[sarex] LAUNCH COVERAGE ,NASA's - Mission STS-116

[Arthur Rowe]

SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

LAUNCH COVERAGE 	
NASA's Launch Blog - Mission STS-116


*NASA's launch blog was activated on Dec. 9, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. EST*

*+ View All Launch Day Videos 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch-allvideos.html>*

*+ View First Launch Attempt Blog 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch-vlcc_120706.html>*

**


8:38 p.m. - T-9 minutes and counting. Nine minutes until the first 
nighttime launch of a space shuttle in four years.

8:34 p.m. - Launch Director Mike Leinbach polled his team and launch is 
"go" all the way. He told Commander Polansky that 48 hours makes all the 
difference and he wishes them good luck and Godspeed.

"We're looking forward to lighting up the night sky and rewiring the 
ISS," replied Polansky.

Standing by to release the hold.

8:33 p.m. - NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding 
<http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/biographies/spaulding.html> 
has polled the Launch Team 
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch_team.html> 
and the team is "go." 8:32 p.m. - The Mission Management Team has been 
polled and all members have given a "go" for launch.

8:29 p.m. - Houston has contacted Discovery to advise the crew that all 
three transatlantic abort landing sites are go, but they will go with 
Moron, Spain as the preferred site.

8:18 p.m. - The countdown clock is holding at T-9 minutes, and there are 
about 20 minutes left in this last built-in hold. The final prelaunch 
polls by Mission Management Team Chairman LeRoy Cain, NASA Test Director 
Jeff Spaulding and Launch Director Mike Leinbach should be taking place 
shortly.

8:03 p.m. - Launch Director Mike Leinbach has announced that we will aim 
for our preferred launch time in the middle of tonight's window. Again, 
8:47:35 p.m. is the preferred launch time.

8:00 p.m. - We are inside the T-9 minute built-in hold. Everything 
continues to go well with the countdown tonight.