 We are now in the final four hours of the countdown for the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-70 mission with launch occurring from Pad B at Launch Complex 39. Here we see a replay of the astronaut crew breakfast this morning, which occurred about 5.15. Mission Specialist Mary Ellen Weber, who will be working with the deployment of the tracking and data relay satellite. And our Flight Engineer, Mission Specialist Nancy Curry, our Commander for STS-70, Tom Henricks, and next to him is Pilot Kevin Kriegel. And Mission Specialist Dr. Don Thomas, who together with Dr. Mary Ellen Weber will be working later today, about six hours after launch to deploy the TDRSG tracking and data relay satellite. And our STS-70 cake with the emblem there on the table. Meanwhile, out at Launch Pad 39B, the final inspection team has been going through their routine inspections, looking for any buildup of ice on the external tank or any of the flight surfaces that could break off and strike Space Shuttle Discovery during launch. The ice team has a number of tools, which includes a portable infrared scanner to obtain temperature measurements on the surface of the vehicle, and it can spot any leaks in the external tank or the umbilicals. And the team also takes this as a last opportunity to look at the pad to assure that there's no loose debris around, which could also strike the orbiter at launch. There we see our Commander, Tom Henricks, ready to go, suited up with his helmet, and Pilot Kevin Kriegel. He's also ready to go. He's completed a fit check of the helmets. Kevin's first flight, and we'll be hearing from him later on on what he's anticipating for his first mission. And Mission Specialist Dr. Don Thomas, who will be busy later this afternoon, working with the deployment of the tracking and data ray satellite, which is the main order of business for today. There is Dr. Mary Ellen Weber, working with Dr. Thomas later this afternoon on the deployment of the IUS TDRS and our Flight Engineer, Mission Specialist Nancy Curry. She'll be seated in the aft center seat during launch and re-entry, and the suit up activities are about completed so that the crew will be headed out for the pad here in about another 15 minutes. Now we can see the crew somewhat better, Pilot Kevin Kriegel without his helmet. This is shuttle launch control at T-minus three hours and holding. We're preparing now to come out of the built-in hold in three, two, one, and the clock is now at T-minus three hours and counting. All of our activities continue to be on schedule this morning. We're not working any technical problems, and the weather appears favorable. And as we mentioned just a few moments ago, the astronauts are just about to leave for the launch pad and we'll begin boarding discovery on time. Now at T-minus two hours, 59 minutes, 35 seconds and counting. This is shuttle launch control. This is shuttle launch control at T-minus two hours, 56 minutes, two seconds and counting. And we see the astronauts have just left the suit up room. It's our Pilot Kevin Kriegel with the good luck sign and being wished well by some of the astronaut support personnel. Our activities right now are proceeding right to the minute. There's our pilot or our Commander Tom Hendricks, Pilot Kevin Kriegel, Mission Specialist Don Thomas. The missions are being advised now that the astronauts are leaving the crew quarters and to expect them shortly. And here we see the astronauts now arriving at the 190-foot, 5-foot level of the fixed service structure at Pad B, walking over to the orbiter access arm. And some of them will wait out on the orbiter access arm while other crew members are being assisted with their helmets and other attire so that it doesn't get too crowded, the white room is not very large. And of course Tom Hendricks will be the first one aboard. This is shuttle launch control at T-minus two hours, 27 minutes, 27 seconds and counting. As we see Commander Tom Hendricks boarding space shuttle discovery. This is his third flight into space, his first as commander. And we see Dr. Mary Ellen Weber and like Kevin Kriegel she's also making her first flight today. Pilot Kevin Kriegel now preparing to board discovery. This is his first flight. Good morning Tom and loud and clear. And we're seeing now Mission Specialist Don Thomas preparing for boarding. Just in front here we see Mission Specialist Nancy Curry being assisted with her flight crew equipment and she was raised in Troy, Ohio. Discovery Houston, Don we have you loud and clear, how me? Good morning Curt, have you loud and clear also? You're the same and welcome aboard. So out we're ready to go here. NASA crew is ready for copy that. And in the meantime if you could perform your close out for flight per your checklist please. Do you have the copies? Discovery is ready for air-to-air altitude voice check. Discovery Houston for the CDR and POT, voice check on air to ground two how do you read? Loud and clear. CLT, loud and clear. Discovery Houston read you both loud and clear configured for air-to-air voice check. We get a CQC on 143 for Catalina. Go ahead OVCC. You broke up OVCC repeat. Hatch is going shut. Copy that. And the hatch is being closed and sealed exactly on time. And here is Bob Cabana returning in the shuttle training aircraft. He has been doing approaches to runway 15 at the shuttle landing facility assessing those conditions and will be going up for another pass. Runway 15 has been designated as the runway we would use in the event of an emergency today. Which is basically a northwest to southeast approach. CLT, OTC, configure fuel cell, essential bus stop switches. Essential buses are connected. Let's go for OAA repack. And the orbiter access arm can be moved back into position around the hatch in about 30 seconds should an emergency occur. T-minus 7 minutes in