Music.
GEORGE DILLER: From the Mission Director's Center at Cape Canaveral,
this is Delta Launch Control at T-100 minutes, 42 seconds and counting.
We're now just about to enter the final two hours of the countdown for the
launch of NASA's Phoenix spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket. The launch
remains targeted for 5:26 a.m. this morning from Pad A at Launch Complex 17.
There is a second launch opportunity at 6:02 a.m. Last night, at 11
o'clock, the gantry-like mobile service tower began to move away from the Delta II rocket.
The team reported at the pad at about 5 o'clock yesterday
afternoon to begin preparations for pulling back the tower, and then the
launch team reported here to the Mission Director's Center at about 2 o'clock
this morning in preparation to load the RP1 onto the first stage, which is a
highly refined kerosene fuel. That operation actually began at 2:52 a.m. and
concluded just a few moments ago at 3:11 a.m. There are now 10,003
gallons of RP1 fuel onboard the Delta first stage. We'll begin loading the
liquid oxygen in about another 20 minutes and we'll be hearing the polls for
the readiness to begin LOX loading very shortly, as well as getting a weather
briefing prior to that pickup of that loading operation. At T-97 minutes, 21
seconds and counting, this is Delta Launch Control.