Intro music.
Good afternoon. From the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, this is Space Shuttle Discovery's Launch Control.
The countdown for launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-116 is continuing on schedule today.
Launch is scheduled to occur at about 9:35 p.m. Eastern time tonight, and our launch opportunity window extends for about five minutes.
The primary objectives of mission STS-116 are to first rendezvous and dock with the orbiting International Space Station, and that will occur on flight day three.
While docked to the station, the crew of Discovery will deliver supplies to the space station and assist Suni Williams as she plans to remain on the station for
the next six months. Also, while Discovery is docked, another station truss segment called the P5 segment will be installed,
and this will take place during one of three planned spacewalks.
This is the 20th mission to the International Space Station and, in addition to the P5 segment being installed,
the seven astronauts of this mission will begin a process to reconfigure the electrical system on the station
to fully utilize the power that's being generated by the new solar arrays.
Landing of Discovery is currently set for the late afternoon of December 19 back here at Kennedy Space Center.
this time, work at Launch Pad 39B as well as operations here in the Firing Room of the Launch Control Center continue as planned.
Earlier today, at about 11:33, we began operations to load the external tank with about 500,000 gallons
of liquid propellants that are used by the space shuttle's three main engines.
Tanking operations typically take about three hours and we completed that activity on time at 2:23 p.m. this afternoon.
No serious technical issues were addressed during the tanking activities and no serious technical issues or
problems are being worked by the launch team at this time.
Again, we anticipate an on-schedule liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery and the seven-member crew from the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B at 9:35
p.m. We are at the T-3 hour mark and holding in a scheduled built-in hold. An issue that is being discussed is the weather.
Our weather forecasters are continuing to indicate about a 60-percent chance of violation. The primary concern is weather at Kennedy Space Center.
We're looking at the possibility of having a lower-than-allowable cloud ceiling, and we're also looking at the possibility of a slight chance of some
localized rain showers. Nonetheless, we're continuing with our operations to countdown for launch.
We'll be addressing the weather concerns all through the afternoon and evening, and of course the final decision for launch based on weather likely
won't come until we are in the T-9 hour hold -- or excuse me, T-9 minute hold.