July 25, 2005
After nearly two weeks of engineering test and analysis, NASA is ready to launch STS-114 tomorrow morning at 9:39 am CDT. I am leaving my office in 10 minutes to go to Birmingham to fly down to Orlando to be there at the appointed time tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, neither my wife, Nancy, nor our daughter, Jessica, are able to go this time. Nancy’s commitments to her job dictate that she remain in Tuscaloosa. Jessica, after spending 2 weeks with us in Alabama, left Saturday to return to Eugene, OR, where is in in law school at the University of Oregon.
The Shuttle management and engineers have worked long and hard on the Engine Cutoff (ECO) sensor problem and started the countdown clock this past Saturday. If a different sensor problem appears, they will, of course, stop and re-assess. But, for right now, everything is a GO for launch tomorrow, weather permitting. Earlier this morning, the forecast was that there was a 40% chance that weather could impact tomorrow morning’s launch. I haven’t checked on that since.
I learned today that First Lady Laura Bush will be present for the launch tomorrow. E-mails have been floating around NASA today regarding increased security at the Banana Creek viewing area where we will be due to the presence of the First Lady.
Must leave now for the airport. Will write more later…
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Michael Freeman is an Associate Professor of aerospace engineering and mechanics at The University of Alabama. He is attending this week’s launch of the space shuttle Discovery, and will publish daily accounts of the events surrounding the shuttle’s “return to flight” launch. UA graduate James Kelly is the pilot of STS-114, NASA’s first space flight in over two years. Dr. Freeman may be reached by e-mail at michael.freeman@ua.edu.