NASA TO LAUNCH SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR

NASA has chosen wednesday August 8th 2007 as the launch date for space shuttle endeavour. the mission dubbed STS 118 is slated for take off at 6:36pm EDT at cape canaveral at the Kennedy space centre in Florida.

seven astronauts will be carried to the space station aboard the space craft. the mission was supposed to take place the day before but was postponed for 24 hours to allow the shuttle processing team additional time to complete routine work before liftoff.

During the 11-day mission, Endeavour's crew will conduct at least three spacewalks. They will install new station components, replace one of the outpost's attitude control gyroscopes, deliver 5,000 pounds of supplies and add a segment to the right side of the station's backbone, or truss.

The launch will be broadcast on Nasa TV live. updates will be available on the internet at www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

Visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about the crew's progress and watch the spacewalks, which will be broadcast live from the space station. The NASA blog also will detail Endeavour's landing at the conclusion of the mission.

STS 118 will be commanded by commanded by U.S. Navy Commander Scott J. Kelly, U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col Charles O. Hobaugh will be Endeavour's pilot, Veteran astronauts Richard A. Mastracchio and Dr. Dafydd (Dave) Williams of the Canadian Space Agency will be returning to space for their second missions. Barbara R. Morgan, Tracy E. Caldwell, Ph. D., and Benjamin Alvin Drew round out the crew as mission specialists.

Teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan will also conduct several educational programs during the flight.

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