counting. Next milestone is the start of the auxiliary power units by pilot Kevin Griegel. He'll flip three switches on the cockpit to start each of the three APUs and then port that's complete. JRPSOTC, captain, start APU on Hydraulics, drip trot recorder. And that's a good... OOTC perform APU pre-start. APU pre-start's in work. The flight controls through their test pattern. Three main engines now being gibbled. All of these steering checks to assure that we have proper control during ascent. Now to retract the Gox beanie cap. CLT, OTC, clear caution and warning memory. Verify no one expected errors. That's in work. T-minus 2 minutes 30 seconds. Cursion, warning memory is clear. No one expected errors. Copy. The gaseous oxygen fin hood which vents... Close and lock your visors and initiate O2 slow. And on behalf of everyone in the control room have a great mission. So looking forward to it. Thanks for your help. And the vent arm retraction underway on schedule. CLS is go for ET LH2 pressure 6. T-minus 90 seconds. Sound suppression water system now being armed. Quantity of 300,000 gallons of water in the water tank at the pad which will flow at a rate of 900,000 gallons. A minute starting at T-minus 16 seconds. T-minus 1 minute now. Being by for the handoff to discoveries on board flight computers at T-minus 31 seconds. NTG, CBRS. Go ahead, B.R. Call a hold. We do have a hold. We'd like permission to run a multi-path test contingency. That's the entity. Understood. Let's go ahead and do it. CBRS, you have a go. Take care of the results. 15 seconds. Cab A1. Okay, the results of the contingency. I copy. FCE. FCE, understand. We're ready to go. I copy. Launch director entity. There you go. Thank you. All personnel. At that clock we'll begin momentarily. This is BLS. We have a go to resume. BLS, go ahead and pick up the count. I'll zoom on my mark. Two. One. Marks. BLS, go for auto sequence start. And we've had the handoff to discoveries on board computers. 20. Sound suppression water system activated. 13 seconds. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5. Main engine ignition, 4, 3, 2, 1. And liftoff of space shuttle discovery to complete NASA's constellation of tracking stations in the sky. Houston now controlling the flight of discovery. Roger roll discovery. Discovery completes the roll to place the shuttle in a heads down wings level position for the 8 and a half minute ride to orbit. 27 seconds into the flight. Discovery's three liquid fuel main engines now throttling back in a three step fashion to 67% of rated performance to lessen the stress on the shuttle's zero surfaces as it passes through the sound barrier. 50 seconds into the flight the main engines now beginning to rev up once again to 104% of rated performance including the new block one engine. All three main engines performing normally as are the three power producing fuel cells and Discovery's three hydraulic power units. Discovery Houston, go ahead throttle up. Go ahead throttle up. Discovery now 63,000 feet in altitude, 8 miles down range. All systems continue to function normally in the early stage of the fourth shuttle flight of the year. 20 seconds left in first stage performance of the solid rocket boosters. Discovery approaching the 155,000 foot mark in altitude some 26 miles down range. Booster officer confirms solid rocket booster separation. Discovery Houston, performance nominal. Copy nominal performance. Discovery we have a good picture. Discovery Houston the folks at Sunnyvale would like to know where that ice came from. Did you see where it departed from? It's difficult for us to tell where it originated from. The first time we saw it was just after the IE West cleared the bay and it could have come from around the back of the ASC. Understand that sounds likely. The circumference appeared to be very similar to the IUS circumference. Oh I see, yeah the shape of the curve. Now we were about 90 seconds from the TDRS handover we may lose the picture here shortly. Okay it looks like the show's about over anyway. We'd love more. Well we'll keep it coming throughout the following week. Commander Seed up front watching the Orbiter Systems, Tom's in the back and ready to do the step maneuver. He is running the cameras and Don is over on the left hand side controlling the IUS controls and Mary Ellen is over on the right hand side monitoring the IUS systems. And you could tell today that was a very well trained team that we're seeing. This is a real team effort up here. Everybody was busy operating cameras, flying the orbiter and deploying the satellite up here. This is a team effort in our part and also a big effort on the ground. We had people at White Sand, Sunnyvale, all around the world helping to support the satellite deploy and we really appreciate the great help and support that made it possible today. That's a gorgeous picture discovery and all of you working together put another big building block in the space infrastructure. You can see it's on its way, it's just leaving the support equipment here. And on its way out to Geosynchronous orbit where we'll be supporting future missions, space station freedom and the Hubble Space Telescope to name just a few applications. That's a beautiful deploy discovery. We didn't see any rates on the satellite at all. Copy discovery. It's interesting, six years ago the IUS put Galileo on the way to Jupiter and they just released their probe towards that planet last night. And discovery, we see that very clearly. Thanks. What is there? You see a piece of debris there next to the satellite that was actually a piece of ice that appeared to be about three foot long. It went by the window previous to this view and we verified it was ice and it did break in a couple of pieces. Okay, thanks discovery. I'm sure we would have asked you about that and thanks for allaying that concern.