Saturday, July 11, 2009

STS-127 Delayed Until Sunday 7:13 PM EDT

Lightning strikes around Pad 39A were severe enough to scrub the STS-127 launch. NASA video shows one direct hit to the mast atop the gantry tower. Catenary wires conducted the juice to ground, but systems need to be checked for electrostatic surge damage.

New launch target is Sunday at 7:13 PM EDT (2313 UTC). The Mission Management Team will meet at 8 a.m. Sunday to evaluate the latest data. Fueling of the external fuel tank is scheduled to begin at 9:48 a.m. Sunday.