SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

LAUNCH COVERAGE NASA's Launch Blog - Mission STS-116

*NASA's launch blog was activated on Dec. 9, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. EST*

*+ View All Launch Day Videos http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch-allvideos.html*

*+ View First Launch Attempt Blog http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch-vlcc_120706.html*

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8:38 p.m. - T-9 minutes and counting. Nine minutes until the first nighttime launch of a space shuttle in four years.

8:34 p.m. - Launch Director Mike Leinbach polled his team and launch is "go" all the way. He told Commander Polansky that 48 hours makes all the difference and he wishes them good luck and Godspeed.

"We're looking forward to lighting up the night sky and rewiring the ISS," replied Polansky.

Standing by to release the hold.

8:33 p.m. - NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/biographies/spaulding.html has polled the Launch Team http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch_team.html and the team is "go." 8:32 p.m. - The Mission Management Team has been polled and all members have given a "go" for launch.

8:29 p.m. - Houston has contacted Discovery to advise the crew that all three transatlantic abort landing sites are go, but they will go with Moron, Spain as the preferred site.

8:18 p.m. - The countdown clock is holding at T-9 minutes, and there are about 20 minutes left in this last built-in hold. The final prelaunch polls by Mission Management Team Chairman LeRoy Cain, NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding and Launch Director Mike Leinbach should be taking place shortly.

8:03 p.m. - Launch Director Mike Leinbach has announced that we will aim for our preferred launch time in the middle of tonight's window. Again, 8:47:35 p.m. is the preferred launch time.

8:00 p.m. - We are inside the T-9 minute built-in hold. Everything continues to go well with the countdown tonight.