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NASA mission managers have officially set Feb. 28 as the launch date for Columbia's mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope.

But in the very same breath, the space agency cautioned that a potential problem with some bolts inside the shuttle's rear engine compartment could delay the flight. The concern with the way the hydraulic pumps are attached is not resolved and if additional work is required to make repairs the launch might be delayed.

Officials say they have no padding in the schedule to make a Feb. 28 launch.

As it stands now, Columbia is scheduled to blast off at 6:48 a.m. EST and return to Earth on March 11, landing back at the Kennedy Space Center at 3:33 p.m. EST.

Stay tuned to this Shuttle Missions page for full coverage before, during and after this first shuttle mission of the year 2002.

The STS-109 crew was scheduled to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center this morning about 2 a.m. EST, unfortunately we cannot yet confirm the event happened.

The reason: NASA public affairs would not escort news media to the Shuttle Landing Facility to cover the event, citing budget limitations and a shortage of resources on a night when the space agency's public affairs machine was supporting the 40th Anniversary of Americans in Orbit celebration at the Kennedy Space Center Sunday night.

As of 7 a.m. the NASA News Center at KSC was not yet open and the recorded message to news media was not updated with information on crew arrival.

A 9 a.m. status briefing is scheduled and will be aired on NASA TV. That's when we'll find out what happened overnight and get our first look at the weather forecast. Cold weather appears it will be a concern as freezing temperatures are expected in areas of Central Florida on launch morning.

The formal three-day countdown is to begin at 10 a.m. EST today.

A standard three-day countdown has begun at the Kennedy Space Center this morning as launch of space shuttle Columbia remains scheduled for this Thursday between 6:48 and 7:54 a.m. EST.

The seven astronauts who will fly this mission arrived in Florida about 1 a.m. EST this morning. Speaking for the benefit of NASA TV cameras -- news media were not allowed at the crew arrival because of NASA PAO budget concerns and limited resources -- they expressed their happiness to be at the Cape and promised a good flight.

Asked to wave to the non-existent media crowd, one of the astronauts sarcastically called out "Thanks for coming out this morning."

The chilly reception may be repeated Thursday in a more literal sense as a strong Arctic cold front is expected to sweep across the Florida peninsula Wednesday evening, bringing unusually cold temperatures and the chance of a freeze in some areas of Central Florida.

Along the coast, where Columbia sits on launch pad 39A, the air is expected to be warmer -- about 40 degrees Fahrenheit -- but that's still cool enough to raise worries that dangerous amounts of ice could accumulate on the shuttle's 15-story external tank.

Overall there is a 70 percent chance of acceptable weather during the one-hour window, officials reported this morning.

At launch pad 39A preparations to launch Columbia on Thursday continue more or less on the timeline.

Checks of the shuttle's avionics and new glass cockpit displays were completed yesterday and this morning workers closed Columbia's cargo bay doors for flight after making sure no equipment was damaged from the intrusion of some water that came in the form of a rainshower during the weekend.

Today the main activity will be to fill Columbia's onboard storage tanks with a supply of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, cryogenic reactants that are combined within fuel cells in space to generate electricity for the mission and drinking water for the crew.

Meanwhile, officials are watching a frigid weather front approaching Central Florida. The front is expected to pass through the Cape on Wednesday and bring its coldest temperatures Thursday morning right at launch time. Overall there is a 60 percent chance of acceptable weather, with temperature the main concern.

Forecast temperature at the opening of the launch window is 39 degrees Fahrenheit with winds blowing seven to 10 knots from the northwest. Based on that wind speed and direction the lowest temperature allowed is 38 degrees. If the temperature drops to the redline for 35 consecutive minutes from the time tanking begins late Wednesday night the launch is likely to be scrubbed.

However, it is also likely that NASA managers would proceed with the countdown almost to the very end so they can take a look at the actual amount of ice that may have formed on the external tank and discuss whether a waiver should be considered.

Stay tuned to this page for updates on the countdown and for the latest news throughout the mission.

Cold weather and a last-minute concern about Columbia's landing gear are the topics of conversation this morning at the Kennedy Space Center.

A blast of frigid air is sweeping over Florida's Space Coast and temperatures have begun falling across the state as predicted. By launch time Thursday the temperature at pad 39A is forecast to be 38 degrees Fahrenheit with winds from the northwest blowing at seven knots with gusts to 10 knots.

Given those conditions the temperature cannot fall to 37 degrees or below for more than 35 minutes or the launch will have to be scrubbed. That rule is separate from the one that deals with the amount of ice that may form on the external tank and cannot be waived, NASA shuttle chief Ron Dittemore said Tuesday.

Just to put things in perspective in terms of how close this could be, the National Weather Service in Melbourne, which is about 30 miles to the south of KSC, is predicting lows of 32 degrees and a good chance for inland areas to be below freezing at the coldest time of the day, which is right at sunrise, which is right when Columbia's launch window opens.

Officially there is an overall 80 percent chance of acceptable weather during the 64-minute launch window.

