With the help of the Closeout Crew and Astronaut Support Personnel, the STS-116 crew members are taking their seats inside Space Shuttle Discovery as the vehicle awaits liftoff at 9:35 p.m. EST. Once in place, the crew will begin powering up Discovery's systems and getting the ship configured for launch.

A cold front moving through the Central Florida area is producing a lingering blanket of clouds, gusting winds and isolated light rain. The team will press on with the countdown for now, in case the weather cooperates after all.

Discovery's orange external tank has been loaded with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. These propellants power the orbiter's trio of main engines during the entire ride to space. The loading process, called "tanking," began at 11:30 a.m. EST and ended at 2:30 p.m. The tank will be continuously "topped off" during the remainder of today's countdown.

There are no technical concerns being addressed with Space Shuttle Discovery. The vehicle, crew and the mission's payloads are ready to fly.

The STS-116 mission is the 33rd for Discovery and the 117th space shuttle flight. During the 12-day mission, the crew will continue construction on the International Space Station, rewiring the orbiting laboratory and adding a segment to its integrated truss structure.

Live minute-by-minute updates of the countdown to Discovery's liftoff can be followed by visiting NASA's Launch Blog.