GEORGE DILLER: This is shuttle launch control at T-3 hours and holding. We have two hours,
13 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in this planned built in hold.
Joining us here at the console now in the Firing Room 4 is STS-122
space shuttle Atlantis Launch Director Doug Lyons.
Doug has been involved this morning with all of the testing going on with the
ECO system sensors, and we've asked Doug to come over and talk to us
a little bit and give us a little bit of status on how that's gone,
where we think we are with the sensors for the countdown today,
and what all has been going on during all of this this morning. So Doug,
could you tell us a little bit what's been going on since we started,
I guess, about 5:20 this morning?
DOUG LYONS: Absolutely George, and good morning everybody.
The atmosphere here in the firing room is one of excitement and the reason for
that is the countdown is proceeding nicely. We did get into our tanking right on time at 5:20 this morning.
The ECO systems went wet as expected during the load process, so that was our first good sign.
Shortly thereafter, we commanded the sensors to the dry state at 6:15 this morning,
and we left them there and monitored the system, and that was another
good sign that the system did not go open. During that period,
the connector went through its thermal conditioning and, again, we stayed dry.
So we went through that without issue. Again we continued to monitor,
and once we got fully tanked, around 8:15, we went into a system competence test on the sensors.
And I'm pleased to say all the sensors functioned as designed, and we have
a good ECO system and we're ready to go fly.
Now we will continue to monitor the system throughout the countdown and our final competence
is performed at T-9 minutes, but again, we have high confidence that that'll be successful.
As you're aware, all our failures have been early in the tanking process when that connector went
through its thermal conditioning and, again, that's behind us and the system's fully functional.
So we've got the Final Inspection Team out at the pad now.
They're taking a look at the tank, taking a look for ice, any foam cracks or that type of thing.
They'll be out there for a couple hours and then come back and give our chief engineers a report
on the condition of the tank. But again, thus far, everything looks real good out there.
So Atlantis is in great shape and we're looking forward to a successful launch today.
DILLER: So the factor, we're at this point with the connector and we've not seen any problems.
Again, we have four good sensors showing up right now.
LYONS: That's correct, we're 4-4, and again, we've fun a full battery of
competence checks and the system is functioning as designed and, again,
we expect that it will continue to do so and we'll have a successful launch this morning.
DILLER: Tell us what our criteria are going to be as far as the sensors,
should anything happen between now and launch, what's our go and no go?
What rules will the team be following?
LYONS: Well, we've got a launch commit criteria on this system and the
criteria is you need three of four systems to commit the vehicle to launch.
So that's what we'll be tracking. Again, now we're 4-4 and we expect to be 4-4 through
T-0. But should one fail, per the LCC, we would be go and we monitor, that LCC is effective up to T-5 minutes.
And that's when we finally commit the system to flight.
DILLER: Well, Doug, thanks very much. It looks like we've got a lot behind us here.
A lot has been accomplished in the last six to eight weeks.
So now if the weather will just give us a break here, we'll be off to the space station.
Thanks very much for coming over and giving us that status on this.
LYONS: Okay, you're very welcome. Go Atlantis!
DILLER: At T-3 hours and holding, 2 hours, 9 minutes, 40 seconds remaining
in this built-in hold, this is shuttle launch control.