And while managers are keeping an eye on the weather, they're also waiting for the results of a last-minute engineering analysis regarding eight ball bearings that are used in the shuttle's main landing gear.

The bearings are part of a lot that were heat treated to a temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the required 500 degrees. The higher temperature makes them less likely to break up when the main landing gear hits the runway and spins up to full speed.

Engineers are studying what might happen if the bearings are allowed to fly but what is known is that if they fail "it will be a very bad day," Dittemore said.

Not all of the bearings inside the landing gear are from the suspect lot, so the analysis is further complicated. Three separate engineering teams are working the issue and hope to report their results to NASA's Mission Management Team at the 9 p.m. EST meeting tonight.

If a "go" is given, the countdown will continue and tanking can begin as early as 9:28 p.m. EST. Stay tuned to this page tonight for the very latest update.

NASA has delayed launch of Columbia 24 hours and weather is to blame.

Frigid temperatures -- for Florida -- are expected at Kennedy Space Center tomorrow morning and that chilly weather appears it will be definitely colder than allowable.

We will post more on this delay shortly.

It would have been OK to launch this morning, but just barely, NASA reported today.

At 6:48 a.m. EST today the temperature at the Kennedy Space Center was 38 degrees Fahrenheit, 72 percent relative humidity and winds from the northwest at 7 to 10 knots, exactly as predicted and precisely on the lower limit of the chart that says you can launch or not.

Tomorrow the situation is more optimistic. Temperatures are forecast to be at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, which if it becomes true would be one degree warmer than the coldest post-Challenger launch to date, said NASA spokesman Kyle Herring. Overall there is an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

Meanwhile, managers are scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. EST today and at that meeting are expected to clear the concern about ball bearings inside Columbia's main landing gear. The worry was that eight of the bearings was not heat treated to the correct temperature, making them more likely to break up under extreme conditions.

The next meeting will come about 8:30 p.m. EST, when managers are expected to clear workers to begin filling Columbia's external tank with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Stay tuned to this page for updates on the countdown. If all continues to go well we'll update this page again when tanking is supposed to begin tonight, about 9 p.m. EST or so.

In the meantime, we invite you to follow our live updates on tonight's planned Ariane 5 launch from South America by checking this page. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. EST.

It would have been OK to launch this morning, but just barely, NASA reports today.

At 6:48 a.m. EST today the temperature at the Kennedy Space Center was 38 degrees Fahrenheit, 72 percent relative humidity and winds from the northwest at 7 to 10 knots, exactly as predicted and precisely on the lower limit of the chart that says you can launch or not.

Tomorrow the situation is more optimistic. Temperatures are forecast to be at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, which if it becomes true would be one degree warmer than the coldest post-Challenger launch to date, said NASA spokesman Kyle Herring. Overall there is an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

Meanwhile, managers are scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. EST today and at that meeting are expected to clear the concern about ball bearings inside Columbia's main landing gear. The worry was that eight of the bearings was not heat treated to the correct temperature, making them more likely to break up under extreme conditions.

The next meeting will come about 8:30 p.m. EST, when managers are expected to clear workers to begin filling Columbia's external tank with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Stay tuned to this page for updates on the countdown. If all continues to go well we'll update this page again when tanking is supposed to begin tonight, about 9 p.m. EST or so.

In the meantime, we invite you to follow our live updates on tonight's planned Ariane 5 launch from South America by checking this page. Liftoff is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. EST.

NASA's mission managers have approved continuing the countdown for launch of shuttle Columbia early Friday morning.

Next step: filling the shuttle's external tank with a half-million gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. That effort has been approved and should be beginning within minutes, officials report.

Meanwhile there are no technical problems reported at pad 39A and the concern about ball bearings inside Columbia's main landing gear has gone away as expected.

Weather-wise the situation is a little more troublesome but overall there is an optimistic 70 percent chance for acceptable conditions during the one-hour launch window. That forecast is slightly worse than this morning, with the concern being about unwanted clouds blowing onshore.

We will update this page again following the conclusion of tanking, a process that is expected to take about three hours.

Columbia's external tank is filled with its supply of cryogenic propellant and the close out crew and ice inspection team are on their way to launch pad 39A to begin their work, according to NASA launch commentator George Diller.

Tanking began at 9:17 p.m. EST Thursday and was completed by 12:15 a.m. this morning.

There are no technical problems being reported and the weather forecast remains generally favorable, with a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions during the roughly one-hour launch window.

The seven-member crew is awake and working through their launch day rituals. Between now and 2:38 a.m. EST -- when the crew is scheduled to depart for the pad -- the astronauts will continue reviewing their flight plans, sit down for a light snack, endure a final medical check, attend a weather briefing and dress into their bright orange spacesuits.

Unless something unusual happens, our next update will come when the crew has arrived at the launch pad, about 3 a.m. EST.

Columbia's seven astronauts have arrived at launch pad 39A and commander Scott Altman is the first to climb aboard, as is traditional -- and necessary.

