It looks like NOAA-N, a weather observation satellite, is scheduled to launch in a few hours (5:22-5:32 EST), according to the NASA website: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NOAA-N-P...unch/index.html

Looks like that won't launch until tomorrow morning.

N-Prime.

It has the distinction of having been dropped from a height of about a meter, and then repaired.

Apparently, it was always called N-Prime, even before the drop. NOAA-N launched in May 2005.

Funny how the word 'drop' would mean delay or cancellation for any other mission. For this one - it's an accurate vowel for what happened.

Pics of the accident: http://www.universetoday.com/2009/02/03/sa...dy-for-liftoff/

I'll be very surprised if it goes tonight; raining like hell in LA right now, supposed to be on & off all night.

Forecast here in LA is for steady rain throughout the night; heavy rain tomorrow; passing thunderstorms and broken skies Saturday.

It's a big storm, for LA. It'll be Sunday, earliest, looks like.

Clear now, but not looking good around launch time; 90% chance of rain @ 2AM local (launch time is 2:22L, 1022 GMT).

However, they did apparently fuel the booster anyhow. Maybe they know something we don't?

They will launch when the eye of the storm passes over the pad.

Er...would that make them a bunch of maroons if it didn't work?

Looks like it's GO at this time, some 5 minutes before liftoff.

EDIT: And it's off. 2nd stage burn is underway as I'm typing this, T+5 min.

We have a liftoff!