We're going to go, and trust to luck (it's about a two and a half hour drive, not counting inevitable launch traffic once we get close). No blogging until return--I don't have wireless (though maybe I should get Verizon). See you tonight, hopefully with Discovery safely in orbit.

[Update at 8 PM EDT]

Well, another wasted day. The frustrating thing is that the weather wasn't a problem for the launch--it was a problem for the extremely unlikely "attempted suicide in order to avoid certain death" maneuver of a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) abort. Unfortunately, at the last minute, as I was listening to the MMT poll, I also heard that there was a boat in the box, with no estimated time of removal.

As is often the case, the launch commitment criteria created an overconstrained system. Sometimes it amazes me that we've ever launched this thing.

Rand,

FYI

There is a hotel lobby in Cocoa Beach, Hawaian themed, that has "FREE" wifi. Just south of Ron Jons off of A1A.

Good Luck and Go Discovery!!!

If you are in an urban area with a laptop and a good wifi card, you can always find an unsecured wireless network.

Scrubbed, because there were some potential thunderheads thirty miles away that could potentially interfere should they need to abort using a method they have used not once in a quarter-century. So much for risk taking. And this after sitting on their backs for two hours in seats that look to be less comfortable than an Olympic luge.

Do you think that commercial space flight will be anything like this?

It better not be

Judging by the weather radar (intellicast.com, using the 'Metro Loop' for Cape Canaveral), there was a bit of rain over the ocean, just east of KSC, moving west. This wasn't intense rain (that cell was off towards Orlando/Apopka), but maybe that's what caused the abort.

Hopefully they can use the extra day to investigate the thruster problem a little more.

We watched the attempted launch by flipping from C-Span to Fox to CNN to the Weather Channel. We tried to watch the NASA channel locally but the sound was horrid.

Evidently the clouds in question varied by where your cameras were set up or based on where your expert parked his car. We heard everything from anvil topped clouds dissapating and moving east to thunderstorms moving west.

Now with that level of accuracy, how can I trust them with the news? The newscaster from Fox was the worst. I am reminded of Don Henly, only this bubble headed bleached blond came on at 3 o'clock not 5. She asked the "expert" several questions a 3rd grader should have been able to noodle out. I kept expecting her to say,"..oh mah God!!"

Hopefully the weather will hold, and NASA will give us all a good show tomorrow.. That is, if the media can just agree to let the sun come up.

Yes, my 8 year-old daughter was laying on the floor watching our 7' projection of the NASA TV feed with her arms, legs, finger and toes crossed, trying to wish it up at T-9. This was her first launch, so hopefully things will go smoother tomorrow.

At least I was able to use the "Well, see what would have happened if we'd travelled down there?" excuse after she was asking at t-47 if we could make it there in 47 minutes. (We're in Massachusetts, so, not gonna happen). :)

I'm encouraged that she had to be pried away from the module hookup with the ISS last night on NASA TV, we're going to try and see the August launch.

I just showed her your post to try and help her manage her disappointment. 12 hour window between "we're leaving!" and "we're back!". Ow.

I just wish that Congress would fire everyone at NASA and put people from the Internet in charge. It's obvious that the blogosphere knows far better than NASA how to run a space program.

Well, actually, it wasn't quite that bad, Ian. Initial post dates are Pacific time (for historical reasons related to the Genesis myth of this blog), so it was really only a nine-hour gap. Not that that's not bad enough, or that you need tell your daughter...

I just wish that Congress would fire everyone at NASA and put people from the Internet in charge. It's obvious that the blogosphere knows far better than NASA how to run a space program.

Do you have a point, Tim?

If so, it's utterly unapparent from what you actually wrote.

I hear they have this thing on the internet called sarcasm.

I hear they have this thing on the internet called sarcasm.

I'm aware of that. I'm still waiting to hear his point.

Rand, he may have been serious. It's really not a bad idea - firing everyone at NASA. The severance pay would be a bitch, but then it would be out of the way.