NASA TV: ~10 a.m. CDT (11 Eastern) - Pre launch news conference Monday, March 9, 2009. ABOVE: Tony performs a fly-by of Space Shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39A yesterday upon arrival to Kennedy Space Center, Florida, from Ellington Field in Houston.


HEADLINES AND LEADS


Astronauts arrive; weather 90 percent 'go' for Wednesday launch
by William Harwood - CBS News

With forecasters predicting a 90 percent chance of good weather, the shuttle Discovery's seven-man crew flew to the Kennedy Space Center today for the start of the countdown to blastoff Wednesday on a delayed space station assembly mission. The countdown began on time at 7 p.m., setting the stage for launch of the 125th shuttle mission at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Shuttle Astronauts Arrive at Florida Spaceport

by Tariq Malik - Space.com

The seven astronauts set to launch into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery this week arrived at NASA's Florida spaceport Sunday after weeks of delay. Led by shuttle commander Lee Archambault, the astronauts landed their T-38 jets on a runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., where they plan to launch toward the International Space Station Wednesday night at 9:20 p.m. EDT (0120 March 12 GMT).

Discovery Countdown Begins

by Florida Today's Flame Trench

A three-day countdown to shuttle Discovery's scheduled launch at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday is officially under way. Countdown clocks at Kennedy Space Center began ticking backwards from T minus 43 hours at 7 p.m. The countdown takes longer because of numerous pauses built in along the way. NASA press officials say no technical issues are being worked that threaten an on-time liftoff.

Discovery astronauts reach NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Wednesday launching

by Houston Chronicle's DeepSpace

The Discovery astronauts flew to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida this (Sunday) afternoon, prepared to lift off in three days on a long-delayed assembly mission to the international space station. Favorable weather awaits the shuttle's scheduled launching on Wednesday at 8:20 p.m., CDT.