NASA Starts Space Shuttle Endeavour Countdown Aug. 4

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NASA will start the launch countdown for space shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 mission at 9 p.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 4, at T-43 hours. The countdown includes 27 hours, 3 minutes of built-in hold time leading to a preferred launch time at 7:02 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 7. The launch window extends an additional five minutes.

During the 11-day mission to the International Space Station, Endeavour's crew will add another truss segment to the expanding station, install a new gyroscope and add an external spare parts platform. The flight will have at least three spacewalks. It also will debut a new system that enables docked shuttles to draw electrical power from the station to extend visits to the outpost. If this system functions as expected, three additional days will be added to the STS-118 mission.

A detailed list of launch countdown milestones and times is available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sh...ews/index.html

This mission is the 119th space shuttle flight, the 20th flight for Endeavour and the 22nd U.S. flight to the International Space Station. The mission will be Endeavour's first flight in more than four years. The shuttle has undergone extensive modifications, including the addition of safety upgrades already added to shuttles Discovery and Atlantis.

For more information about the STS-118 crew and mission to the space station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Source: Nasa

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The US space shuttle Endeavour has been cleared to launch from Florida on an 11 to 14 day assembly mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The shuttle is scheduled to blast off at 2336 BST (1836 EDT) on Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center.

The mission is the second of four that Nasa plans to fit in this year.

The space agency is pressing to finish building the $100bn (£49.1bn) space station before the ageing shuttle fleet is retired in 2010.

Florida's weather, often marked by afternoon thunderstorms in summer, looks promising for the launch.

There is an 80% chance of clear skies for the launch from Cape Canaveral, the forecast suggests.

Source: BBC

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Watch live online here.

Also live on Sky News 28.2E FTA

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She's away OK - SRB's and main tank separation complete.

Docking with ISS planned for Friday afternoon.