NASA says Discovery is in good shape for liftoff on Wednesday

NASA says Discovery is in good shape for liftoff on Wednesday

After 2 years of hard work, multiple delays, and the latest threat from the Hurricane Dennis, NASA has declared that the Space Shuttle Discovery is in good shape for the lift off this coming Wednesday. NASA test director Jeff Spaulding spoke about the first Shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster: “Discovery is in excellent shape as we prepare for Wednesday’s launch.” Discovery’s payload manager, Scott Higginbothan added: “It sure does feel good to be back in the saddle again. It’s been too long. It’s only recently it’s all come to fruition. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

NASA has begun the official countdown to the scheduled launch and the crewmembers of the mission have already arrived at the launch site. The latest weather reports notwithstanding the arrival of the hurricane are positive with forecasters predicting a 70% chance the weather will be acceptable for launch on Wednesday. If the space agency delay the launch by a day or two, the favorable weather condition percentage drops down to 60%.

NASA would also require clear skies at its three U.S. landing sites Florida, California, and New Mexico along with one of the trans-Atlantic emergency landing site for the shuttle to land in case it develops problems serious enough to abort the mission. The scientists at NASA wants a relatively low humidity and a light breeze to help thwart ice formation on the surface of the shuttle during the launch period. This is to avoid the same problems, which occurred on the Columbia shuttle leading to pieces of foam breaking off the tank during launch and striking the shuttle.