time liftoff. Forecasters on Sunday predicted a 70 percent chance the weather will be acceptable for launch on Wednesday. The odds diminish to 60 percent for launch attempts on Thursday and Friday, said shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters. In addition to weather conditions in Florida, NASA will need clear skies at one of its three U.S. landing sites -- Florida, California and New Mexico -- as well as at a trans-Atlantic emergency landing site in case a shuttle main engine problem prevents the ship from reaching orbit. The weather in Florida also will be a key factor if Discovery's modified external fuel tank is to pass preflight ice inspections early on Wednesday. After the tank is filled with the 535,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants need to get Discovery in orbit, a special team will head to the launch pad to scrutinize the tank for ice buildups. --More 2352 Local Time 2052 GMT
