COVERITLIVE.COM

3:25	Eric Berger - Hello everyone, and welcome to today's live chat in which space writer Mark Carreau and I will track the launch of space shuttle Discovery this evening. We will also discuss the future of NASA under President Barack Obama. Your questions and comments are encouraged.

3:26	[Comment From Guest] lets GO GOGO

3:27	Eric Berger - As we begin the chat a couple of astronauts, Shuttle commander Lee Archambault and Mission Specialist John Phillips have already boarded the spacecraft.

3:28	[Comment From bm] hi are they going to show live tv coverage of launch

3:29	Eric Berger - Sure. You can watch online at NASA TV or on various cable and satellite services that carry the NASA channel. I believe it's ch. 283 on DirecTV.

3:29	[Comment From Pam] keeping fingers crossed!

3:29	[Comment From DrJimmy] If I still worked in Newsprint, I'd envy your beats. That said, has this particular hydrogen leak problem ever delayed a STS launch before?

3:29

Mark Carreau - Discovery's astronauts are boarding now.
The weather outlook remains 80 percent favorable for a 6:43 p.m., CDT liftoff
The hydrogen leak that stopped last Wednesdy's launch attempt did not reappear.
There was a problem with a low helium flow in the fuel line connection between the expernal fuel tank and Discovery's rocket engine compartment.
Techs send to the pad adjusted the flow and that too appears to be an issue that has come and gone.
Some of you have heard about a fruit bat hanging from the fuel tank. A novelty, but not an issue for launch. Not large enough to cause debris damage.

3:31	Mark Carreau - NASA TV, if you have it on cable or satellite is carrying the countdown and launch live. NASA TV is also available at www.nasa.gov.

3:31	[Comment From NIN] lets go

3:32	Eric Berger - For those wondering, Mark's at Kennedy Space Center and I'm at Johnson Space Center. It's lonely here at JSC with all the space media in Florida...

3:33

Mark Carreau - Jimmy, Wednesday's hydrogen leak was large enough to call a halt to the countdown. But lower level leaks have been noted in the past. As best I could determine, a leak from that particular site has not stopped a launch. There have been hydrogenl leaks in the engine compartment that have produced delayseakhyditorm thattt the he croge

3:34	[Comment From Guest] Which building are you in Eric?

3:35	Mark Carreau - Jimmy, make that produced delays in the past. They involved Columbia and Atlantis.

3:35	Eric Berger - Guest: Building no. 2. I had to turn the lights on when I walked into the press room.

3:36	[Comment From Guest] Wow. That is lonely.

3:36	Mark Carreau - Any opinions on whether human spaceflight is receiving the right amount of news coverage?

3:36	[Comment From DrJimmy] Criminally Undercovered!

3:37	[Comment From Guest] I'm just glad a certain anit-NASA person isn't in this chat!

3:38	Mark Carreau - Maybe we should be broadcasting and writing more on the economy, health care, education...

Page 1 Next >