Countdown activities continue on schedule as teams across NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepare for the 2:20 p.m. EDT liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis. At T-3 hours and holding, Atlantis’ external tank is fully loaded with more than a half million gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The fueling process started on time at 4:55 a.m. and finished at 7:56 a.m. as the tank entered “stable replenish.”
At Launch Pad 39A, the Closeout Crew is beginning to ready the climate-controlled White Room outside Atlantis’ crew access hatch and the Final Inspection Team will conduct a detailed survey of the shuttle and the pad structure, checking for ice buildups or other potential hazards.
Weather remains favorable, with STS-132 Weather Officer Todd McNamara predicting a 70 percent chance of good conditions at launch time.