T-9 minutes and holding. This is a 45-minute built-in hold, and the last planned pause in today’s countdown to liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-132 mission. Launch remains scheduled for 2:20 p.m. EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission’s six astronauts all are strapped into their seats in Atlantis’ crew module, the external tank is fully loaded with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Weather still looks great for launch time. Weather Officer Todd McNamara predicts a 70 percent chance of good conditions at liftoff.