CAPE CANAVERAL, FL-

PER NASA:
Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are flowing into the gigantic orange external tank of space shuttle Discovery The tanking operations began at 2:45 p.m. EDT and it will take three hours to load the 500,000 gallons of propellants into the structure. The fuel will be consumed in 8 1/2 minutes as Discovery’s three main engines power the shuttle into orbit.

Launch is scheduled for 11:59 p.m. EDT tonight. Forecasters call for a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions at launch time.

The mission management team reported that all the testing and analysis of Discovery’s fill-and-drain valve during the last two days gives them a high degree of confidence the valve is working. Procedures have been approved in case there is a similar issue with the position sensor on the hydrogen fill-and-drain valve.