Editor's Note: The launch window for STS-129 is 10 minutes long, centered on the moment when Earth's rotation carries the pad into the plane of the space station's orbit. To optimize ascent performance, NASA targets the "in-plane" time.

As of this writing, STS-129 cannot launch between Nov. 20 and Dec. 5 because the angle between the sun and the plane of the International Space Station's orbit - the beta angle - would result in out-of-limit temperatures for the docked shuttle-station stack. The December launch window closes after Dec. 11 to avoid a conflict between the shuttle and docking of a Soyuz crew ferry craft Dec. 23.

DATE.......WINDOW OPEN...IN PLANE......WINDOW CLOSE..DOCKING

11/16/09...02:23:04 PM...02:28:04 PM...02:33:04 PM...FD 3

11/17/09...01:57:22 PM...02:02:22 PM...02:07:22 PM...FD 3
.......................................02:10:32 PM...FD 4

11/18/09...01:34:51 PM...01:39:51 PM...01:44:51 PM...FD 3

11/19/09...01:09:08 PM...01:14:08 PM...01:19:08 PM...FD 3
.......................................01:22:19 PM...FD 4

Beta Angle Cutout (see note above)

12/06/09...06:20:42 AM...06:25:42 AM...06:30:42 AM...FD TBD

12/07/09...05:54:59 AM...05:59:59 AM...06:04:59 AM...FD TBD

12/08/09...05:32:28 AM...05:37:28 AM...05:42:28 AM...FD TBD

12/09/09...05:06:45 AM...05:11:45 AM...05:16:45 AM...FD TBD

12/10/09...04:44:14 AM...04:49:14 AM...04:54:14 AM...FD TBD

12/11/09...04:18:31 AM...04:23:31 AM...04:28:31 AM...FD TBD