NASA cleared the space shuttle Atlantis to launch toward theInternational Space Station Monday on a delivery mission.
Atlantis is set to lift off at 2:28 p.m. EST (1928 GMT) onNov. 16 at from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.to carry sixastronauts and two cases of large spare parts to the station.
"Overall Monday is looking good so hopefully we'llgo off on Monday," weather officer Kathy Winters said during aSaturday briefing.
"They'll be ready to go when they're ready," saidMike Moses, chair of Atlantis' mission management team. "We fully expectwe'll be out of here come Monday and the range will be clear for them to tryagain."
The mission management team met this morning to discuss thestatus of the mission, and there was "a unanimous vote to proceed with thelaunch countdown," Moses said.
The shuttle's countdown toward liftoff began on Friday at 1p.m. EST (1800 GMT). So far, everything's gone smoothly.
"We're one day into Atlantis' countdown and I'm happyto report we're right on the money," said launch director Mike Leinbach.
Meanwhile, the station is left with a limited ability torecycle water, although the station residents should be able to manage by usingthe other facilities onboard. Ultimately, the malfunction shouldn't present aproblem for the incoming shuttle crew.
"There's no impact," Moses said. "Bottomline, they're in pretty good shape."
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SPACE.com is providing complete coverage of Atlantis'STS-129 mission to the International Space Station with Managing Editor TariqMalik and Staff Writer Clara Moskowitz in New York. Click here for shuttle missionupdates and a link to NASA TV.
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