SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

*Flight Readiness Review Gets Under Way*

*07.25.07 - 8:30 a.m. EDT* The flight readiness review for the upcoming STS-118 mission is under way at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Agency and program managers convened this morning for the two-day meeting, in which they'll discuss the status of Space Shuttle Endeavour, the flight crew and payload in order to confirm an official launch date. Launch is currently targeted for the evening of Aug. 7.

Last week, the crew members completed the terminal countdown demonstration test. A routine element of prelaunch training, the test allowed the astronauts to try on their launch and entry suits, learn emergency procedures at the launch pad, and take part in a variety of familiarization activities and briefings. The test concluded with a countdown dress rehearsal at Launch Pad 39A.

Space Shuttle Endeavour has been in place at the launch pad since July 11, and the STS-118 payload -- including the S5 truss, SPACEHAB module and external stowage platform 3 -- is secured inside the orbiter's payload bay.

This will be the first flight for Endeavour since 2002, and the first mission for Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago.

*Mission Information* + STS-118 Mission Overview http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts118/index.html + STS-118 Fact Sheet (900 Kb PDF) http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/182903main_STS118%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf + STS-118 Briefing Animations http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts118/multimedia/sts118_anim_07102007.html + STS-117 Mission Archive http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts117/main/index.html