 |
|
|
All going well as it seems, even
the weather, before next week’s launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, with the
mission of sending a Japanese laboratory to the International Space Station. The
launch is set to take place on Tuesday at 2:28 a.m. EDT (0628 GMT) from the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
After a problem occurred with
the high-power amplifier on one Ultra High Frequency (UFC) radio, NASA decided
to use the backup system for the March 11 flight, as it meets all the flight
safety rules requirements.
“We have no other issues to
report,” said NASA test director Steve Payne during the STS-123 Countdown
Status Briefing. “The systems are clean, it appears it’s going to be a good day
for us and Endeavour and her crew are ready to launch.”
As it appears, on the day of the
launch there will be only 10 percent chance for the weather to delay the launch.
In the worst scenario, the chances will not pass 20 percent, so everything
looks good so far for Endeavour.
NASA will have a total of two
opportunities to complete the launch, on March 11 and March 12, before it will
have to make way for the Air Force Delta 2 rocket, which carries a Global
Positioning System navigation satellite. The next attempt, in case the first
two fail, is scheduled to take place on March 17, in the evening.
The space ship’s crew will spend
16 days in space and on the International Space Station, for the installation
of the Japanese Kibo complex and attachment of a Canadian robot on the outside
of the station for maintenance purposes.
Endeavour is set to return on
March 26 at the Kennedy Space Center, at around 8:35 p.m. if everything goes as
planned. The International Space Station has been the center of many new
adjustments and missions, as new tools and international laboratories are being
added.
Image credits: NASA
© 2007 - 2008 - eFluxMedia