Scrubbed Launch

Discovery, Houston for a comm check.

One by one the astronauts reported in: CDR, PLT, MS1, MS2, MS3, MS4, MS5.

The orbiter was fueled up. The crew were strapped in their seats in the top of the rocket. Great beams of white spotlight flooded Pad 39B, illuminating the orbiter, its boosters and the orange external tank.

Lights flickered on the gantry. Vent gases wisped in the wind. Launch controllers ran thru their procedures. The crew flipped pages in their ascent check list. Updates on page 8 dash 7: trajectory lofting, roll, pitch, yaw.

The countdown held at T minus 20 minutes, which is when the clouds returned. Ceiling too low. Deck too thick. There was not enough time left in the window.

And they had to scrub the launch.

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