first and second day on orbit activities in detail. Important to all be synchronized".

Here are a few prelaunch milestones Today:

• 6 AM: T-:19:00:00 and counting
• 6:05: Filling of sound suppression system water tank
• 8:30a: Flight crew awakes
  
• 2 PM: T-:11 hours and holding (for 13h, 14m)
• 11 PM: Rotating Service Structure rollback
• 12:45a: Flight crew goes to sleep

If thunderstorms scrub Endeavour's Saturday launch, then the launch team will try again on Sunday evening. The weather is forecast to improve slightly with a 60% "Go" for weather. Sunday's launch time would be targeted for 7:13:49 pm EDT.