Space shuttle Atlantis has been cleared for launch this afternoon at 2:28 EST. The mission management team, mission control and the launch team have given a unanimous "go" for launch.
The team is not working any technical issues and the weather has cooperated with clear skies over NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The last minutes of Atlantis’ countdown to launch include several steps; the retraction of the orbiter access arm with the White Room at the end, and the gaseous oxygen vent arm, which holds the "beanie cap," or cover, over the external tank.