Space shuttle Endeavour’s external tank is fully loaded with more than 500,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in preparation for today’s 3:47 p.m. EDT launch. Tanking operations began at 6:22 a.m. and concluded at 9:24 a.m.
The countdown has entered a planned 2.5-hour hold at T-3 hours, during which the tank will remain in "stable replenish" mode, the Close Out Crew will prepare the White Room for astronaut arrival, and the Final Inspection Team will conduct its inspections.
Forecasters continue to predict a 70 percent chance of favorable weather for today’s launch. The only concerns are low cloud ceilings and high crosswinds at the Shuttle Landing Facility at time of liftoff.
Follow along with Endeavour’s countdown milestones on NASA’s Launch Blog at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/launch_blog.html.