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George Diller/Ares I-X Commentator: This is Ares I-X Launch Control. T-2 hours, 38 minutes, 12 seconds and counting.

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We are progressing toward a targeted liftoff of the Ares I-X this morning, slightly behind schedule but close to that.

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Approximately 8:15 or 8:30 is our expected liftoff time at this time.

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Our countdown did begin on time at 1 o'clock this morning, and since that time the work to

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power up the launch vehicle has been incremental.

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There has been a thunderstorm at the launch pad overnight,

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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

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deliberate approach to powering up the vehicle and also to doing some retesting that will be required to certify that

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the launch vehicle is alright and can be certified for a launch this morning.

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There is a standard procedure required when we get lightning within a certain range of the launch pad that we go through

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and look at all of the systems on the launch vehicle to be sure that they're OK.

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And as well, the range systems on the vehicle also have to be tested and verified.

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So all of that work is going to be going on in parallel with our other launch countdown procedures,

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and we'll be trying to keep things reasonably close to a liftoff this morning.

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Right now, as we said between about 8:15 and 8:30. However, the weather forecast has not changed since yesterday, unfortunately.

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That the original forecast after we scrubbed 
yesterday anticipated some improvement,

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particularly in the upper-level clouds, and that has not happened.

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So we are expecting to have to deal with the triboelectric concern with clouds up around 26,000 feet.

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And we'll be watching that just as we did yesterday with a weather reconnaissance aircraft and looking for the opportunity,

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within our four-hour launch window, to go. Otherwise, the weather is not, not too bad.

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The winds have died down and the rest of 
our launch weather criteria are expected to

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be reasonably in line with what we need for a launch attempt.

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Right now, we expect that the rotating service structure, the gantry-like system around the vehicle that provides access to the vehicle,

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will be retracted at about 6 o'clock this morning.

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Also, we expect the upper stage access arm to be retracted between about 5:30 and 5:45.

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But all of this, of course, is predicated on getting all of the work done we need to do. Just as yesterday,

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we have a target for retracting these arms and the rotating service structure, but we do it when we're ready.

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They're getting ready to launch another weather balloon over at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,

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and this again will be something that gives us a clue as to what the upper-altitude conditions are doing.

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And that will also be of assistance to determining the loads on the vehicle, as far as upper-altitude winds,

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and help us give some guidance to the 
weather reconnaissance aircraft on the kinds

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of things that we want them to look for when they're airborne later this morning.

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At T-2 hours, 34 minutes, 30 seconds and counting, this is Ares I-X Launch Control.

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