The boarding process should be wrapped up by 4:22 a.m. EST when the hatch is scheduled to be closed and latched for flight.

So far things continue to go well with the countdown. There are no technical problems reported.

Weather-wise there is a slight concern about clouds over the Shuttle Landing Facility, where Columbia would have to land in the event of an emergency. Flight rules suggest that clouds be no lower than 5,000 feet, and the forecast now predicts a deck at 4,000 feet and 6,500 feet.

Overall there is a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions during the 64-minute window, with those very type of clouds being the main concern for this morning.

We will update this page again following hatch closure, or about 4:30 a.m. EST.

All seven astronauts are aboard Columbia and the shuttle's hatch is closed and being sealed for flight.

Communication checks between the crew and the rest of the world are complete, and the close out team is about to test the shuttle's cabin for airleaks.

Technically everything is going very well and no problems have beeen reported.

Weather is generally favorable right now, although chief astronaut Charlie Precourt is surveying the skies in an aircraft to see if there are any problems with low clouds over the area. While there are some clouds out there to keep an eye on, it's still too early to say if they will be a problem for launch.

Overall there still is a 70 percent chance of acceptable conditions.

You are invited to watch our live feed of NASA TV for coverage of the launch. Or if you are along Florida's Space Coast you can tune in NewsTalk 1240 WMMB-AM radio just a couple of minutes before liftoff to hear SPACE.com's live commentary of the shot.

And stay tuned to this page for updates on the countdown, launch and mission.

The weather is falling apart.

Winds are blowing steadily from the east, sending offshore clouds right over the Kennedy Space Center and currently officials report the launch is "no go" because of Range safety requirements that say the clouds must be at least 8,000 feet above the launch pad. Current conditions show overcast at 4,000 feet.

The Range requirement can be lowered under certain conditions, but it's not clear that those conditions can be met.

Chief astronaut Charlie Precourt, flying a shuttle training aircraft, sees clouds all over the Cape but the cloud layer is thin enough that he's able to see the runway as he makes approaches. But the situation changes dramatically depending on whether you are on the south end of the Cape or the north end.

"At the moment the weather does appear to be deteriorating," said launch commentator George Diller.

There still is hope that the sky conditions will change enough to allow the launch during the 62-minute window.

In the meantime there have been a couple of apparently minor technical problems that were quickly resolved. One involved a microswitch on Columbia's main hatch and the other involved the Range losing redundancy in some of its computer systems for a short time.

Stay tuned to this page for updates on the countdown, launch and mission.

Launch commentator George Diller reports that the weather is "go" at this time.

The sky remains filled with clouds, but at this time they appear to be broken up enough and thin enough so as not to be a concern. So once again Florida weather is proving to be full of surprises.

If the launch does take place on time, the Hubble Space Telescope will be just west of Sarasota, Florida and moving quickly toward the Kennedy Space Center. If conditions allow, both Hubble and Columbia will be visible in the sky at the same time and its even possible that the astronauts will be able to see Hubble as a bright star in their cockpit windows.

Again, there is some optimism launch will take place on time.

Space shuttle Columbia is off the ground and moving toward orbit, carrying seven astronauts toward a rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telescope.

It will take almost nine minutes for the shuttle to reach orbit.

At the time of launch Hubble was over Sarasota, Florida and moving directly toward the Kennedy Space Center.

We will update again following orbit insertion.

So far so good for the crew of space shuttle Columbia.

NASA's oldest spaceplane returned safely to orbit after an apparently flawless launch from the Kennedy Space Center at 6:22 a.m. EST.

The seven astronauts are now setting up for the mission ahead, even as they continue the chase of the Hubble Space Telescope, which flew right over Florida's Space Coast as Columbia was streaking through the sky.

Still ahead in the next two hours are some critical steps, including an orbital maneuvering engine firing to circularize Columbia's orbit and the opening of the payload bay doors.

Our next update will come when Mission Control gives a go for orbital operations in an hour or so.

Columbia is safely in orbit, all seven astronauts are out of their launch and entry suits and the crew has officially moved into their formal flight plan timeline after getting a go for orbit operations.

While the routine work of maneuvering the shuttle toward its early Sunday rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telescope continues, engineers on the ground are troubleshooting what could potentially be a serious problem with the freon cooling system aboard Columbia.

One side of the redundant system was reported to have diminished flow following launch, indicating something was amiss. Mission commentators say the problem is not something immediately serious but have offered few words since. A congregation of experienced flight directors and mission managers could be seen on NASA TV looking at a number of charts, and though it's possible they were studying a road map to a launch party, it's more likely they were discussing the freon issue.

The freon system helps keep the shuttle from overheating in space and a failure of part of the system could lead to a premature conclusion of the mission.

It is likely we won't learn too much more about this problem until the first news media briefing on Saturday.

Meanwhile, there was also a short-lived concern with the airlock hatch, which for awhile would not open. That problem was soon solved.

Stay tuned to this page for mission updates throughout the weekend.