how did the atlantis shuttle launch proceed yesterday?”
The six-member crew of the space shuttle Atlantis have been sealed inside the orbiter at Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, and NASA launch teams proceed with a smooth countdown to the launch, which is slated for 1:38 p.m. Central Time today. There was a minor concern with an crew cabin fuel cell, or battery, showing a power spike, but NASA engineers said it would not be a problem. Also, U.S. Air Force weather officer Kathy Winters continues to give the shuttle launch a “green” light for launch, saying weather should not pose any problems. NASA has a five-minute window to get the shuttle off the ground for its 11-day supply mission to the station.
NASA cleared the space shuttle Atlantis to launch toward the International Space Station Monday on a delivery mission. Atlantis is set to lift off at 2:28 p.m. EST (1928 GMT) on Nov. 16 at from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. to carry six astronauts and two cases of large spare parts to the station. The weather outlook is optimistic for Monday, with a 90 percent chance of clear skies predicted. “Overall Monday is looking good so hopefully we’ll go off on Monday,” weather officer Kathy Winters said during a Saturday briefing. An Atlas V unmanned rocket slated to launch from the nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station early Saturday stood down at the last minute for crews to investigate a power glitch. The cancellation frees up the schedule for Atlantis to proceed as planned, and Atlas managers will aim to try again to launch after Atlantis lifts off. “They’ll be ready to go when they’re ready,” said Mike Moses, chair of Atlantis’ mission management team. “
