SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Pre-launch Activities in Full Swing*

*Launch Target:* June 8 *Launch Time: * 7:38 p.m. EDT

The STS-117 mission astronauts are greeted after arriving at Kennedy Space Center. mage above: Welcoming the crew are Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Janet Petro and Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett TO VIEW IMAGE GO TO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

+ View High-res Image http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/170421main_arrival-2.jpg

*06.05.07 - 10:30 a.m. EDT* During a countdown status briefing this morning at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Test Director Steve Payne announced that preparations for launch on Friday continue and everything is on schedule.

"All our systems right now are in great shape -- we're tracking no constraints that are show stoppers," said Payne. "Teams are ready and everybody's eager to launch -- we're looking forward to a successful assembly mission."

Launch Weather Officer Kathy Winters of the 45th weather squadron reported there is a 30 per cent chance of weather prohibiting launch. Although a typical pattern of afternoon thunderstorms prevail, upper level winds will push the clouds away by launch time.

The tanking forecast for Friday morning also looks good with no violation of constraints.

The launch countdown for Atlantis officially begins at 9 p.m. EDT today, at T-43 hours. Included in the countdown is nearly 28 hours of built-in hold time prior to a targeted 7:38 p.m. EDT launch on Friday.

The mission STS-117 astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Monday evening. Landing aboard their T-38 training jets, the astronauts flew in from Johnson Space Center in Houston to Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility.

The days before launch will be busy ones for the astronauts and launch team as they make final preparations for Friday's flight to the International Space Station.

Mission STS-117 is the Space Shuttle Program's 21st mission to the space station.

Wednesday, June 6 *Countdown Status Briefing 10 a.m. EDT * - Jeff Spaulding, NASA test director - Robbie Ashley, STS-117 payload manager - Kathy Winters, shuttle weather officer

*STS-117 Launch Readiness News Conference 4 p.m. EDT* (No Earlier Than) - LeRoy Cain, launch integration manager, Space Shuttle Program - Mike Leinbach, NASA launch director - U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Pat Barrett, 45th Weather Squadron + NASA TV http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

*STS-117 Mission* + The Crew http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/index.html

+ The Mission http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/mission_overview.html

+ The Integrated Truss Structure http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/its.html