George Diller/Ares I-X Commentator: This is Ares I-X Launch Control. T-2 hours, 38 minutes, 12 seconds and counting.
We are progressing toward a targeted liftoff of the Ares I-X this morning, slightly behind schedule but close to that.
Approximately 8:15 or 8:30 is our expected liftoff time at this time.
Our countdown did begin on time at 1 o'clock this morning, and since that time the work to
power up the launch vehicle has been incremental.
There has been a thunderstorm at the launch pad overnight,
and the effects of that are that we have had some strikes close enough to the launch pad that require that we take a more
deliberate approach to powering up the vehicle and also to doing some retesting that will be required to certify that
the launch vehicle is alright and can be certified for a launch this morning.
There is a standard procedure required when we get lightning within a certain range of the launch pad that we go through
and look at all of the systems on the launch vehicle to be sure that they're OK.
And as well, the range systems on the vehicle also have to be tested and verified.
So all of that work is going to be going on in parallel with our other launch countdown procedures,
and we'll be trying to keep things reasonably close to a liftoff this morning.
Right now, as we said between about 8:15 and 8:30. However, the weather forecast has not changed since yesterday, unfortunately.
That the original forecast after we scrubbed yesterday anticipated some improvement,
particularly in the upper-level clouds, and that has not happened.
So we are expecting to have to deal with the triboelectric concern with clouds up around 26,000 feet.
And we'll be watching that just as we did yesterday with a weather reconnaissance aircraft and looking for the opportunity,
within our four-hour launch window, to go. Otherwise, the weather is not, not too bad.
The winds have died down and the rest of our launch weather criteria are expected to
be reasonably in line with what we need for a launch attempt.
Right now, we expect that the rotating service structure, the gantry-like system around the vehicle that provides access to the vehicle,
will be retracted at about 6 o'clock this morning.
Also, we expect the upper stage access arm to be retracted between about 5:30 and 5:45.
But all of this, of course, is predicated on getting all of the work done we need to do. Just as yesterday,
we have a target for retracting these arms and the rotating service structure, but we do it when we're ready.
They're getting ready to launch another weather balloon over at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
and this again will be something that gives us a clue as to what the upper-altitude conditions are doing.
And that will also be of assistance to determining the loads on the vehicle, as far as upper-altitude winds,
and help us give some guidance to the weather reconnaissance aircraft on the kinds
of things that we want them to look for when they're airborne later this morning.
At T-2 hours, 34 minutes, 30 seconds and counting, this is Ares I-X Launch Control.