Allard Beutel/STS-130 Launch Commentator: This is Shuttle Launch Control
at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at T minus three hours and holding.
We are a little less than five hours and 15 minutes away from the launch of space
shuttle Endeavour on its STS-130 mission to the International Space Station.
This is Endeavour's second launch attempt in two days.
Although, given the time of day, it feels like it has been one long day for a lot of the flight
controllers here at the Kennedy Space Center.
This morning at 4:30 a.m. Eastern, the first attempt was scrubbed just nine minutes before its
scheduled liftoff because low clouds unexpectedly rolled in over the Kennedy Space Center.
Currently, launch controllers are not working any technical issues that would prevent us
from launching on time at 4:14 a.m. Eastern Monday.
But forecasters are calling for a 40 percent chance of very similar conditions from last night --
low clouds again around the liftoff time to prevent liftoff tomorrow morning.
Managers and engineers are directing and monitoring Endeavour's countdown from
Firing Room 4 here in the Launch Control Center, about 3 1/2 miles away from the shuttle.
During the next five hours, we'll take a look at the STS-130 mission, its six astronauts,
and cargo, as well as follow along as launch controllers get Endeavour ready to start its 13-day flight to the space station.
During the STS-130 mission, astronauts will attach NASA's final major crew module to the station.
It's called the Tranquility node and attached to it is essentially a seven-pane bay window called a cupola that will give
crews a new location to control the station's robotic arm and will arguably sport the best views looking down at the
Earth and space from anywhere inside the orbiting laboratory.
And we've gotten some questions about this just in case anyone has any NASA-related side bets about Super Bowl 44 that took
place tonight a couple hundred miles south of here, in Miami, Endeavour's crew did not watch the game,
but it was sent up to the International Space Station for the five Expedition 22 crew members to watch, if they so desired.
Again, launch teams are not working any issues right now that would prevent us from
launching on time at 4:14 a.m. Eastern Monday.
At T minus three hours and holding, this is Shuttle Launch Control.