Discovery and STS-120 mission launches on-time to space station

William Atkins
Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:38

Science - Space

Despite some troubling weather around the launch site in Florida and some ice formation on the external tank, NASA’s space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member STS-120 crew lifted off from launch pad 39A on October 23, 2007.              

Earlier in the morning, the NASA meteorological group cleared the skies over Florida for the late morning launch of Discovery, despite scattered showers moving toward the launch site about fifteen miles off the coast.

There was, also, some concern earlier in the morning about ice forming on an umbilical cord for liquid hydrogen on the external tank (ET), which supplies fuel to Discovery’s three engines. However, NASA’s Debris Analysis Team (DAT) cleared the ice as not being an issue for launch.

At about 11:26 a.m. EDT—about twelve minutes before the scheduled launch—NASA mission controllers gave their “go for launch” to the STS-120 launch flight director.
The twenty-third mission to the International Space Station, Discovery is bringing the Harmony module to the station. Eleven missions remain to the ISS, with still two unconfirmed contingency logistic flights.