COVERITLIVE.COM

10:16

wesh 2 news - This is WESH.com Managing Editor Jeff Cousins at the press mound at Kennedy Space Center. Welcome to our interactive chat leading up to the launch of space shuttle Atlantis. The launch is scheduled for 2:01 p.m. EDT.

10:17

wesh 2 news - The seven astronauts who will fly aboard Atlantis have just boarded the astrovan to ride out to the launch pad. They'll begin boarding the shuttle in about 30 minutes.

10:43

[Comment From Dan Billow]
This is WESH 2 News space reporter Dan Billow. I'll be joining Jeff Cousins to offer expert analysis of the upcoming launch. Feel free to submit your questions, and I'll do my best to answer some of them.

10:53

wesh 2 news - The astronauts have arrived at the launch pad and are boarding Atlantis at this time. Cmdr. Scott Altman was the first to board the shuttle. He's a veteran of three spaceflights and comes from Pekin, Ill. He's married with three children and commanded a previous mission to service Hubble.

10:56

wesh 2 news - Pilot Gregory Johnson followed Altman in the boarding process. It's his first spaceflight. He's from Seattle and is married with five children.

11:05

wesh 2 news - NASA is sending a red crew to the launch pad to check the configuration of a flame deflector in the flame trench under space shuttle Atlantis. Stay tuned for further developments.

11:06

wesh 2 news -

The mission specialists are in the process of boarding Atlantis. Michael Good and John Grunsfeld have boarded. The NASA crew at the launch pad is assisting Mike Massimino into his suit.

11:20

Dan Billow -

It was striking to see the astronauts pause at the base of the launch pad and look up -- way up -- at the space ship they're about to ride. They say you can hear the sounds of metal pipes and fittings creaking and groaning as the supercold fuel flows through. What a feeling it must be to see and hear that.

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