Atlantis: All Systems Go

The space shuttle Atlantis is set to launch today at 7:38 pm, EDT. At this point, all systems are go and everything looks favorable for the launch.

Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Rick Sturckow, Atlantis' STS-117 crew is set to rocket spaceward at 7:38 p.m. EDT (2338 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after months of delay.

"This crew is very excited," Sturckow said this week of the planned space shot. "We've spent a long time training for this mission."

Sturckow and his STS-117 crewmates will deliver a pair of massive, girder-like truss segments and new solar wings to the starboard side of the ISS during their planned 11-day mission.

Joining Sturckow aboard Atlantis will be shuttle pilot Lee Archambault and mission specialists Patrick Forrester, Steven Swanson, Danny Olivas, James Reilly and Clayton Anderson. A late addition to the STS-117 mission, Anderson will stay aboard ISS to relieve NASA spaceflyer Sunita Williams as a member of the outpost's Expedition 15 crew.

Weather forecasts predict an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions at liftoff today, though mission managers will keep a close watch for afternoon thunderstorms anticipated around Atlantis' Pad 39A launch site, Kathy Winters, NASA's shuttle weather officer, has said.

I'll be keeping an eye on this - as usual.