Shuttle LaunchA launch opportunity could also be opened up between 8 and 10 July if Nasa officials can negotiate a delay in the planned Delta IV rocket liftoff from Cape Canaveral next week. This rocket is scheduled to launch a GPS satellite.Ten hours before the scheduled launch, Nasa officials will gather to assess the latest weather forecasts before making the decision to fill Atlantis's external fuel tanks. Technically, the team could count down to T-9 minutes before aborting, if required.Despite the potential hiccups, the STS-135 mission is technically sound and the four-person crew of Atlantis and associated ground staff are preparing to launch on time until a formal decision is made to postpone.
At the weather briefing, Nasa's test director, Jeff Spaulding, said: "Our teams here and really all around the world have been working extremely hard for quite awhile on this particular mission to make sure the vehicle and the payload are ready for hopefully a magnificent launch on Friday." -- guardian.co.uk Guardian News and Media 2011
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